This document provides an overview of a media studies lesson that focuses on analyzing film genres and title sequences. It discusses genre conventions at both the macro (story) and micro (presentation) levels. Students are tasked with analyzing the macro and micro elements of two film title sequences from the same genre and posting their findings as blog entries. They are also asked to complete an audience research activity profiling typical viewers of different film genres.

1. AS MEDIA STUDIES
ANALYSIS OF MICRO AND MACRO CONVENTIONS OF FILMS

2. WHERE ARE WE AT?
• We are researching film openings in preparation for you planning your own
production
• We have looked at the function of a title sequence
• We have looked at the types of title sequences
• Last week we looked at film genres
• Today we are going to look at:
• Genre in more detail
• Micro and macro elements of genre (I’ve chucked in a bit of theory here)
• Film audiences
• Thursday we are going to look at the use of sound in title sequences

3. BLOG UPDATE:
By the end of this week you must have posted blogs 1-14 – deadline is Friday for this
Today we are doing number 11 and 12. Anything not completed will become your
homework
Thursday we are doing 13 and 14
Remember – we’ve binned the old checklist and you are now working off a new one
(given out in the last lesson)
Half term homework: blogs 15 and 16 (initial individual planning ideas)

4. FOCUS OF TODAY’S LESSON
• To develop an understanding of the semantic and syntactic aspects of film genre
• To complete a detailed analysis of two opening title sequences
• To draw conclusions about the common features / conventions of genre.

5. SEMANTIC AND SYNTACTIC ASPECTS OF GENRE
Anyone heard either of those words before?

6. GENRE
• Which three genres did you blog about on Thursday?
• Foziya, Adam, Ayleah, Jacob – what would be your top three favourite film genres?
• What would expect films from these genres to
• (a) Look like (micro elements)
• (b) Be about? (macro elements)
• Make some quick notes on the sheet.

7. THEORY OF MACRO AND MICRO
ELEMENTS OF GENRE
Altman: media theorist who stated that film genre can be talked about in two ways:
1. Syntactic (macro): the stories that the film tells
2. Semantic (micro): how these stories are presented

8. ALTMAN CONTINUED:
• He observed that films from the same genre tend to:
• Tell the same sorts of stories and have the same character types and themes
• Look a similar way by having similar camera, editing, sound techniques, and using
common mise-en-scene
• Summarise his ideas in the box on your sheet.

9. AN EXAMPLE: TEEN SLASHER GENRE
SCREAM (1996) HALLOWEEN (1978)

10. AN EXAMPLE: TEEN SLASHER GENRE
MICRO (SEMANTIC) FEATURES
• Low key lighting and use of shadows
• POV camerawork through eyes of killer
• Slow pace of editing to lure us into thinking
everything is ok, followed by fast pace during
moments of high tension
• Fluid moving handheld camera
• Urgent, persistent music raising tension, and moment
of silence to raise tension
• Use of a mask to hide identity of killer
• Use of murder weapon – often a knife
MACRO (SYNTACTIC) FEATURES
• Absence of parents/authority figures
• Predominant cast of teenage/young adults
• Popular blonde, geek, jock, and other stock
characters dominate
• Loner killer known by characters – identity
revealed at end
• Theme of revenge
• Series of brutal killings – main characters
solve crimes

11. TASK 1 – INDIVIDUAL TASK
Using the task sheet, individually watch 2 different title sequences (ideally from a genre
you are interested in making for your own film). Must choose examples with titles!
Analyse the micro and macro elements of the genre
Make notes on the order of the titles as they appear.
Present your analysis as blog post 12 using either EMAZE or Prezi.

12. STUCK FOR IDEAS? BELOW ARE SUCCESSFUL
GENRES TO ANALYSE AND REMAKE:
• Urban youth drama (think Kidulthood, My Brother the Devil, Fish Tank)
• Thriller (think Se7en, Arlington Road, Panic Room)
• High School Movie (think Mean Girls, The Breakfast Club, Legally Blonde)

13. TASK 2: AUDIENCE RESEARCH ACTIVITY –
INDIVIDUAL TASK
• Use the handout to complete the activity on profiling film audiences
• Post your findings to your blog for task 11 (see below a reminder)