This document provides an overview of different film genres including elements, examples, and possible ideas for each genre. It discusses action, children's animation, romance, comedy, crime, and horror genres. For each genre it lists characteristic elements, popular movie examples, and potential starting ideas for short films that fit within that genre.

1. Film GenresFILM GENRES
Elements, Examples and Ideas

2. Action
ELEMENTS
• Cars, weapons,
fight scenes
• Stunts, chase
scenes
• High tempo
• Extreme
locations
• Escape,
revenge,
assassin, kidnap
EXAMPLES
• 2012
• Back to the future
• Batman
• Big Fish
• 127 hours
POSSIBLE IDEAS
• High speed chase scene, pause action shots to
show titles and actors names
• Car racing- driver gets out of car to introduce
main character and dialogue begins

3. ELEMENTS
• Sensitive
content
• No bad
language or
upsetting
scenes
• Colourful
• Upbeat music
• Friendly
storylines
• Good morals
EXAMPLES
• Avatar
• Bambi
• 101 Dalmatians
• Shrek
• Toy Story
POSSIBLE IDEAS
Because of limitations in school, animation isn’t a
practical idea because we have to display our
filming abilities and have limited editing facilities
Children’s
Animation

4. Possible Ideas
• Girl cycles along beach- music in headphones
stops when she hits man and earplugs fall out
• Old man at home alone- pans across the room
showing old pictures of a happy couple
Elements
• Relationships
• Dreamlike
lifestyle
• Softer music
• Heart ache
• Elements of
other genres
e.g. comedy or
tragedy
Examples
• Dear John
• Titanic
• The Notebook
• The Last Song
• The Lucky One
Romance

5. ELEMENTS
• Light hearted
humour
• Exaggerated
stereotypes
• Upbeat
storyline
• Easy to follow
storyline
• Puns/innuendos
EXAMPLES
• 21 Jump Street
• The Hangover
• The Interview
• American Pie
• Dumb&Dumber
POSSIBLE IDEAS
• Male main characters going on a surf weekend-
learning to surf together
• Scrawny boys fail their a levels and sign up for
the army- go through physical training program
Comedy

6. Elements
• Investigation
• Detective
• Problematic
storyline
• Clues and
mystery
• Law breaking-
burglary,
murder etc
Examples
• Fast and Furious
• Goodfellas
• The Dark Knight
• The Godfather
• Jack Reacher
Possible Ideas
• Panning camera across murder scene then
begin the film with the investigation
• Police chase scene then the film gives the
background to why they are being chased
Crime

7. ELEMENTS
• Adrenaline
• Suspense
• Paranormal
• Eerie music with
changing
tempo to build
tension
• Aspects of gore
and violence
EXAMPLES
• HumanCentipede
• The Awakening
• The Quiet Ones
• Woman In Black
• Storage24
POSSIBLE IDEAS
• Haunted house with bottles of body parts lined
up on shelves- new family moves in
• Introduces main characters in the forest- its
getting dark and have to survive the night
Horror