A2 Media, theorists in genre for music videos and films.

1. Aslihan Sahin Media
Genre
What isGenre?
‘Genre’isa critical tool that helpstostudytextsandaudience responsestotextsbydividingtheminto
categoriesbasedoncommonelements.
Danielle Chandler(2001) arguesthat the wordgenre comesfromthe French(andisoriginallyLatin) wordfor
‘kind’or‘class’.The term iswidelyusedinrhetoric,literarytheory,mediatheorytorefertoa distinctive type
of ‘text’.
All genreshave subgenres(genreswithin agenre). Thismeansthattheyare dividedupintomore specific
categoriesthatallowaudiencestoidentifythem especially bytheirfamiliarandwhatbecome recognisable
characteristics (Barry Keirth Grant,1995)
Genericcharacteristicsacross all textsshare similarelementsofthe belowdependingonthe album…
-Typical Mise-en-Scene/visual style (iconography,props,setdesign,lighting,temporal andgeographic
location,costume,shottypes,cameraangles, andspecial effects).
-Typical typesof Narrative (plots,historicalsetting,setpieces).
-GenericTypes,i.e.typical characters(dotypical male/female rolesexist,archetypes?)
-Typical studios/productioncompanies.
-Typical Personnel (directors,producers,actors,stars,auteursetc.).
-Typical SoundDesign(sounddesign,dialogue,music,soundeffects).
-Typical EditingStyle.
KEY: Importantelements,lessimportantelements,elementsof minimal importance.
Styles:
Comedyandanimationare notgenres,theyare stylesortreatments.Wall-E(2008) andSpaceballs(1987)
Jason Mittell (2001) arguesthat genresare cultural categoriesthatsurpassthe boundariesof mediatexts
and operate withinindustry,audience,andcultural practicesaswell.
In short,industriesuse genre tosell theirproductstoaudiences.Mediaproducertsuse familiarcodesand
conventionsthatveryoftenmake cultural referencestotheiraudienceknowledge of society,othertexts.
Genre alsoallowsaudiencestomake choicesaboutwhatproductstheywantto consume through
acceptance inorder to fulfil aparticularpleasure.
Pleasure of genre foraudiences
TheoristRick Altman (1999) arguesthat genre offersaudiences‘asetof pleasures’.Theseare:
 Emotional Pleasure:The emotional pleasure offeredtoaudiencesof genre filmsare particularly
significantwhentheygenerateastrongaudience response.
 Visceral Pleasures: visceral pleasures(‘visceral’referstointernal organs) are ‘gut’responsesandare
definedbyhowthe film’sstylisticconstructionelicitsaphysical effectuponitsaudience.Thiscanbe
a feelingof revulsion,kineticspeed,ora‘rollercoasterride’.
 Intellectual Puzzles: Certainfilmgenressuchasthe thrillerorthe ‘whodunit’offerthe pleasure in
tryingto unravel amysteryor a puzzle.Pleasure isderivedfromdecipheringthe plotandforecasting
the endor the beingsurprisedbythe unexpected.

2. Aslihan Sahin Media
Strengths ofGenre Theory
The main strengthsof genre theoryisthateverybodyusesitandunderstandsit –mediaexpertsuse itto
studymediatexts,the mediaindustryusesittodevelopandmarkettextsandaudiencesuse ittodecide
whattextsto consume.
The potential forthe same conceptto be understoodbyproducers,audiencesandscholarsmake genre a
useful critical tool.Itsaccessibilityasa conceptalsomeansthat itcan be appliedacrossa wide range of texts.
Short film–mediumnotgenre
The mediaof short filmdoesnothave a specificgenre.However,the things thatseparate shortfilmsfrom
feature filmsare thattheyoftenhave single strandnarrativesand/orfocusonfew characters.
Theycan be veryoftenanti-narrative/surrealist.
Short filmscanbe ambiguous,openinmeaning(Eco,1981) and oftenexperimental.
Genre DevelopmentandTransformation
Overthe yearsgenresdevelopandchange asthe widersocietythatproduce themalsochanges,aprocess
that isknownas generictransformation.
ChristianMetzinhisbook Language and Cinema(1974) arguedthat genresgothrougha typical cycle of
changesduringtheirlifetime.
1. ExperimentalStage
2. ClassicStage
3. ParodyStage
4. DeconstructionStage
Musicvideo –mediumwith manysub-genres/ postmodernstyles?
Music videoisa mediumintendedtoappeal directlyto youthsubculturesbyreinforcinggenericelementsof
musical genres.
Theyare alsocalledpop-promosastheyare usedto promote aband or artist.
Music videosare postmodern textswhose main purposeistopromote a star persona(Dyer,1975).
Theydo not have to be literal representationsof the songorlyrics.
In terms of genre,there are narrative andperformance andsome that combine both.Bothperformance and
narrative basedvideosare verypurelyintertextual
-Blink182 ‘Sayit ain’tSo’
-Weezer‘BuddyHolly’.
Theyoftenpastiche/parodyfilmsoroffercommentaryonsocial events.GreenDay’sBasketCase (1996)
pastichesOne FlewOverThe Cuckoo’sNest(1975)

3. Aslihan Sahin Media
Othersinclude themeswhichmayfitaroundlyricsof the songor society(particularlyif the bandare well
knownactivistsknownforsupportingacause).
Thisis a mediumknownforbeingexperimental andcontroversial.
The genericconventionsstaythe same butthe style (the lookof something) changesbetweenmusicgenres.
Genre Themes
DavidBordwell (1989) –‘Any theme mayappearinany theme’
Horror films, forexample,are basicallyjustmodernfairytalesandoftenactas moralityplaysinwhich
people whobreaksociety’srulesare punished.
Fear of the unknown – the monsteristhe ‘monstrousother’i.e.anythingthatisscarybecause itisforeignor
different.
Sex= death – in horror movies,especiallySlashermovies,sex isimmoral andmustbe punished,werewolf
moviescanbe seenas a metaphorforpuberty,vampirescanbe as metaphorsforsexuallytransmitted
diseasesorrape etc.
The breakdownof society – post-apocalypticmoviesare aboutourfear(or secretdesire for) of the
breakdownof society.The collapse of civilisationresultsinhumankindrevertingtotheiranimal instincts.
Some shortfilmscan alsobe social realisttexts,andsothroughtheirdiscourse theyshare some conventional
themesof horror/scare textsingeneral suchas:
The dualityof man/ personal journey – the conflictbetweenman’s civilisedside andhissavage,primal
instincts,e.g.Jeykll andHyde,Werewolf movies,the Hulk,etc.
Segregationand alienation – twoopposingculturesorbeingsgoingthroughastruggle to survive. Asthere
are no standardthemesof shortmovies,dependingontheiraudience theyoffertheirown themes.
Some musicvideoshave themesforamore youthful audience suchas....
• Teenangst
• Rebellion- Conformityversesnon-conformity;
• Romance;
• Sex/losingyourvirginity
• Nostalgia– for the innocence of youth
• Nihilism– the belief thatthere isnofuture;
• Comingof age rituals (e.g.the prom, fallinginlove,losingyourvirginityetc.);
• Tribalism:Popularityversesunpopularity,e.g.cliques;
• Bullying
JuvenileDelinquency:
Moral panicsand the teenagerasa folkdevil;
The currency of ‘cool’;
Hedonism– livingpurelyforpleasure;
Friendship.
Otherthemesinmusicvideos:
War
Crime
Poverty
Capitalism
Racism

4. Aslihan Sahin Media
Genresare not fixed. Theyconstantlychange andevolve overtime –yourcourseworkarticles,aswe have
discussed,are postmodernpieces.
David Buckingham (1993) arguesthat 'genre is not...Simply"given"bythe culture:rather,itisina constant
processof negotiationandchange’.
As postmoderntheoristJacquesDerridaremindsus,"the law of the law of genre . . . ispreciselyaprinciple of
contamination,alawof impurity".
For example,shortfilmsandmusicvideosare inthe processof genre cross-over.
Some narrative videosborrowfromthe conventionsof shortfilmsandinfactare short films.
Arctic Monkey’smusic videos‘Scummy Man’. Portishead’s‘To Kill a Dead Man’ isessentiallyashortfilm
noir(1940s detectivemovie...).