Theoretical investigation on genre

1. GENRE
INVESTIGATION

2. Genre is a way of labelling a media text according to the context and style of the media
text. Putting a media text such as film, television programmes, print media, or music into
categories is useful as a way establishing some kind of control over an amorphous form of
information. Each genre follows its own kinds of conventions- language and characteristics
which the audience use. Audiences recognise these features and therefore expect certain
things. For example, at the end of a romantic comedy film the two lead characters will
realise they are in love. Audiences may even select a text on the basis of its genre.
There is a selection of different genres within the media text film such as horror, sci-fi, action,
thriller, comedy, romantic, crime, historical and more. All films have at least one major genre,
although there are a number of films that are considered crossbreeds or hybrids with two or
three genre types that identify them. Many films are considered hybrids as they overlap
several film genres. Having a specific genre helps to attract a specific target audience, for
example a horror films will have a audience of thrill seekers.

3. Rick Altman argues that genres are usually defined in terms of media language (Semantic
elements) and convention for example in the horror genre there is a gothic architecture,
dark atmosphere, victims and criminal weapons. Or there is a certain ideology and narrative
(Syntactic elements such as suspense, anxiety and terror).
David Chandler believes that the conventional definitions of genres tend to be based on the
nation that they constitute particular conventions of content, an example of this is themes
and settings, which are shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them.
Charaudeau and Maingueneau’s genre theory states that genre can be determined
through four different logical conceptualizations. They state that genre is determined by its
Linguistic function, formal traits, textual organization and finally the relation of
communicative situation to formal and organisational traits of the text.
All these codes and conventions from different theorists can be applied to the horror genre
as horror films typically create a fearful and isolated setting that is dark with low lighting and
a villain or a supernatural presence. This helps the audience to determine the genre of a film.