This document provides an overview of film genres. It defines what a film genre is and discusses how genres influence filmmaking styles and techniques. It also addresses subgenres and how genres can evolve over time and change through different historical periods. Genres are not fixed and films often combine elements of multiple genres. The document examines characteristics, history, audience expectations, and categorization of different genres.

1. Subject : Emerging forms of literature
Submitted to: Dr Hira Ali
Submitted by : Group 5
Department : BS English Section A
Semester : 8th
Shewana Yasmeen 31
Maira Naeem 75
Hafsa 57
Asifa Noreen 13
Maryam Noor 17
Namra Hassan 87
Zuriya Gull 05
Areeba Shehzad 91

2. FILM GENRE
Group 5

3. Introduction:
 A film genre is a stylistic or thematic category for motion pictures based
on similarities either in the narrative elements, aesthetic approach, or the
emotional response to the film.
 A film's genre will influence the use of filmmaking styles and techniques,
such as the use of flashbacks and low-key lighting in film noir; tight
framing in horror films; or fonts that look like rough-hewn logs for the
titles of Western films. In addition, genres have associated film-scoring
conventions, such as lush string orchestras for romantic melodramas or
electronic music for science- fiction films. Genre also affects how films are
broadcast on television, advertised, and organized in video-rental stores

4. SUB GENRES
 With the proliferation of particular genres, film sub genres can also
emerge: the legal drama, for example, is a sub-genre of drama that
includes courtroom- and trial-focused films. Sub genres are often a
mixture of two separate genres; genres can also merge with seemingly
unrelated ones to form hybrid genres, where popular combinations
include the romantic comedy and the action comedy film. Broader
examples include the docu-fiction and docudrama, which merge the basic
categories of fiction and non-fiction (documentary).

5. CHARACTERISTICS
 Characteristics of particular genres are most evident in genre films, which are
"commercial feature films [that], through repetition and variation, tell familiar
stories with familiar characters and familiar situations" in a given genre
 Genres informed by particular target audience(s) include children's film, teen film,
women's film, and "chick flick"
 Genres characterized by the type of production include the blockbuster,
independent film, and low-budget film, such as the B
 movie (commercial) or amateur film (noncommercial).

6. HISTORY
 From the earliest days of cinema in the 19th century the term "genre" was
used to organize films according to type.] By the 1950s André Bazin was
discussing the concept of "genre" by using the Western film as an
example; during this era, there was a debate over auteur theory versus
genre. In the late 1960s the concept of genre became a significant part of
film theory.
 A key reason that the early Hollywood industrial system from the 1920s to
the 1950s favored genre films is that in "Hollywood's industrial mode of
production, genre movies are dependable products" to market to
audiences - they were easy to produce and it was easy for audiences to
understand a genre film. In the 1920s to 1950s, genre films had clear
conventions and iconography, such as the heavy coats worn by gangsters
in films like Little Caesar (1931).

7. AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS
 Some screenwriters use genre as a means of determining what kind of plot
or content to put into a screenplay. They may study films of specific genres
to find examples. This is a way that some screenwriters are able to copy
elements of successful movies and pass them off in a new screenplay. It is
likely that such screenplays fall short in originality. As Truby says, "Writers
know enough to write a genre script but they haven't twisted the story
beats of that genre in such a way that it gives an original face to it".
 Cinema technologies are associated with genres. Huge widescreens helped
Western films to create an expansive setting of the open plains and desert.
Science fiction and fantasy films are associated with special effects, notably
computer-generated imagery (e.g., the Harry Potter films).

8. CATEGORIZATION
 Film genres may appear to be readily categorizable from the setting of the
film. Nevertheless, films with the same settings can be very different, due
to the use of different themes or moods. For example, while both The
Battle of Midway and All Quiet on the Western Front are set in a wartime
context and might be classified as belonging to the war film genre, the
first examines the themes of honor, sacrifice, and valour, and the second is
an anti-war film which emphasizes the pain and horror of war. While there
is an argument that film noir movies could be deemed to be set in an
urban setting, in cheap hotels and underworld bars, many classic noirs
take place mainly in small towns, suburbia, rural areas, or on the open
road.

9. PURE AND HYBRID GENRES
 Pure and hybrid genres Films are rarely purely from one genre, which is in
keeping with the cinema's diverse and derivative origins, it being a blend
of "vaudeville, music-hall, theatre, photography" and novels.[4] American
film historian Janet Stagier states that the genre of a film can be defined in
four ways. The "idealist method" judges films by predetermined standards.
The "empirical method" identifies the genre of a film by comparing it to a
list of films already deemed to fall within a certain genre. The apriori
method uses common generic elements which are identified in advance.
The "social conventions" method of identifying the genre of a film is based
on the accepted cultural consensus within society.

10. FILM IN THE CONTEXT OF
HISTORY
 Over time, a genre can change through stages: the classic genre era; the
parody of the classics; the period where filmmakers deny that their films are
part of a certain genre; and finally, a critique of the entire genre. In order to
understand the creation and context of each film genre, we must look at its
popularity in the context of its place in history. For example, the 1970s
Blaxploitation films have been called an attempt to "undermine the rise of
Afro-American's Black consciousness movement" of that era. In William Park's
analysis of film noir, he states that we must view and interpret film for its
message with the context of history within our minds; he states that this is how
film can truly be understood by its audience. Film genres such as film noir and
Western film reflect values of the time period. While film noir combines
German expressionist filming strategies with post World War II ideals; Western
films focused on the ideal of the early 20th century.

11. CONCLUSION
 The theme gives purpose to the movie.The genre categorises the movie
but also indirectly shapes the characters and story, establishes the setting,
and determines the plot.The characters are expanded in order to act within
the narrative structure of the story and plot.The characters and their
actions are further defined by their physiology, psychology, and sociology.

12. mcqs
1. What is a film genre?
a) A type of emotion evoked by a film
b) A category for motion pictures based on similarities in narrative elements, aesthetic
approach or emotional response
c) The budget of a film
Answer: b
2. According to the text, what is a subgenre?
a) A type of film that mixes two separate genres
b) A category for motion pictures based on similarities in narrative elements, aesthetic
approach or emotional response
c) A type of emotion evoked by a film
Answer: a
3. What is the difference between narrative, avant-garde, and documentary film genres?
a) Narrative is a type of film that tells a story, while avant-garde and documentary are not
based on storytelling
b) Narrative and avant-garde are based on storytelling, while documentary is not
c) Narrative is based on storytelling, while avant-garde and documentary are not
Answer: c

13. 4. How do genres affect filmmaking styles and techniques?
a) Genres have no influence on filmmaking styles and techniques
b) Genres determine the use of filmmaking styles and techniques, such as
lighting and framing
c) Filmmakers choose filmmaking styles and techniques based on personal
preference
Answer: b
5. Can genres change and evolve over time?
a) Yes, they can change and evolve over time
b) No, they are fixed and cannot change
c) It depends on the budget of the film
Answer: a