The document discusses genres in film and their conventions. It explains that genres have paradigms and iconography that audiences expect, such as cowboys wearing hats in westerns. However, genres are also evolving as paradigms change over time to reflect societal shifts. For example, westerns now subvert expectations by having women handle guns and gay films are more widely accepted. While genres provide familiarity, they can limit creativity, which is why sub-genres are useful.

1. *

2. *
*'A typical example or pattern of something; a
pattern or model'
*For example 'society’s paradigm of the ‘ideal
woman’. A paradigm usually give into stereo-
types. Usually this makes the audience feel
comfortable with the text.

3. *
*'The visual images and symbols used in a work
of art or the study or interpretation‘. For
example, 'the conventional iconography of
Christian art'. Iconography can be a way to
represent a given subject.

4. *
*In the early-mid 1900’s, hundreds
of Westerns were being made per
year. But as time as gone on, it
has become a dying genre.
Westerns include the typical
cowboy hats, horses, and gun
fights.
*Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and
Wellesley Wild have recently
created a new hybrid western-
comedy, ‘A Million Ways to Die in
the West’. Seth explained that a
reason why he wanted to make
this movie was because Westerns
are portrayed and being overly
romanticized, when actually it
was a disgusting period in time to
live in.
*As you can see from the bottom
picture, a woman is holding the
guns. So our expectations of a
man being the violent one is
subverted.

5. *
*James Bond has always been
associated with slick suits, sexy
women and violence. This is how
secret agents are represented
when in real life, secret agents
are more… secret. Really,
movies like James Bond are just
a fantasy of what we as an
audience want to expect from
an action movie.
*We can expect guns, women,
suits, background stories, a
reflection on a bad attitude
and, of course, explosions.

6. *
*In a sci-fi movie, I would expect aliens or some
form of what looks like an other-worldly
creature, space, space ships, gadgets that we
could only imagine existed, and possibly time
travel. I would look forward to fire and
explosions and sometime violence. Usually
things go to plan in the end.
*In a romantic-comedy I would expect a typical
(mostly blonde) helpless girl, who meets a guy
and then get on great. But something gets in
the way and they realised it could never be.
Until the end when they make up and kiss. The
jokes in these movies wouldn’t be dark humour
as it would be aimed at a female audience.

7. *I love horror movies. You can anticipate lots of
blood and gore, and often a plot twist. Sub
genres of these could be psychological-horrors,
slasher-horrors even fantasy-horrors. There will
be tension, darkness, and no comedy. With
movies like rom-coms, the endings are
predictable, but sometimes the good guys in
horrors aren’t successful.
*Unlike horrors, with slashers, there will be a
definite murderer and several murders.
However like horrors, blood and gore won’t go
a miss.
*These movies usually have the same structure.
In the beginning there will be a death, and
from then on in we can expect a lot more. And
the aim of the characters in this movie is to
find and stop the killer ‘before it’s too late’.

8. *
Teen Comedy
“Balls”
Alice (Dakota Fanning)
can’t wait to start high
school. It’s just a shame
she’s shy, unattractive
and unpopular . But
everything changes when
she falls into the arms
heart throb, Dexter
(Moises Arias) and he
teaches her how to live.
Can mean girl Jessica
(Keke Palmer) steal him
for her? Who will Dexter
take to the summer ball?
Can you be popular and a
nerd?
Sci Fi
“The Midnight Ship”
From the director that
brought you Battleship,
Peter Berg brings you an
explosive action-packed
movie that will take you
through time and space.
Starring Emma Stone (The
Amazing Spiderman),
Channing Tatum (21 Jump
Street), and Bradley
Cooper (The Hangover
trilogy), The Midnight
Ship will take you on an
adventure along the stars.
But remember, the sun
can blind you.

9. *
*For media producers, it is important to identify the genre of the
film to include the paradigms. Like the set design, costume and
even type casting; we would never expect Tom Cruise in a horror
because of his style of acting.
*Genre can be important to audiences because of how appropriate
the movie is to the audience. You would never rate a thriller as a
‘U’ for children to watch. Also, it’s good to understand what you
like.

10. *
*Genres can be a limiting factor because of
paradigms and iconography. Eventually we will
all be able to suss out the ending or conclusion
to a movie. This is why sub-genres help, so that
we don’t limited the possibilities in film.
*We need paradigms because if the paradigms
are change, the audience won’t recognise the
genre.

11. *
*The genres of these films have
adapted to society. Not many
openly gay films would have been
on display in the past, but now as
we are coming to realise that gay
is okay, we are more open about it
and most younger audiences aren’t
afraid to see it. Your ‘ideal
cowboy’ isn’t looking for a woman
anymore, but is still obsessed with
sex, so the paradigms have only
been slightly altered.