This document provides an overview of genre theory in film. It discusses how genres have existed since the early days of cinema and have a long history dating back to Ancient Greece. Genre theorists like Daniel Chandler and Steve Neale view genres as consisting of common conventions across a range of productions, such as themes, settings, and style. The main genres of film are identified as action/adventure, crime, comedy, drama, thriller, epics, horror, musical, science fiction, war, and western. Characteristics of genres are discussed in terms of visual imagery, style, characters, settings, and narrative development. Expectations for genres like gangster, horror, musical, sci-fi, action, and western are listed

1. 1
Genre Theory
Genre is a French word meaning ‘type’ and film genres have existed since the early
days of cinema. However, while the use of genre has a long history in film, it has a far
longer general history which dates back to Ancient Greece, at which time Aristotle
categorised theatre plays by type. Nowadays most cultural production, be it television,
magazines, music, painting or literature, ends up being assigned to one genre or another.
In all cases what makes a genre possible is the existence of common elements or
conventions across a range of productions. In other words, it is the identification of
repetition across a series of productions that results in them being described as a
particular type.
Genre Theorists:
Daniel Chandler: '...Genres...constitute conventions of themes settings, structure and
style that are shared by texts...'
Steve Neale: ‘…genres are instances of repetition and difference…’
ACTIVITY 1: How many different genres can you identify? Give an example of a
film from each genre.
Genre Example of film Genre Example of film
ACTIVITY 2: Identify the genre of the films shown below. Is there anything on the poster
that helps you decide?

2. 2
The strong use of the coloursred,the colourof bloodandfire islinkedto
danger,war,energyandstrength.The man standinginthe middle
amongstall the menis eitherthe one incontrol or the one withthe most
importance.Mostof the mencarry guns whichsymbolisesthe film
involveslotsof violence.Inthe backgroundthere isfire oran explosion
burningthe buildings,these menmayhave causedthe the disasteror
are tryingto preventpeoplefromcausingit.The message of thisposter
isveryvisual as itsshowsdanger,angerand maybe death.Thisfilm
wouldbe aimedatpeople wholike adrenaline ridden,actionpackedand
destructive films.The namesof the menare writteninwhite atthe very
top of the posterto attract the audience because theyare wellknown
for theiractionfilms
The girl onthe leftside of the poster,hereye contactlooksdirectasif she
lookingatsomethingelse,hinting there issomethingworthbeingafraidof.
The use of purple andyellow is anoddcolourand not well usedto
symbolise ahorrormovie.The coloursuse couldhintthere somethingodd
and unusual ishappening.The titleinyellow lookslooksscratched upand
brokensuggestingsomeone istrappedandtryingtoescape.The girl takes
a huge space onthe postersuggestingshe’sthe maincharacterof huge
importance.The house behindthe girl maybe ahouse she will have togo
inand face her fearsas there isglow aroundthe house. The mainfocus in
the backgroundisthe house asit alsomentionedinthe title.There is
obviouslysomethingtohide the inhouse asall windowsare coveredwith
curtain,the tresssurroundingthe house are creatinga creepyatmosphere.

3. 3
The main image in the poster is of a teenage boy and girl in very
close proximity to each other to show they are in love and that
the movie is a love story. The clothes they are both wearing are
fairly plain. The characters are lying on the ground which makes
the picture interesting and they appear to be very happy so this
movie would attract a large female audience. The girl in the
image is wearing a cannula and her hair is very short which
suggests that she might have a medical condition like cancer.
Main image: The colour scheme is mostly blue and white and this
might be because this movie was adapted from a book and that
was the colour scheme of the book front cover. The main image

4. 4
Genre Characteristics
If we take several films from a particular genre we would expect to see similarities in a
number of different areas. We can call these genre conventions. Nick Lacey called
these a ‘repertoire of elements’. These are built upon audience expectations about:
 Visual imagery/iconography
 Style (technical/audio codes)
 Character/ Stars
 Setting
 Narrative development
The Main Genres of film are:

5. 5
 Action/adventure
 Crime
 comedy
 drama
 thriller
 epics
 Horror
 musical
 science fiction
 war
 western
Leon: Action/thriller

6. 6
ACTIVITY 3: Look at each of the following genres and list the sorts of expectations
that you would have for each. Think about Lacey’s repertoire of elements:
 Visual imagery/iconography
 Style(technical/audio codes)
 Character/ Stars
 Setting
 Narrative development
Genre Expectations
Gangster Drugs, money, family, violence, Italian American men, mafia, mobsters, rich,
Power, formal outfits- suits, dark colours (greys and blacks and red), low level lighting,
urban/City location, rundown areas and industrial states, scars, blood,
Women wearing red lipstick, cigarettes, guns, non-diegetic music used when they
Are escaping or non-diegetic voice over, warehouses, man in the middle is always
In charge,
Horror Blood, death, danger, red and black colours links to evil, shadows, fright,
terror, disgust, serial Killer, on the loose, strange props, creepy non diegetic music, tension,
violence, Monsters, the supernatural, torture, murder, revenge, hero, villain, werewolves,
Vampires, demons, vicious animals, cannibals, zombies, masked killers, ghosts, Deranged
people, weak victims, strong victims, Halloween, dark imagery using
Special effects, innocent people, isolated places, darks streets, haunted house,
Abandoned places, lakes, countryside, dark woods, cabins, cemetery, diegetic sounds like
footsteps and non-diegetic sounds like heartbeats, extreme close up of fear
Shown on victims face, suspense, weapons, masks, knife, chainsaws, machetes,
Survivor mostly female, depression, nightmares, suicide, envy, dramatic and suspenseful
Diegetic, creepy, bad weather, shocking ending, captivating, entertaining, science fiction,
Sudden loud screams, suburban town,

7. 7
Musical Energetic, romance, dancers, comedy orientated, realistic settings, singers,
Hollywood image, high school, teenagers, 80s theme, happy, sunny/good weather, bright
Lights, drama, laughing, singing, dancing, home, stadium, basketball team. Cheerleaders,
Jocks, teachers, panning camera movement.
Sci-fi Action, abnormal creatures/ aliens, distant planets, explosions, attacks on earth, space,
Stars, bright and dark colours, mysterious soundtrack non diegetic, visionary and
Imaginative, heroes, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic
places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable
forces and extraordinary, destroy humankind,
Action Cars, guns, fighting, explosions, villains, heroes, fast sound track (non diegetic), knives,
Weapons, high energy, big budget physical stunts, chases, rescues, battles, escapes,
Destructive crisis, floods, fires, natural disasters, fast paced rhythm, adventurous, good guy
Battling bad guy, helicopters, busy roads, high skyscrapers, women are less dominant,
Women are the love interest, women are victims, stereotypical views, main character is
Physically strong, setting in the city,

8. 8
Western American frontier, guns, horses, dusty towns and trails, cowboys, Indians, gunmen defend
Villagers, bandits, sheriffs, cowboy hats, gunfight, cavalry rescue, Indian attacks, train, vs.
horses, deserts, mountains, rivers, valleys, lawlessness,
Activity 4:
Using the internet and notes research genre theory.
Write a couple of paragraphs explaining what genre theory is, giving examples of genre and
conventions. Add this as an introduction to the work you have already started, describing the
genre and story of Leon.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Daniel Chandler: conventional meaning of genres are usually based on the idea that they create
certain conventions of content e.g. themes or settings or forms like structure and style shared by
the texts which are observed as belonging to them.
Steve Neale: States that ‘genres are instances if repetition and difference’. He also states
that ‘difference is absolutely essential to the economy of genre’: ordinary repetition wouldn’t
charm the audience.
Examples of Genre
 Action/Adventure
 Comedy
 Sci-fi
 Horror
 Romance
Genre theory is used in the study of films in order to help the category of films. Genre are needy
on many aspects like story line, whom the director is, what are the audience expectations and

9. 9
many more. In using genre theory, we create a short cut in how we are to explain films. Genre
theory through its use is a method of shortening academic works.
When marketing and studying cinema it is important to know who the intended audience e.g.
when studying the movie Leon, we must put in mind at what time the film was made and for
which audience.