This document discusses genre theory as it relates to film studies. It provides definitions of genre from several scholars and discusses how genre is used to categorize and organize films into groups based on common attributes. However, the boundaries between genres are noted to be fuzzy rather than clearly defined. Most films contain elements of multiple genres. Genre theory examines how a text relates to other similar texts and the context in which it is consumed. While genres help audiences and producers, they also come with criticisms such as being restrictive to creators and risk-averse for institutions.

1. GENRE THEORY
PERIOD SCI-FI
ACTION ROMANCE
HORROR COMEDY CRIME
THRILLER

2. “The word ‘genre’ means ‘type’ or
‘category’.
To study a film as a genre involves
treating it, not as a unique entity,
but as a member of a general
category, as a certain type of film.
The aim…is therefore to classify, or
organise, a large number of films
into a small number of groups.”
- Film Studies by Warren
Buckland

3. • “Yet…this process of classification
does not systematically organise
films into genres. This is because
the boundaries between film genres
are fuzzy, rather than clearly
delineated. Moreover, genres are not
static, but evolve. Therefore, their
common attributes change over time.
Most films are hybrid genres, since
they possess the common attributes
of more than one genre.”
- Film Studies by Warren Buckland
• Genre is “a recurring type or
category of text, as defined by
structural and thematic criteria.”
- David Duff

4. • Genre Theory places a text in
relation to other texts, and the
context in which it’s consumed.
• It is used in studying “non literary
texts; notably film and media”
- David Duff
Iconography often helps to define a
genre.
• Yet there are many ways of
categorising media texts beyond the
usual: western, action, romance etc
• Many genres, such as Horror, depend
on shared cultural values rather than
a common time/setting or fixed
iconography.

5. • Genre helps both audiences and
institutions to make decisions about
what they want to see and what they
want to make to supply that demand.
• Each genre has its own conventions
which evolve over time (Duff) - its
not fixed which was the traditional
literary view.
• “Genre is not... simply ‘given’ by the
culture: rather, it is in a constant
process of negotiation and change”
- David Buckingham 1993
• Changes in genre reflects changes in
society and our values.

6. • “Different genres specify
different ‘contracts’ to be
negotiated between the text and
the reader” (Livingstone).
• This knowledge of the conventions
can be both positive and negative
for the producers as it can lead
to passive viewing from the
audience. However producers can
use the audiences expectations to
their advantage by manipulating
the conventions to make new
hybrid genres.

7. • “The same text can belong to
different genres in different
countries or times.”
- John Hartley
• “Genres are instances of
repetition and difference...
difference is absolutely
essential to the economy of
genre: mere repetitions would
not attract an audience.”
- Steve Neale 1980

8. Music Video
• Genre conventions I’ve used: lip-syncing, editing to
the beat, engagement with audience, artist/character
shown, music playing, some form of narrative/message
• The genre I’m working in is romantic, however it is
moving away from conventions by looking at the break
up and not the ‘falling in love’ part of romance.
• My video conforms to some conventions of a romance
by including a couple in love (these portions making
up the flashbacks) which builds audience
expectations for the video. But then the rest of the
video subverts the conventions by showing a strong
single female who is moving on from the
relationship. It plays with the conventions by
showing her in similar conventions used in romantic
videos and then showing herself happy in them on her
own.

9. • “Genre creates expectations that
condition our responses. The
familiarity of the genre enables
each spectator to anticipate and
predict what will appear in
them. Genre sets up hopes and
promises and brings pleasure if
these hopes and promises are
fulfilled.”
- Film Studies by Warren
Buckland

10. Uses and Gratifications:
Audience Pleasures
1. Recognising conventions due to familiarity
2. Emotional pleasures linked to different genres
3. Cognitive satisfaction - problem solving,
predicting. Pleasure comes from realising these
predictions/ expectations
4. Noticing manipulated genres, shifting our
expectations
5. Judging characters
6. Sharing experience of genres with other people
that enjoy it - creates a community.

11. Audience reception
• The preferred reading of my
text is that the audience
will enjoy the subverting of
the conventions and see it
as an interesting look at
female representation and a
new way at looking at the
romance genre - making them
feel positive about
themselves.

12. Criticisms of Genre
Genre is a great way of helping define different methods of
communicating to the audience and provides boundaries and guidelines
as well as shorthand for both producers, institutions and audiences
in terms of creating and consuming media. However genres can get
tired and be stifling for creators who want to experiment outside the
rigid boxes set out for them. Yet without a ‘genre’ to conform to
they would find hard to find funding or to sell their product to
audiences who require genre to understand and choose their media.
Audiences are made up of individuals and are no longer passively
consuming media such as described in the Hypothermic Needle theory
almost a century ago. They interact with their media and, as evident
in Web 2.0, are often the producers themselves. They understand media
language and how media is made now and so the constricting boundaries
of genre can be hard to work around, to make it clear to everyone
what you are trying to make. By trying to pigeon hole everything into
genre specific boxes many fail to see the art behind the product.
Institutions are less enthused to take risks and so the cycle will
continue as each side of the process will continue to have
expectations which both sides will continue to provide for the other
in order to sell the products.