The document discusses genre and auteur theory in relation to the production of a psychological horror film. It summarizes key aspects of both theories, including the importance of "repetition and difference" in genre theory. While auteur theory could apply to their film as first-time directors, the filmmakers decide to focus on genre theory and incorporating repetition of horror conventions along with the unique element of not revealing the antagonist. This unique difference is intended to attract a larger audience and increase profits, which is important as an independent production company.

1. THEORETICAL RESEARCH

2. GENRE AND AUTEUR THEORY
• WE CHOSE TO LOOK SPECIFICALLY AT THESE THEORIES BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THEY WERE THE MOST
RELEVANT TO OUR PRODUCTION. WE ARE PRODUCING A PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR FILM AND
THEREFORE WE BELIEVED THAT BEFORE PRODUCING IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTAND THE GENRE
AND THE KEY CONVENTIONS WE NEEDED TO INCLUDE. FROM THE RESEARCH WE NOW UNDERSTAND
THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE.’ WE HAVE TAKEN THIS THEORY INTO ACCOUNT AS
WE HAVE INCLUDED VITAL CONVENTIONS SUCH AS FLASHBACKS, BUT WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED
SOMETHING UNUSUAL- IN OUR FILM WE DO NOT REVEAL THE ANTAGONIST, IT IS UNCLEAR
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FILM.(WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS OUR USP- UNIQUE SELLING POINT.) THIS IS
NOT COMMON IN PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR FILMS AND THEREFORE WE HAVE APPLIED THE THEORY OF
‘REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE’ AS WE HAVE REPEATED CONVENTIONS BUT ALSO INCLUDED SOME
‘DIFFERENT.’
• WE ALSO BELIEVED THAT THE AUTEUR THEORY WAS RELEVANT TO US. THIS IS BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THIS
IS OUR FIRST PRODUCTION WE STILL THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO START TO CREATE
OUR OWN FAN BASE, BY SHOWING OUR INDIVIDUAL STYLE AND INCLUDING OUR OWN UNIQUE
SIGNATURES. BY INCLUDING THESE UNIQUE IDEAS WE WOULD ALSO BE INCORPORATING THE THEORY
‘REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE.’

3. AUTEUR THEORY BACKGROUND:
THE DEFINITION OF AN AUTEUR HAS BEEN DEBATED SINCE THE 1940S. ANDRÉ BAZIN AND ROGER
LEENHARDT PRESENTED THE THEORY THAT IT IS THE DIRECTOR THAT BRINGS THE FILM TO LIFE AND USES
THE FILM TO EXPRESS THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER.
THE AUTEUR THEORY WAS FIRST INVENTED BY A FRENCH FILM DIRECTOR CALLED FRANÇOIS ROLAND
TRUFFAUT. ALTHOUGH HIS THEORY WAS NOT WIDELY ACCEPTED THEN, IT GAINED SOME SUPPORT IN
THE 1960S FROM AN AMERICAN CRITIC CALLED ANDREW SARRIS. THE THEORY STATED THAT A
DIRECTOR OF A FILM WAS ACTUALLY THE ‘AUTHOR.’ FOR EXAMPLE DIRECTORS SUCH AS RENOIR AND
HITCHCOCK HAVE DISTINCT STYLES AND THEMES THAT PERMEATE ALL OF THEIR FILMS.
CAHIERS DU CINÉMA WAS A FRENCH LANGUAGE FILM MAGAZINE. FRANÇOIS ROLAND TRUFFAUT
WAS A WRITER FOR THIS MAGAZINE AND THE FIRST ISSUE IN THE MAGAZINE WAS ABOUT THE AUTEUR
THEORY.

4. GENRE THEORY BACKGROUND:
• ROLAND GÉRARD BARTHES WAS A FRENCH LITERARY THEORIST. HE CAME UP WITH IDEA OF ‘TEXT OF PLEASURE’
AND ‘TEXT OF BLISS’ IN HIS FAMOUS BOOK CALLED ‘THE PLEASURE OF THE TEXT.’
QUOTES FROM THE BOOK-
• THE PLEASURE OF TEXT: ‘THE TEXT THAT CONTENTS, FILLS, GRANTS EUPHORIA; THE TEXT THAT COMES FROM CULTURE
AND DOES NOT BREAK WITH IT, IS LINKED TO A COMFORTABLE PRACTICE OF READING. THIS IDEA IS BASED ON
COMFORT AND FAMILIARITY.
• THE PLEASURE OF BLISS: ‘THE TEXT THAT IMPOSES A STATE OF LOSS, THE TEXT THAT DISCOMFORTS (PERHAPS TO THE
POINT OF A CERTAIN BOREDOM), UNSETTLES THE READERS HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS,
THE CONSISTENCY OF HIS TASTES, VALUES , MEMORIES, BRINGS TO A CRISIS HIS RELATION WITH LANGUAGE. THIS
IDEA IS BASED ON UNFAMILIARITY AND A SENSE OF DISCOMFORT.
• STEVE NEALE INTERPRETED BARTHES’ PLEASURES IN A WAY IN THAT FORMS THE BASE OF HIS IDEA OF THE APPEAL OF
‘REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE.’ HE BASES THE APPEAL OF ‘REPETITION’ ON THE APPEAL OF ‘TEXT OF PLEASURE.’ HE
BELIEVES THAT REPEATED CONVENTIONS IN A GENRE CREATES COMFORT AND FAMILIARITY FOR THE AUDIENCE. HE
ALSO BASES THE APPEAL OF DIFFERENCE ON THE APPEAL OF ‘TEXT OF BLISS.’ HE BELIEVES THAT DIFFERENCES WITHIN
A GENRE CREATES UNFAMILIARITY AND A SENSE OF DISCOMFORT FOR THE AUDIENCE WHICH ENTICES AND ENGAGES
THEM TO CONTINUE WATCHING.

5. OUR PRODUCTION
• WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN ONLY APPLY ONE OF THESE THEORIES TO OUR PRODUCTION.
ALTHOUGH THE AUTEUR THEORY WOULD BE GREAT TO USE, WE HAVE COME TO THE DECISION THAT WE
WILL BE APPLYING GENRE THEORY TO OUR PRODUCTION. THIS IS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE USE OF
‘REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE’ IS VITAL IN A FILM, AS DIFFERENCE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IN
ATTRACTING AN AUDIENCE. AS WELL AS THIS WE BELIEVE THAT THE PLEASURE OF A FILM IS DERIVED
FROM REPETITION AND DIFFERENCE AS THERE WOULD BE NO PLEASURE WITHOUT DIFFERENCE. THE
AUDIENCE ALSO DERIVE PLEASURE FROM OBSERVING HOW THE CONVENTIONS OF THE GENRE ARE
MANIPULATED, AND THE WAY IN WHICH THESE MANIPULATIONS SHIFT THEIR EXPECTATIONS.
• WITHOUT DIFFERENCE, FILMS WOULD BE PREDICTABLE AND THEREFORE WOULD BE BORING FOR THE
AUDIENCE. THIS MEANS THAT WITHOUT SOMETHING UNIQUE IN OUR FILM WE WILL NOT ATTRACT A
LARGE AUDIENCE. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE DECIDED TO APPLY THE GENRE THEORY TO OUR PRODUCTION
BECAUSE ATTRACTING A LARGE AUDIENCE IS VITAL. PROFIT IS IMPORTANT TO ANY PRODUCTION
COMPANY HOWEVER BECAUSE WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT FILM COMPANY, WITH LITTLE MONEY IN
COMPARISON TO CONGLOMERATES, WE NEED TO RECEIVE AS MUCH PROFIT AS POSSIBLE.