This document discusses different film genres such as western, horror, war, and comedy. It explains that horror films aim to scare viewers with dark settings like attics or graveyards. Westerns are set in the 19th century American west and feature cowboys, guns, and horses. The document also notes that some films can combine genres, like the Terminator movies which have elements of both science fiction and action. Genres allow audiences to recognize common symbols and themes.

1. Genre- the type/category of a film

2. There are different types of genres. For example:
 Western
 Horror
 War
 Comedy
 Romance
 Musical
 Action/Adventure
 Thriller
 Police/crime

3. Horror is a genre and they always have the same sort of theme.
They are made to scare and frighten the viewer and cause fear
for them while watching horror. The theme is normally dark
rooms or places like attics, graveyards or haunted houses.

4.  Western is a genre were stories and life is set in the 19th
century. The theme is normally cowboys, guns, horses and
mountains and is set in the west.

5. Genre boundaries can be flexible and you can get genre hybrids. For
example the Terminator 2. I know this is science fiction because he is
indestructible and he can scan things and people which is a big clue
that he is a robot. He also teleports at the beginning which shows he
can time travel. It could also be an action genre as well because at the
beginning he reacts to the fighting but doesn’t kill anybody and only
injures them instead.
Genre= a system of signs/symbols/themes by which a particular genre
can be recognised e.g. The Western= cowboy hats, guns, horses,
mountains or desert, Indians, cowboys, gunfighter, ‘taming the west’.
Genre= a contact between the audience and film makers Audiences
build up ‘generic memory’ and can anticipate things happening- so
the director can play on this.