Genre

A type of category of film. A way of classifying a films.

Thriller – Physco
rom com – the proposal
comedy - Ted
scifi – Star trek
Horror – nightmare on elm street
Anime – oshikuru demon samurai
physiological – oblivion
cult – pulp fiction
action – die hard
western – no place for old men
adventure – Indiana jones
musical – mamma mia
documentaries – one D

Major genre
a dominant, important category, it should be obvious and easy to define.

Subgenre
a minor category or subdivision that is cleary related to its major genre by being a specific type in its own right, e.g. james bond

Hybrid genres
combination of major genres that sometimes creates another type of film e.g. horror western.

 

Identifying genre
generic codes and conventions – these are signifiers that have been established through time and should be recognised in the mise-en-scene, the characters and the storyline.

signifiers are the physical aspects that we see or hear in a film such as the clothes or props. We interpret these signifiers to create meaning.

GENRE	western	gangster	Sci-fi	horror	Action
What we see	Deserts	Winkle pickers	Space ships	Abandoned cabin in the woods	cities
What we hear	Vulture screech	Gun shots	Laser shots	screaming	Explosions
Typical characters	Outlaw	Drug lord	Alien	cheerleader	Police officer
Typical storyline	Cowboys fight Indians	Battling for control of a city/ drug ring	Exploring space and getting into a fight	A group of teenagers go to a log cabin and get hacked to death	A bank gets robbed and a rogue cop chases them down
Themes morals ideas	Revenge	Power & crime	Good over evil	Fear	Revenge
examples	No country for old men	Gangster squad	Star trek	The hills have eyes	Die hard