Saturday, 19 September 2015

Genre

Genre is:


  • a type or category
  • it is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses to texts by dividing them into categories based on common elements (codes, conventions and iconography)
All genres have a sub-genre. This means they are divided up into more specific categories that allow audiences to identify them specifically by their familiar and recognisable characteristics (Barry Keith Grant, 1995)


Nosferatu (1922) (a bad vampire)

It can be identified as a horror based on:
  • music
  • costume
  • characters
  • lighting
  • location
  • narrative
  • specific mise-en-scene
  • props
  • events

Interview with a Vampire (1994) (a good vampire)

I can tell he is a good vampire based on the title of the film, if he was a bad vampire they would not be able to have an interview with him about his life.

  • technology is better
  • same ideas (props, mise-en-scene, music, costume)
  • set in San Francisco (a modern city)
  • has good looking, Hollywood stars

Generic Characteristics across all texts share similar elements 

Typical Mise-en-scène/Visual style (iconography, props, set design, lighting, temporal and geographic location, costume, shot types, camera angles, special effects).

Typical types of Narrative (plots, historical setting, set pieces).
Generic Types, i.e. typical characters (do typical male/female roles exist, archetypes?).
Typical studios/production companies.
Typical Personnel (directors, producers, actors, stars, auteurs etc.).
Typical Sound Design (sound design, dialogue, music, sound effects).
Typical Editing Style.

Comedy and animation are not genres, they are styles or treatments and they don't have iconography

Kylie Minogue- Can't get you out of my head

sci-fi
pop
commercial exhibitionist (Mulvey)
Sven Carlsson

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