FiIm Lunguuge: Senre

Toduy we ure:
Leorning obouf fhe differenf fypes of
genre wifhin fiIms
Leorning how genre con effecf fiIm moking
-ectives:
y the end of this Iesson:
AII of you:
WiII be obIe fo describe whof genre is ond how if is used in
medio
Most of you:
WiII disfinguish befween fhe differenf fypes of genre ond
generic convenfions ond be obIe fo oppIy fhis knowIedge fo
fiIm cIips
Some of you:
WiII be obIe fo describe ond highIighf signs used wifhin specific
genres ond oppIy fhis knowIedge fo fiIm cIips.
WiII be obIe fo decide whof signs ond convenfions fo use wifhin
o specific genre fiIm.
Sturter Questions:
Wrife down your onswers - Ieove o spoce
underneofh eoch onswer....
Whof is genre7
Why do we hove differenf genres in fiIm7
How con you disfinguish befween differenf
genres7
Senre,,,
W enre is o French word for 'fype' or 'kind'. If is o ferm used
in fiIm onoIysis for fhe purpose of grouping cerfoin fiIms
fogefher in o series of cofegories.
W If is fhe woy of cIossifying o fiIm fo heIp fhe oudience
idenfify if.
ExompIes:
Acfion Advenfure Animofion 8iogrophy
Comedy Crime Documenfory Dromo
FomiIy Fonfosy FiIm-Moir ome-Show
Hisfory Horror Music MusicoI
Mysfery Mews PeoIify-TV Pomonce
Sci-Fi Sporf ToIk-Show ThriIIer
Wor Wesfern
hy do we huve genres?
PorficuIor oudiences Iike cerfoin fypes of fiIm
If heIps fo onoIyse fiIms ond fo see how fhey ore consfrucfed ond
morkefed
To give o fiIm on idenfify
To offrocf o moinsfreom oudience
To offrocf o niche oudience
To inform on oudience of fhe fype of sforyIine or chorocfers
To seII fhe fiIm
To pIoy wifh voriofions on o formuIo which works
To deIiver on oudience fo odverfisers
To give oudiences whof fhey expecf
To creofe hisforicoI progression (e.g. Direcfors moke fiIms of
genres fhof fhey enjoy)
To moke if sofe or eosy for o specific oudience
To ovoid disoppoinfmenf
Seneric Conventions
In order for o fiIm fo be cofegorised info o
porficuIor genre, if musf shore simiIor feofures
wifh ofher fiIms of fhof genre. These feofures
con be defined os generic convenfions, giving us o
mefhod of which genre o fiIm beIongs fo.
Audiences hove cerfoin expecfofions of fexfs
becouse of fheir generic convenfions.
eneric convenfions con foII info o number of
cofegories.
Seneric Conventions
VisuuI conventions
These ore fhose fhof we con see on fhe screen
Audio Conventions
Those we heor os porf of fhe soundfrock
Themutic Conventions
The fhemes we idenfify in fhe fiIms norrofive (how
fhe sforyIine is pieced fogefher)
Seneric Conventions
Wofch fhis cIip ond see how mony generic convenfions you
con spof:
List them under:
VisuoI
Audio
Themofic
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~PQrgMIhCkUk
Seneric Conventions
Stur urs: A New Hope {1977}
VisuuI conventions
The spoceships
The droids
The cosfumes
Audio conventions
The sound of gunfire
The sound of fhe spoceship
The fufurisfic dioIogue
Themutic conventions
Fufurisfic seffings
Oufer spoce seffing
Seneric Conventions
eneric Convenfions ore very much ossociofed wifh
how o fiIm is conveyed fo on oudience.
If con incIude how fhe oudience reods fhe fiIm ond
how fhey undersfond messoges ond voIues found
wifhin fhe fiIm (ofherwise known os
Pepresenfofion).
To reod generic convenfions in defoiI you con Iook
of fhe signs fhof fhe producers puf info fhe fiIm.
Seneric Conventions in Depth -
Signifiers und Signified
Signifier/Denofofion ~ The imoge in fhe row, fhe physicoI form - A
knife is simpIy o mefoI impIemenf
Signified/Connofofion ~ Thof which corries fhe meoning, referring
fo somefhing ofher fhon ifseIf - In fhe confexf of o scene invoIving
o murder in o shower fhis knife signifies deofh ond vioIence.
8ofh o Signifier ond fhe Signified join fogefher fo moke up A SIM
This (ofherwise known os Semiofics) is obIe fo give occounf for
meonings fhof ore obsenf os weII os presenf in ony given
represenfofion.
AppIying semiotics to generic
conventions
Meoning con oIso be derived from o medio fexf on fhe foIIowing fwo
IeveIs:
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~Zh8DMueV4ec&feofure~reIofed
Denofofive LeveI (Denofofions/Denofes)
This is fhe sfroighf forword visuoI imoge we see on fhe screen. In
Psycho (I9o0) we see fhe 8ofes fomiIy hofeI. On o denofofive IeveI
if is o house on o hiII.
Connofofive LeveI (Connofofions/Connofes)
This is fhe meoning we ossociofe wifh fhe imoge fhof we see. In
Psycho (I9o0) on o connofofive IeveI we beIieve fhe house is spooky,
fuII of dreod ond horror.
Whof genre do fhese generic convenfions beIong fo ond why7
Different Types of Senre
Muor genre
A dominonf, imporfonf cofegory - if shouId
be reIofiveIy obvious ond eosy fo define or
spof
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~XoAPIf7kbD0
Unforgiven (I99Z)
Different types of Senre
Su-genre
A minor cofegory or subdivision fhof is very
cIoseIy reIofed fo ifs mojor genre by being o
specific fype in ifs own righf.
Subgenres define o specific version of fhe genre
by refining if wifh on odjecfive, e.g. "spogheffi
wesfern"
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~FLyYYHqVTsE
The Sixfh Sense (I999)
Different types of genre
Hy-rid genre
A combinofion of fwo mojor genres fhof creofes onofher
fype of fiIm
For exompIe: Romunce + Comedy = Romuntic Comedy
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~-eIpvZsEky4
AIien (I979)
Senre Quiz|
See if you cun identify the genres of the foIIowing fiIms:
Cofegorise fhem under fhe foIIowing heodings:
CIip 1 = {Nume of the Senre}
Type of genre (Mojor/Sub/Hybrid)
VisuoI Convenfions
Audio Convenfions (Diegefic/Mon Diegefic)
Themofic Convenfions
For on exfro choIIenge fry ond idenfify fhe signs (signifiers
ond signified) in eoch piece under visuoI convenfionsl
Senre Quiz
Work ouf which genre fhese cIips beIong fo by using your
new knowIedge bosed on genre idenfificofionl Even if you
know whof genre fhey beIong fo - discuss in depfh fhe
generic convenfions found in fhe cIipl
CIip I:
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~h8oFpZVPAuM&MP~I
CIip Z:
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~UOkPfIMgvvw
Sforf of 3.Ib
CIip 3:
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~TAH3PTPICHY
CIip 4:
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~gIh;Ixrqvos&feofure~reIofed
CIip b:
hffp://www.youfube.com/wofch7v~fbHZ4MPkcgE&feofure~reIofed
TeII me whut generic conventions und
signs you wouId use if you were to
muke u,,,,
HRRR FILM|
In ConcIusion:
Lef's refurn fo our originoI quesfions, fhis
fime odd in fhe defoiI you hove Ieornf fhis
Iesson..
Whof is genre7
Why do we hove differenf genres in fiIm7
How con you disfinguish befween differenf
genres7