Research Task: Defining genre

What is genre?
Genre in the English Language comes from the same French word which relates to "type" or "class". It is a way of identifying what group a film belongs to, and what topics are likely to be covered in the narrative. There are many different types of genre, as well as sub genres or hybrids. These are a subcategory of the film, or a mix of two different genres. Once a film maker and their team has decided on a genre, there are a variety of ways that the genre can be conveyed to the audience. This is usually done through utilising conventions.

What are Genre Conventions?
Genre conventions are the stereotypical components that movies of a certain genre mostly conform to, for example, Romantic films follow a conventional boy meets girl narrative.
Genres and their conventions:

• Romance - red connotes love so is a common colour. They usually follow a typical "boy meets girl". Often a heartbreak acts as a disequilibrium. As the narrative progresses, the disequilibrium is normally followed by a reconciliation, which shows the equilibrium has been either partially or fully restored. Though not as popular, in recent years romance films have become less gendered to accommodate for LGBTQ+ Communities. This progression continues to be seen.
• Horror - there is normally an antagonist who sets out to harm the victim/protagonist. This acts as a catalyst to frighten or unsettle the audience. Red connotes blood and danger, black connotes darkness and power, meaning they are common colours. White may also be used as it connotes innocence, thus showing the juxtaposition between good and evil (represented through victim and antagonist). Weaponry and death are also common themes due to the harm that is inflicted onto the characters.
• Thriller - thriller films encompass many different elements. Essentially a thriller film has components that serve to thrill or excite the audience. This usually results in the film being fast paced, and so the thriller genre lends itself well to features of the science fiction or horror genres, for example. The editing fits with the pace, meaning that it usually includes lots of jump cuts and sometimes no continuity editing. A thriller film is often centred around an exciting narrative, which could be a mission or quest. This makes the audience spur the protagonist on and get more involved in the narrative.
• Adventure- adventure films are not too dissimilar from the narratives seen in thriller films. Usually the main character (normally protagonist) will go on a journey. During this, lots of things will happen to increase the pace of the narrative. The protagonist may encounter danger. This could act as the disequilibrium. There are usually themes of triumph and self discovery in adventure films.
• Fantasy- the fantasy genre mixes elements of reality with make believe. Sometimes real life situations are made surreal, and an environment of verisimilitude is created to confuse the audience. This uncertainty makes them more captivated by the narrative. Magic and mythical creatures are popular features of fantasy films.
• Action - often paired with adventure. These films focus on action, perhaps including sports, missions and conflict. The camera work is usually fast to reflect the action, using tracking, point of view and close up shots. The editing is also fast paced.
• Biographical - biographical films are used to document, promote or celebrate the work and lives of people. This person/people are usually in the public eye (or have been) to make it more enjoyable and interesting for the audience. Often directors will want to achieve an accurate portrayal of the person, so will base it on a autobiography and/or work with family and friends of the people being portrayed.
• Comedy- comedies are created to entertain people and make them laugh. Therefore they usually contain one or more foolish or flamboyant characters, who become an object of mockery for the audience. A lot of the time, situations are made relatable to make it even more engaging. A character will sometimes use direct address by looking down the camera to initiate laughter.
• Sci-Fi - science fiction films have futuristic elements, and are often set in dystopian societies. There is frequently science based stories, such as aliens or a planet other than Earth.
• Drama - drama films often cover hard hitting or important subjects such as divorce or political movements. However, unlike documentaries, there is more of a "narrative" to them and they involve more acting. There is normally frequent use of close up shots to convey the emotions of characters to the audience.
• Documentary - documentaries are created to inform and raise awareness of events, or the life of a person. However, unlike biographical films, documentaries about people usually include interviews with family and friends, sometimes even the person themselves. It will often include real footage, or "home videos".
• Teen/Coming of age films - these films include themes that most teens can relate to, and most characters are teens. They are sometimes referred to as coming of age themes because they are about someone/a group of people on their journey into adulthood.
• Family - family films have narratives that appeal to the whole family. Some aspects will be educational or the narrative will have a moral behind it, for children. To keep adults entertained, family films often include innuendos and adult humour.

Genre types and example films
Horror - The Blair Witch Project (1999) It Follows (2014)
Thriller - Inception (2010) The Pelican Brief (1993)
Romance - Letters to Juliet (2010) The Notebook (2004)
Drama - What Maisie Knew (2012) Suffragette (2015)
Family - Home Alone (1990) The Incredibles (1964)
Comedy - Mr Bean's Holiday (2007) Bridesmaids (2011)
Action adventure - Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981)
Biographical - The Theory of Everything (2014) Steve Jobs (2015)
Fantasy - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Teen - Mean Girls (2004) The Breakfast Club (1985)
Crime - Dial M For Murder (1954) Now You See Me (2013)
Film Noir - Laura (1944) The Lady from Shanghai (1947) Chinatown (1974)
Animation - Up (2009) Inside Out (2015) Finding Nemo (2003) 
Seasonal Films (Christmas/Halloween etc) - Nativity! (2009) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) The Holiday (2006) 
Documentary - Amy (2015)

Hybrids and Sub genres:
Hybrids of Genre or Sub genres have come about because with expansion of the film industry, filmmakers found it hard to create a successful film which conformed to just one genre: the industry was become increasingly competitive. Therefore by combining elements of different genres, they could generate more audience interest.

Hybrids and Sub genres: Examples
Romantic Comedy - Just Go With It (2011)
Historical Drama - The Book Thief (2013)
Dark Fantasy - The Nightmare before Christmas (1993)
Future Noir Movies - The Terminator (1984)
Whodunnit/Detective movies - Murder Most Foul (1964)
Musical Family Films - The Sound of Music (1965)

Subverting Genre Conventions:
If something subverts something else, it is going against it. Hence, in film, the movie can subvert our expectations of the genre. This is not usually done accidentally, it is done for effect and allows the audience to encode alternative meanings from the film.

Fixed and Repertoire Elements
Over the years, a variety of things i.e. iconographic props have meant that genres now include a repertoire (range) of elements rather than one specific thing (fixed elements). The repertoire of elements has also been expanded now we see more films which subvert conventions.

Genre and Audiences
The genre is important to the audience because normally people warm to a certain genre. Therefore they are more likely to enjoy the film if they know what genre it is. This is an example of audience pleasures. They will also be able to tell if it is suitable for, i.e., their family to watch. By their very nature, some genres such as horror are unsuitable for younger audience because they contain distressing scenes and violence.

Genre and Institutions
An understanding of genre is key to the smooth running of institutions. For example, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is an institution. They would need to have good knowledge of the horror genre and give films in genre quite high certificates/ratings (i.e. "15", see British Board of Film Classification post) to prevent receiving complaints.

* Some of this post may be similar to the Understanding genre post that I wrote for AS. However, I have tried to modify and expand it to show how my knowledge has developed.