Essay on Film Genre

A true conduct literary genre relies on sh atomic number 18d iconography, formalistic themes and similar account structures and content. What genre does is recognize that the hearing any wiz film within a context of early(a) films, both those they have person everyy seen and those they have heard just about or seen represented in other media outlets. In general, the function of genre is to make films comprehensible and to a greater extent or less familiar. (turner 97).Action/adventure, the Western, Gangster/Crime, Detective/Film Noir, Comedy, Science fiction/Fantasy, Horror/Monster, suspense Thriller/Spy/Heist and many others groups atomic number 18 usually used for marketing in stores where films argon being sold. The absolute majority of viewers, film critics, and film producers talk about films in relation to the categories. These categories are generally called genres. The word genre is originally French, and it simply means variant or type. Its related to most othe r word, genus, which is used in the biological sciences to classify groups of plant and animals. A true film genre is a product of interaction between audience and the text. thitherfore, all producers and audiences must have a quite good understanding and what is more important shared knowledge of genres pieceistics. For instance, westerns, at least the handed-down ones, tend to share the same basic conflict and usually the same type of setting. All detective films share the same basic allegory the denudation of causes. Musicals share nothing more than frequent prominent interludes of music and perhaps dancing during a story. This shared knowledge, however, is not set in stone. Different passel will have divergent understandings of genre. According to this statement, audiences expand general ideas about any kind of genre based on going to the cinema, media coverage or advertisements and marketing. As a result of consequence, viewers have their own anticipations about a partic ular genre and define films according to their expectations. Genres are based on a tacit agreement among filmmakers, reviewers and audiences. What gives the films some common identity are shared genre conventions. Shared conventions are shared thematic, stylistic and narrative structures. Although not every single film demonstrate all of the conventions, at least some of them are shown in a film. This helps the film critics to define whether this film pin tumbler into a particular group of films genre. Moreover, critical analysis of any film can take place only if conventions are considered. These conventions are also called repertoire of elements. In this document shared genre conventions in price of execration will be discussed.The horror genre has become much more general nowadays than ever before. If its beginnings were rooted in literature Mary Shelleys Frankenstein (1818) and Bram Stokers Dracula (1897) are the titles that seem to spring to everyones point we also kno w that stories have always been told about ghosts, monsters, witches and the dark. There are a lot of reasons why this genre is so popular nowadays. However, it is still genuinely difficult to clarify why it is so engaging for a great number of flock regardless of its unreality. The genre of Horror has been around since the late 1800s giving it decades to develop and change. From the 1930s to the 1970s, most horror films were considered very much the poor brethren of the film world. The reason was that horror films were made on a modest budget. Furthermore, the target audience was young people who went to the cinemas late nights to have fun and scream their way. The great example was the film Matinee (directed by Joe Dante, 1993) which demonstrates that horror films were watched mostly by young people at that time.However, there were such films like Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) by Alfred Hitchcock which managed to change perspective of horror films in a better way. Sinc e audiences hold thrill and excitement they experience during watching horror movies they expect new stories and plots. Consequently, film producers had to come up with new ideas and more challenging plots to meet the audiences expectations and wishes. One of the genre conventions is iconography, which derives from art history, where it only referred to visual signs. The context in which an object or sound is used is crucial in specify its meaning.For example, a crucifix is readily associated with the church as a symbol of Christs resurrection, and is not simply an example of horror iconography. In terms of a horror film a symbol of Christ would represent not only the Christ but the weapon against the evil. another(prenominal) example could be a knife which is used to kill somebody rather than in comedy it is used for cutting things. In order to identify that the genre of a film is horror, such visual signs like red and black colors, blue filters in films are used. The use of blu e filter is called digital color correction.It was herculean and expensive to achieve this correction previously. However, since computer technologies have developed a lot, much more decently and exciting effects can be achieved by simply editing a film sequence in different computer software nowadays. Moreover, the mise- enscene of horror films also show that this film is horror film with the help of using such things like knives, guns, axes and many others. Another use of iconography is the setting. In horror films the setting is usually abandoned, isolated from people, the houses generally hide scaring past.The majority of scenes are filmed in night time but the plot can be developed during daytime as well. There are some sub-genres of horror films. Therefore, the iconography can slightly vary. For instance, paranormal horror includes such symbols like unusual things happening or really dark scenes. Slasher horror shows masks, screaming victims. Another thing to consider is cam era work in horror films. Generally, different and weird angles of camera are used. In order to frighten and express tending for the viewers extreme close ups and point of view shots take place during film.There are many other types of iconography like the use of tense sounds and music which are generally linked with a horror genre. Therefore, aural signs should be also discussed when talking about iconography of films. One should not tell stories as straight-line narratives. There are so many other possibilities, and film would only enrich them. Peter Greenaway. While researching horror films, another very important genre convention is narrative structure. Narrative piece events together in a linear fashion that clearly shows the audience the reasons for, and the consequences of character behavior.The logic of cause and effect ties together character traits, goals, obstacles, and actions. . The main intention of narrative structure is to tell the story. Sometimes it is conceptua l, sometimes real. For instance, the purpose of film can involve saving the world or determination a love. Russian narrative theorist Tzvetlan Todorov argued that all narratives involve the perturbation of a stable situation, which makes restoration of equilibrium an important goal. First of all, with the help of disruption people can identify the genre of a film easily. For instance, f there is a drugs baron killing someone and trying to escape, perhaps the genre is gangster or thriller some kind of dilemma in a family can be set in a film which genre is believably to be melodrama. Basically, the equilibrium Todorov was talking about is that generally characters come to this point of equilibrium only in the end of film after some kind of disruption be it reconsidering goals or dealing with challenges. The great examples of films showing equilibrium are slasher films. Another part of narrative structure focuses on character types. There are different types of them which are stro ngly associated with the genre.For example, the most expected character of horror films is monster. This character is extremely important in horror genre as to realize fear and revulsion. Since there are different types of horror films, monsters also vary. Sometimes, they represent ghosts which lead and frighten other characters. In some films, monsters are creatures that are half human half animal being. However, monster does not necessarily have to appear as a monster because it simply means phenomena or bad thing which is scaring. Almost every horror film has a Madonna as well. She is generally an attractive woman who is suffering because of a monster.Madonna represents an model woman while a whore is completely opposite character that represents the worst things of women. A standard narrative convention of horror film is that the commentary portrays a character or small group of characters venturing into a strange and ultimately threatening setting. Jonathan Harker (Alexander Granach) goes into the Carpathian Mountains to make a business deal with the mysterios Count Orlock in Nosferatu. Genres are usually associated with particular themes. For instance, the wilderness versus civilization opposition in Westerns, and the human non- human opposition in SF.In the beginning horror films were based on literature. Dracula was one of them. Since horror genre was developing during the time, new ideas such as aliens started to appear. During the 80s the most popular idea in horror genre was slashers which was mentioned before in this document. The 80s became some kind of new era for the horror genre as they started working closely on special effects to provide audience with more fear. The thing (1982) and The thing (2011) is an example that shows how special effects have changed since 1982. The first version is full of typography effects and costumes.There is a big difference compared to the latest version in terms of using computer generated imagery for gainin g special effects and digital animation. With this betterment which influenced the viewers in terms of watching horror films the popularity of horror films increased a lot. During the early 20thcentury psychological thrillers were introduced into the horror genre and changed the genre completely, sparking new ideas, which have grown and developed into the main theme and idea we have today. Therefore, horror films expand themes about religion or unnatural things nowadays.One of the examples of todays horror films based on these themes is Paranormal activity. It seems likely that a genre never dies. It may pass out of fashion for a time, only to return in updated garb. A genre may change by mixing its conventions with those of another genre. Therefore, sometimes it is difficult to identify what is the genre of a particular film. Film producers are forced to take such actions like mixing some genres in order to create a new so called hybrid genre. The reason for this is to renew a genre by adding some conventions from another genre so that to surprise the audience and to keep them interested. The horror story is part of a long process by which people have tried to come to terms with and find adequate descriptions and symbols for deeply rooted, primitive and powerful forces, energies and fears which are related to death, afterlife, punishment, darkness, evil, violence and destruction. J. A. Cuddon. According to Cuddon words, the horror film is only a part of a process. However, I do not think so because if something is a process then it has to end at some point and horror genre will never die. I think that is because the majority of people are curious about the things that are scaring or forbidden.Curiosity has to be sated somehow and horror films help to sort it out. While watching horror films or rendition horror books our mind experience feeling of being scared. Stephen King told once We have to keep the gators fed. He meant that people would find anoth er more dangerous way to sate their curiosity if horror genre would not exist. Consequently, this kind of genre will not die. Taking into account all above mentioned, I can come to the conclusion that every genre shares its own iconography, similar narrative structures and themes.The main reason for that is to make every genre identifying and understandable. consultation chooses films to watch normally for entertainment so genre could be vital factor in this as it helps in choosing and understanding films. Bibliography Pramaggiore, Maria, and Wallis, Tom. Film A particular Introduction. Laurence King Publishing, 2005. Bordwell, David and Thompson, Kristin, Film Art An Introduction. New York McGraw Hill, 2010. Lacey, Nick, Introduction to Film. London Palgrave, 2005. Dougherty, Rachel. Genre & Narrative in Horror Film 27 September 2012. 3 demonstrate 2013. http//racheldoughertyfilm. blogspot. co. uk/2012/09/genre-narrative-in-horror-film. html. Nelmes, Jill, An Introduction to Fi lm Studies. Routledge, 2003. Rayner, Philip, Wall, Peter, and Kruger, Stephen. AS Media Studies The native Introduction. Routledge, 2001. 2 . Wallis, T. , Pramaggiore, M. , (2005), Film A minute Introduction, p. 310 3 . Bordwell, D. , Thompson, K. (2010), Film Art An Introduction, p. 328 4 . Wallis, T. , Pramaggiore, M. , (2005), Film A Critical Introduction, p. 310 5 .Lacey, N. (2005), Introduction To Film, p. 46 6 . Bordwell, D. , Thompson, K. (2010), Film Art An Introduction, p. 330 7 . Rayner, P, Wall, P. , Kruger, S. (2001), AS Media Studies The Essential Introduction, p. 292 8 . http//racheldoughertyfilm. blogspot. co. uk/2012/09/genre-narrative-in-horror-f ilm. html 9 . Rayner, P, Wall, P. , Kruger, S. (2001), AS Media Studies The Essential Introduction, p. 296 10 . Rayner, P, Wall, P. , Kruger, S. (2001), AS Media Studies The Essential Introduction, p. 296 11 . Lacey, N. (2005), Introduction To Film, p. 8 12 . Wallis, T. , Pramaggiore, M. , (2005), Film A Criti cal Introduction, p. 32 13 . Wallis, T. , Pramaggiore, M. , (2005), Film A Critical Introduction, p. 33 14 . Wallis, T. , Pramaggiore, M. , (2005), Film A Critical Introduction, p. 33 15 . Wallis, T. , Pramaggiore, M. , (2005), Film A Critical Introduction, p. 357 16 . Lacey, N. (2005), Introduction To Film,, page 53 17 . http//racheldoughertyfilm. blogspot. co. uk/2012/09/genre-narrative-in-horror-film. html 18 . Bordwell, D. , Thompson, K. (2010), Film Art An Introduction, page 335