Genre Research

The concept of Genre

Genre theory  is mainly concerned with;

• The relationship between texts, audiences and genres
• the producers 
• Identifying the typical characteristcs of genres

Why do we like genre? 

As an audeince we like genre because...

• We know what to expect from the genres we like , due to the characteristcs of that genre.
• Able to  plan viewing with certain expectations, as genres have certain concepts that as an audience appeal to us. 
• Enjoy subtle variations within a predictable framework
• Can finds genre a consistent form of release and escapis, as an audience genre of films can help to relax us and 'escape from reality'. 
• Engaging quickly, with easily recognisable plots and characte. The audience can easliy recognise a genre from the plot line, certain characters and themes 
• Enjoy predicting outcomes; as an audience we love to predict outcome in films. Therefore if we can easily recognise a genre and think of a common outcome for the film relating it to other films in that genre.
• Experience a sense of cultural and emotional security.

Producers/film makers like gerne because...

• Helps to construct the film for a particular audience(the taget market)
• Genre is a type of frame work, helps producers to plan and create the story line/plot for the film. 
• Allows them to reuse actor, as some actors such as 'Melissa goerge' who are known for a certaon genre of film can be 'reused' in a different film but the same genre.
• Repeat story lines, as genre can be very repetative producers can repeat and adpat story lines that have been used for example the 'Scream' series of films
• Reusing genres can be economical for resing pros and settings that are already bulti thid saves moeny when it comes to producing the film.
• A genre is tried and tested, therefore has a gaurnteed audience and reasures the producers they will be able to make a profit.

 Steven Neale states that as an audince we feel secure with familiairty of genres but also like a suprise. 'Please is derived from repetition and difference' . Neale aslo staed that one way of defing genre is as a 'set of expectaions'.

 Over the last decade gnere theoritsts refer to something called 'repertoire of Elements' these can be used to draw up or build up desriptions of genres generic elements;

• Setting 
• Theme
• Iconography
• Narrative
• Characters 

Genre is a key fearture in highlighting any films main features and narrativ. The Repertoire of elements explains how genre is not a fixed critera, it can be dynamic alsogenre can change arcoss cultuares and over time, its fuild. Now-a-days it is becoming increasingly rare to find a film that is just soley one genre such as Romance, there are multiple mixed/combined genres known as hybrids such as Sci-Fi Romance.

I create a genre mood board to represent the 'repertoire of Elements' of my chosen genre; Psychological Thriller.

 

My mood board is specfifc to the Psycholpgical thriller genre. I feel that mise-en-scene will be cruical when it comes to creating my film trailer. 

I took serevral film posters from the Psychological genre that I thought best represented the genre. I chose some more thriller based films such as; Seven, Shutter Island and Anna.I also looked for more psychological  based fillms as well such as ; Silence of the Lambs, Memento and Girl, Interuppted.I feel that mise-en-scene had a large role to play in conveying the genre to the audience of the film and the  audience being able to graps a sence of narrative yet also be curious and confused due to the psychological part of the genre. as through the use of lighting, props and setting can establish a theme.

My mood board conveys the repetoire of elements, for typical settings of a psycholopgical thriller I added large cities such as New York, asylums, confined spaces and the woods. I found typical iconography from the 'Psychological thriller' genre, such as shadows, street lamps, knives and confined spaces. These tie into a key iconography point, Low key lighting especially the use of shadows and street lamp. 

David Fincher