Year 13: Media Studies

Lesson
objective
What is genre?

Define genre

What is genre?
Genre films are commercial features which

use repetition and variation to tell a

familiar story line using familiar types of
characters and situations (Grant: 1986: xi).
Genre is helpful in limiting the scope of
the film for the viewer, writer and director.
Film genre helps the cinematic industry as
a whole by helping the audience choose
which film they want to see.

Why is genre important?

New and familiar media text
Characters and locations

Genre gives the audience familiarity

Feel comfortable watching a

particular genre
We can predict throughout the film

Evolution of Genre
1950s
To now

The wild Bunch (1969)

The wild Bunch (1969)

What is the genre?
How can you tell?
Protagonists/Antagonists?

The Wild Bunch (1969)

Soldiers = bandits
Bandit = undercover police
Any other films that challenge genre

conventions?

Challenging genre?
Knowledge of genre
Enjoy the unexpectedness
Evolution of genre
Film noir modern cinema
E.g. Pulp fiction

Do audiences create
genre?
If an audience like a particular film,

what do producers do?

Proliferation of the same film thus

creating a trend, the same genre

What films can you think of?
Horror
Epic

Auteur
French word for author
Andre Basin developed idea of Auteur
The director/producer becomes a

pioneer of a particular style

E.g Alfred Hitchcock
Quentin Tarintino
Tim Burton

1980s

Genre and Audiences

Why do you think genre changes and

evolve?
Audiences want something new
Desensitised
Want to be challenged
But not too much!

Lesson 2 Genre
Quick fire
What is genre?
What was the first film to challenge

genre?
Why do institutions challenge genre?

Representation essay question for

Wednesday

What is hybrid genre?

Hybrid genres (Late

1980s)

Parody 1990s

Why do film makers like

genre?
Its easy to
market
to make (director)
to get a guaranteed audience
Choose a star
Market your star

Director and genre

What is your favourite

genre?
What was the last film you watched?
Why?

Stars and genre

What stars are affiliated with certain

genres?