Genre blog tasks

 

Read Media Factsheet 03 - Genre: Categorising texts and answer the following questions:

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

Visual Iconographies are so important as it helps the audience to feel more into the film or tv programme they are watching. For example, the mise en scene of deep space, usually indicates the genre of sci-fi. Sometimes, however, the iconographies work together to indicate the genre. Someone sitting behind a desk is not genre specific. However, add high key lighting, a modern mise en scene and a screen behind the character at the desk and the combination of media language choices creates an image we associate with a news broadcast.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

 Film westerns will share codes and conventions with TV westerns. Although there are many differences between films and television programmes – they have different production values and often use different narrative structures – there are certain elements within the genre that are shared that enables the audience to recognise western regardless of the form.
                                  n

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?
In action movies, the characters representation is that they are put into the stereotype of the 'lone wolf' hero which means that they always work alone to save the world from the bad guys or the threat in whatever film or TV show that the audience is watching. Whereas, in disaster movies the character representations is that the hero element is not put into an individual but into a hole group of people having to work together who each bring an individual role into the group which helps to stop whatever the opposing threat is.  

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell?

• Period or Country, e.g. US films of the 1930s

• Director / Star, e.g. Ben Stiller Films

• Technical Process, e.g. Animation

• Style, e.g. German Expressionism;

• Series, e.g. Bond;

• Audience, e.g. Family Films

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

They use their prior knowledge of the genre to anticipate whether or not they are likely to enjoy a text. This helps when selecting a media text whether it is a lifestyle magazine, a film or a television programme.

They are able to compare a text through its shared characteristics with another. If you try to describe a TV programme to someone who has not seen it, you are likely to define its genre and then clarify what other text it is similar to.

They also use their knowledge of genre to reject a text. For many of us there will be genres we actively dislike and therefore will avoid accessing texts we assume to hold those characteristics.

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

Production

Genres are paradigms or templates media producers can follow. If a media producer wants to produce a new sitcom, there are certain ’rules’ that must be followed. This actually makes life easier for writers and producers as they don’t have to invent things from scratch. They can also look to successful examples of the genre and attempt to replicate what was popular and, of course, avoid the mistakes made by texts which have disappointed the audience.

Attracting an Audience

Some genres have loyal fan-bases. People will try out a new sit-com simply because it’s a new sit-com and this can help media producers minimise the potential for failure.

Marketing Texts

Good examples of this are film trailers which usually attempt to clearly define the genre of the film and then show as many of the codes and conventions in the trailer. This acts to attract  fans of the genre and set up the expectations of the film.

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?
Gangster genre is used as an clear example of how genres have evolved. There are many similarities between conventional gangster films and the modern equivalents: the genre focuses on groups of criminals, often romanticises the gangster lifestyle and the texts within this genre are violent and deal with conflict between the police and the criminals.They also focus on conflicts within the gangster community such as rivalry between opposing gangs or internal power struggles. These themes are the same whether the text is Scarface, Reservoir Dogs or The Sopranos.

Read Media Factsheet 126 - Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions:

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre?
Avengers Assemble (2013)
Scott Pilgrim (2010)
Chronicle (2012)
Super (2010)
Spiderman (5 films since 2000)

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

In the 1940s Superman was portrayed to be battling European villains threatening Metropolis even though he did not want to get involved he is forced into the conflict for the greater good mirroring how Americans first saw WW2 as  a European issue but as the war continued the US government decided that they would have to get involved even if lots of the population did not want to.

In X-men (2000) Mutants are seen as freaks by "normal" people forcing the mutants to try and hide their differences in order to fit in. Some join together with other mutants to react violently to discrimination whilst others try to work with humans in an attempt to fit in. This could be perceived as an allegory for the intolerance and discrimination marginalised groups faced and how discrimination is an issue in western culture.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

• Innovation: The visual codes for the superhero genre were largely established via the comic books. As soon as film and TV began to use the comic book characters other codes and conventions regarding the presentation of the genre in moving image were set. This can be seen in the early superhero shorts of the 1940s.

• Classical: By the 1950s the superhero genre could be seen to be in its classical stage with the codes and conventions being replicated in the film and TV programmes of the time.

• Parody: Batman (1966) was intentionally funny and camp and wouldn’t let its audience take the superhero too seriously. It had an ironic tone that flagged up the daft nature of the genre and allowed the audience to enjoy the awareness of that. After Batman, the classical and parodic versions of the genre were largely located in children’s animation, from Spider-Man whose animated adventures were on TV from the late 1960s, to the less than serious versions of the genre in Mighty Mouse (a perennially popular cartoon first made in the 1940s), Atom Ant (from the late 60s), Captain Caveman (from the late 70s) amongst many, many more.

* Deconstruction: Superman (1978) started a new cycle in the superhero genre with technology leading the innovation with special effects creating more realistic visual ‘miracles’. Both the Superman series and Tim Burton’s Batman franchise treated the fantastic world of the superhero seriously as in the classical era but they also used the camp comedy and a tongue-in-cheek approach of parody showing how the genre had been deconstructed and repackaged in an attempt to revitalise the genre and help it find a new audience - successfully in the case of these two franchises. This brings the genre back to a period of innovation when new ideas and new developments create interesting new ideas within the genre.

• The Cycle Continues: After 1997’s Batman and Robin received a less than positive reception, the genre again needed to deconstruct and re-innovate. The next stage of the genre’s development was the rise of Marvel Studios with The X Men (2000) and Spider-Man in 2002 and DC’s return with Batman Begins in 2005 and Superman Returns in 2006. These series have themselves been deconstructed once again. DC’s X-Men: First Class (2011) introduced a new generation of X-Men and offers a different tone to the first three films. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) recast Peter Parker and changed his love interest whilst Chris Nolan’s Batman offers a much darker, visceral superhero than the one in the 60s and the 90s. Perhaps the parody and deconstruction of indie superheroes has moved the genre on more quickly than in the past although Marvel can be seen to be playing it safe with its relatively conventional and classical Avengers series - particularly the Captain America films – but they also offer some parody within Iron Man (2008) and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).

Task 2: Genre analysis case study

Carry out your own genre analysis using the model provided by media theorist Daniel Chandler. Choose a film or TV text and answer the following questions - brief answers/bullet point responses are fine:

General
1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
Because it has many funny scenes in the film and is funny right from the start to end. 

2) In what context did you encounter it?
I encountered this film by watching it on TV with my family. 

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?
I didn't have any influence on the context of this text, as I just watched it as it came onto TV as there was nothing else on. 

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?
I relate this film to a comedy yet action and thriller genre as there are scenes of comedy mixed with action and thriller as there is a lot of gun fight scenes in the film.

5) What is your experience of this genre?
Absolutely amazing and thrilling which I have enjoyed which has lead me to watch more comedy and thriller films such as Knives Out. 

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
The basic themes this text is concerned with are gunshots as the genre of this film is action and thriller and a lot of blood and gore as it has a lot of violent scenes throughout the whole film.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
It is very typical as this film shows a lot of violence and action that relates back to the genre of the film.

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
To be very fast paced filled with a lot of action and scenes of laughter as the genre is comedy as well.

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?
Action, Comedy and Thriller. Where I saw this from are from the bus adverts. 

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?
Kick-Ass.