Genre Research

A genre refers to the method of categorisation based on similarities in which the film is constructed. Examples of genres are: Thriller, Horror, Crime, Romance, and Western. We watched the opening scene of scream (Director: Wes Craven, May 1997) on you tube, it was obvious of its genre. We knew this because of the opening credits, they used the colour red and black which shows the connation of death and danger. The music soundtrack used was eerie, building up suspense for the audience helping them to create their own enigmas. They have set the scene in the middle of no where, which automatically makes the subject become venerable. We know that something is going to happen to the protagonist as soon as we see her alone in her house. Typical stereotypical blonde who shows vulnerability, things start to go wrong in the house like the popcorn burning, and most importantly she is openly flirting with the calm creepy voice that continues to ring her house phone, who she lies to about not having a boyfriend. There is blood in the first scene, shots of knives and fire which are all associated with danger inferring that this is a horror.

A Sub Genre is not a known genre, it just break each genre down. For example Horror and Thriller are genres in their own right, psychological and detective are not. Genres can be combined with these to make sub genres like: psychological thriller, detective thriller. In class we watched Seven (Director David Fincher, January 1996), the majority of the class named it to be a psychological thriller. The opening credits where written in slanted jolty text, which inferred that something was not quite write, the montage that was shown showed a man writing, its seemed precise and perfect this gave us the sense of a type of psychological genre. There was continuing images of bodies, and machinery type contraptions. The music soundtrack was eerie, creepy, and quite mechanical it held suspense and mystery. The first scene was of a murder, they then have to work out what happened. This bluntly suggested it was going to be psychological.

A Hybrid is two known genres coming together, for example a horror thriller, or Action thriller. Films such as James Bond Quantum of Solace (Director: Marc forster, October 2008), Max Payne (Director: John Moore, November 2008), Eagle Eye (Director: D.J. Caruso, October 2008) would all fall under the category of Action thrillers.

Iconography is everything in the scene that can be used too set a mood and asserts the genre. It includes the setting, set design, props, costumes, NVC (non verbal communication), Lighting. In Seven (Director David Fincher, January 1996) we are able to tell the genre straight away by the iconography used. The colour scheme of the opening credits are dark, greys, black, whites. All of which suggest insanity, danger, and death. The first acting scene has been done in low key lighting, which sets the mood and sets the idea of a happy, up beat film. In the scene it is poring down with rain making it dull and miserable, this contrast of the following scene were the first dead body is scene, again reinforcing the fact that this is a Thriller. They have used props such as blood, the dead body, sick. The set design of the room is again dark, damp, old, not looked after, it looks like the occupant is lazy doesn’t care, hasn’t made any effort to wash up at all. A pile of dishes and empty cans ect litter the place.