GENRE Definitions and Tasks

Definitions of Genre

Genre - the word genre derives from French and means 'type' or 'kind'. In a study of media texts it is used to divide texts into easily identifiable categories. It is a way of classifying media products according to the elements that they share.

Genre Conventions - these are the repertoire of elements that texts belonging to the same genre have in common. They are the aspects that an audience expect to see in a specific media text. They help audiences to recognise the genre and have been built up over a period of time so that they are esily recognisable. For example, the use of hand-held cameras is a convention of some documentaries used to suggest realism.

Hybrid genre - a text that combines or subverts the conventions of an existing genre to create a new one. For example the reality tv genre combines insome cases, aspects of the documentary and game show genres.

Sub-genre - A subcategory within a particular genre: The academic mystery is a subgenre of the mystery.

TASKS:
Discuss and blog your responses:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genre from the following perspectives:
* Producer (company that funds the film)
* Audience (Consumers of the film)
* Director (Creator of the film)
* Scriptwriter (Person who comes up with new ideas for films)
* Marketer (Person who has to sell the film)

2. Pick a genre from one of the following:
Comdedy, horror, action, romance, drama, thriller, sci-fi, crime.
Research the development of that genre and find examples of a classic, a sub genre and a hybrid from your chosen genre.
Consider the future development of that genre and also why it appeas to viewers.