Sunday 3 November 2013

Genre of film

Action-Adventure
Typical Conventions - Always a motive, at least two sides competing with each other ('goodies' and 'baddies'), fights, cat and mouse chase, explosions and destruction of deatures of a building (smashing of windows, breaking of doors etc), killings and/or serious injuries
Props - hi-tech equipment, futuristic cars, weapsons (knives, guns)
Music - fast, upbeat, nerve racking, builds up tension to keep audience of the edge of their seat
Setting - large, modern city
Target Audience - 15-40, both genders, although dominantly male, female audience can vary based on sub-genres, i.e. romance
Examples of filmsThe Hunger Games: Catching FireWhite House DownMission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 
Goes well withAdventureCrimeThriller

Animation
Typical Conventions - amusing characters that entertain young audience, fast-paced action to keep the young children entertained
Props - everyday objects they could come into contact with: toys, cars, other young children, parents etc
Music - bubbly, happy to match the feelings of the young audience, keep them positive and occupied
Setting - usually a glorified town, village or forest
Target Audience - Young children, 3-10 years old, both genders
Examples of filmsDespicable MeMonsters IncTangled
Goes well withAdventureFamilyFantasy

Biography/Documentary
Typical Conventions - interviews with main focus or those who are linked to subject matter, voice over or narrator describing and explaining events or their actions etc, archival footage obtained from a certain source, reconstructions to give audience better understanding or feeling, montage of sequence shots
Props - vary depending on subject matter or person, for example, if the focus is an athlete or footballer, props would include those familiar to the sport, i.e. hurdles, goal posts, footballs, tropies
Music - varies: can be dramatic if action or thriller-based or dull if just informative
Setting - no particular setting, depends on the subject matter or person, for example, for a boy band on tour - mainly on stage, back stage or on the road
Target Audience - Older generations, 20-60 year olds, both genders, for those who have a specific interest in a topic, subject matter or person
Examples of filmsThe ConjuringOne Direction: This is UsSchindler's List
Goes well withHistoryMysterySport 

Comedy
Typical Conventions - socially awkward people, 'idiotic' people in a contrasting group of 'normal' people, road trips gone wrong, finding out answers - messing up the original 'plan', going on holiday, close friendships
Props - certain props may inflict pain on a character in a comedic sense and usually focuses upon the physical side to comedy opposed to the mental and speech side, i.e. having no common sense or sarcasm
Music - usually upbeat to keep in with the comical sense 
Setting - can vary depending on the type of comedy, whether it's a harmless sketch or with a dark and sinister twist. Most light-hearted comedies occur in bright places that have a welcoming, everyday atmosphere, like towns or cities, high schools, the characters' houses, pubs and bars
Target Audience - varies - appeals to most ages and both genders, sub-genres and themes define detailed audiences
Examples of filmsThe HeatAnchormanJackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
Goes well withActionRomanceHorror

Crime/Drama/Mystery
Typical Conventions - some sort of chase - usually by car, some kind of betrayal, someone's private life becoming public knowledge, a secret being revealed, an obvious villain 
Props - a lot of involvement of weapons that can lead to a fatal injury or death
Music - dark, mysterious to build tension
Setting - bank, safe or someone's house where a robbery could take place
Target Audience - late teen to adult, 16-35, both genders, can vary dependent on sub-genres, i.e. romance
Examples of filmsThe CounsellorNow You See MeThe Shining 
Goes well withAction, Drama, Mystery

Family/Fantasy
Typical Conventions - happy ending, relatable topics (everday life for family, imagination conepts for fantasy), no serious violence or bad language, magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, use of Propp character roles - extremely common, use of green screen or animation technology,
Props - everyday objects - family based - familar to young audience. Fantasy - make-believe, imaginative objects - costumes, futuristic methods of transportation
Music - light, uplifting, positive - develops feeling of happiness among audience, reflects their mood 
Setting - normally settings audience are associated with on a regular, if not daily, basis, i.e. living room, car, park, shopping centre etc, if fantasy - environment exaggerated
Target Audience - young children and their parents - family trip to the cinema? Fantasy - intrigue wider audience, dedicated fan base? can vary in ages and genders
Examples of filmsDespicable MeThe AvengersHocus Pocus
Goes well with: AdventureComedyFantasy

Film-Noir
Typical Conventions - cinematography - often disorted and uncomfortable for viewer to look at - puts audience at unease - reflects the tone of noir, extreme close ups, deep focus shots, obscured reflections, low key lighting, high contrast images, classic role of hero against villain,
Props - weapons i.e. knives, guns etc, dark clothing - enforces mysterious aspect
Music - melancholy downbeat jazz,
Setting - urban settings, 'wrong end of town', 'dodgy' areas of everday locations, damp streets - reflection of bad weather, often rain or storm,
Target Audience - late teens - adult, 17-30, both genders - thrill seekers, old-fashioned film lovers
Examples of filmsThe Third ManStrangers on a TrainThe Killing
Goes well withCrimeMysteryRomanceThriller

Horror
Typical Conventions - danger of death, death, violence - fatal injuries, some kind of curse, flickering of lights, charcters going out and investigating - leads to injury, kidnap or death, bad weather - heavy rain, storms, low key lighting - use of shadows
Props - weapons - knife, gun, axe, anything that can inflict pain or death upon a character,
Music - dark, plenty of beat, gradually gains volume, builds tension for audience - lead up to something happening which can cause a change of events in the plot, prepared for it but at the same time still impacted by shock - jumping out of your seat
Setting - woods, ghost town, abandoned building, haunted house in the middle of nowhere - usually isolated places that are not easily found
Target Audience - teen to adult, 15 (most horror films have a certificate of 15 or 18)-26, depending on interest in the topic, both genders
Examples of filmsCarrieSinisterThe Strangers
Goes well withDramaMysteryThriller

Musical
Typical Conventions - cast of teenagers during everyday life, addressing modern issues, characters faced with a problem, solve it - Todorov system, sing to express their mood
Props - usual objects found in schools/universities i.e. desks, computers, pianos, music hall etc., cars
Music - bubbly, uplifting - reflects mood of characters to impact upon audience - normally positive
Setting - typically a high school or university - full of teenagers 
Target Audience - children - teen, 6-16 - younger children look up to characters in film, older children can often relate to story line
Examples of filmsGreaseHigh School MusicalPitch Perfect
Goes well withComedyFamilyRomance

Romance
Typical Conventions - 'boy meets girl' storyline, sexuality, symbolising everyday life, happy ever after ending, story links with audience's emotions
Props - flowers, hearts, use of colour red, wedding bells, church, mobile or laptop - communicational purposes, photographs - memories, comforting clothes, fire, chocolate
Music - usually positive, seductive, reflects mood of situation on screen onto audience
Setting - varies, can be in a cinema, resteraunt, bedroom, school, beach, small town or large city, local park etc. places that are linked to everyday life
Target Audience - large audience, dominantly female, 12-50
Examples of filmsThe NotebookCrazy Stupid LoveFriends with Benefits
Goes well withComedyHorrorFilm-noirThriller

Sci-Fi
Typical Conventions - use of supernatural creatures - aliens, binary opposites - good vs evil, obvious hero attempting to save world from invasion, explosions, crashes, demolishment of buildings, can be set in future - futuristic technology and creatures, time travel, robots, war, follows either utopian or dystopian - society will either become better or worse throughout film
Props - weapons, robots, aliens, futuristic technology used in a futuristic setting - i.e. a lab
Music - 'out of this world' - not what most people listen to, created by instruments - not a soundtrack with a main singer etc, impacts on events taking place within shot, builds tension for the audience
Setting - big city - where most action takes place, space - away from human kind
Target Audience - dominantly male,
Examples of filmsPacific RimDistrict 9Star Trek into Darkness
Goes well with: Action-AdventureFantasyHorror

Thriller
Typical Conventions - disorintation of time and surroundings, low key lighting - sense of the unknown and use of shadows to inflict paranoia, flashbacks, dangerous characters - i.e. convicts, gang leaders, criminals, spies, law enforcement officers,
Props - mirrors, stairs, weapons - i.e. knives, guns etc., pills,
Music - dark, bass, usually increases tension and suspense for the audience 
Setting - urban - dark alleys, run-down estates,
Target Audience - teen -adult, 15-28, both genders
Examples of filmsGravityEscape PlanSpring Breakers
Goes well withCrimeHorrorMystery

War
Typical Conventions - follows combat of individual solider or platoon of troops, often occurs within the center of action, violence, death, explosions, destruction
Props - methods of transport: trucks, helicopter, etc., weapons, i.e. guns, knives, bombs etc., 
Music - upbeat to keep up with action, builds suspense, beat hits home - fits in with pattern of heartbeat
Setting - usually on front line of impact, town/village, army camp, navy battleship
Target Audience -  late teen-adult, 18-50+, dominantly male audience
Examples of filmsSchindler's ListSaving Private RyanThe Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Goes well withActionBiographyDocumentary

Western
Typical Conventions - stand offs, gun fire, injury or death, chase on horseback, cowboys, card games, stetson hats, bar brawls, train or bank robberies
Props - pistols, rifles, gun holders, money, cigars, horses, tumbleweed,  
Music - starts off with steady drum beat and electric guitar cords until characters are introduced - music beat picks up, music never normally stops completely during openings, just fades
Setting - Texas, desert, abandoned towns, saloon
Target Audience - older generations, 20-50, dominantly male
Examples of filmsThe Good, the Bad and the UglyDjango UnchainedUnforgiven
Goes well withActionAdventureComedy

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