Research into genres

The type of genre the film is changes the storyline, conventions and who the target audience is. Having genres puts films in set categories, making the type of genre the film depends on what conventions they use and how the narrative is told to the audience. Often you find that films fit into more than one genre and can be found to have sub-genre, using more than one genre makes the film appeal to a wider audience. The wider the audience the more people come and see the film which means the company makes more money, the overall purpose of any film. Having the right genre is important to the film as it can change what the film narrative and their target audience. The film producers need to know what the genre is to be able to create the right location to fit in with the genre to make it easier for the audience to know what is happening. To get the right actors that will fit in with the genre, showing the right relationship and the actors used in the film will appeal to a set audience. The mise-en-scene used will also need to reflect the genre such as with the lighting in a romantic film they would have high key lighting to reflect the feelings of the characters; where as in a horror film they would use low key lighting to create a scary atmosphere, using the lighting the other way around would create the wrong atmosphere and confuses the audience with the plot of the film.

The genre science fiction is wider, in that it is based on science in the future and can be easily used in sub-genres and different themes that can be a sci-fi. Such as horror fiction, which can portray the dangerous and sinister side of knowledge such as in the film ‘Frankenstein’ in 1931; which shows us that there are things that we are not meant to know. Because of this science fiction is hard to define as they are different elements to this genre. A science fiction author and editor, Dammon Francis Knight said that ‘science fiction is what we point to when we say it’. Though it has to feel as if this is possible with scientifically elements in it such as robots. Most sic fi films are set, in the future, in alternative timelines, in the past, outer space, on other worlds, and most involving aliens. Such as ‘War of the Worlds’, 2005, in which the earth is taken over by aliens. Some films use new technology, things that contradict the laws of nature such as time travel, move faster-than light such as in the film ‘Jumper’, 2008. Where a young man as a genetic anomaly which allows him to teleport. This genre can be found not only in films in books in which they follow the same conventions of the films such as the book ‘The Host’ by Stephenie Meyer, 2008. Where aliens have taken over earth and the human body. Not only in sci-fi in films and books it’s in hit TV shows such as ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Heroes’. This shows that this genre is world wide and has many fans. Such as ‘Star Trek’ which started in 1966 and still has a big fans base with the new film out in 2009. The audience for sci-fi is wide and is aimed at different ages, depending on the storyline used.

The genre of horror appeals to a younger audience; this is because of the storyline and in which they represent the characters. This genre normally has an age rating of 15 or 18 this is because this is the age that there are targeting for their audience. Thought by having this age rating it shows that this genre uses things that BBFC would see as aimed for an older audience this is because they believe that an older audience are less likely to be influenced by what they are watching. There are different types of horror films, horror films normally join with different genres, these are sub-genres such as Gothic, slasher, teen terror, serial killers and more. Horror films are made to scare and frighten the audience, invoking our worst fears. At the same time as scaring the audience they are captivating and entertaining them. They have a wide range of styles from the early Nosferatu vampire film to the CGI monsters and serial killers. The most horror films are joined with the science fiction genre having aliens threatening to take over the Earth. These different horror genres affect the storyline but there all planed to scare their audience. These storylines try to be verisimiutumde so that the audience will relate to what’s happening, making it scarier as they feel that it could happen to them. Which is why most horrors films are set in a school and the setting is normally at night using low key lighting to create a scarier atmosphere; this is because the audience will relate things that are seen as evil and scary to the night making it scarier. To go with this they use eerie music to create tension and make the audience jumpy. As most horror films use this to make this set genre clear to the audience what type of film they are watching.

The genre for teen films appeals to teenagers and young adults this is because of the plot that is used in these films; as this audience can relate to what is happening and connected to the characters in the film. The plots are found in this genre to be the same in most of the films coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation. These themes though are normally presented in a stereotypical way and flowing set conventions. This is reflected in the setting of the films, being set in schools and places that the target audience can relate to. Most teen films are found to be romantic comedy but there are thought sub genres that go with this genre such as teen sci-fi, teen horror, teen drama, teen comedy, teen musicals. Teen genre can go with most other films being that the type of story lines that are used can be joined in with the conventions of other film genres. Teen films are found to use American culture in their films, this is then shown in the setting of the film and how the characters act, this is also in the mise-en-sence by what the characters wear. The American culture can be seen in the story line, with proms which was start in American. The way in which the characters fit into the stereotypes that are found in American such as Cheerleader shows how the genre developed and who there are targeting their films at.