Genre Classification of media texts into groups with similar characteristics
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Genre
Classification of media texts into groups with similar characteristics
Activity
What kind of storyline would this film have? Who might the villains be? Which actors might appear in this film? Where might this film be set? What else can you expect?
What kind of storyline would this film have? Who might the villains be? Which actors might appear in this film? Where might this film be set? What else can you expect?
1990 American Crime Film directed by Martin Scorsese.
Type-casting
Genre
Classification of media texts into groups with similar characteristics, governed by a set of codes and conventions.
Comes from the French (originally Latin) word for ‘Class’.
What are the benefits of a genre?
Genre
Genres are categories of media that should be easily recognisable to anyone.
What are the benefits of a genre?
Easily recognisable to anyone.
Allows audience to choose whether or not they want to
engage with the media text.
Activity:
Name as many genres as you can.
Subjects: Horror/thriller Chick flick Fantasy Action/adventure Romance Western Comedy Gangster Sport Fairy tale Musical Reality
Genre We look for the signifiers of genre that lead us to the signs that we associate with particular genres. These signifiers are; dress of actors, settings, tools of trade, etc. This is Iconography.
Genre
Genre is a formula that can be repeated again, and again.
Just like in Goodfellas, we expected to see the following signifiers;
car chases, guns, urban setting, mafia, heroes, villains, violence, Italians, beautiful women.
Genre If genre is repeated, it can cause reassurance for the audience.
It is part of the reason they select texts.
Why is it important in relation to the audience’ choice?
Genre If genre is repeated, it can cause reassurance for the audience.
It is part of the reason they select texts.
Why is it important in relation to the audience’ choice?
Censorship!
Activity
List codes and conventions for horror genre.
• Dark colours, backgrounds
• A number of scenes in the dark
• Creepy music
• Silence to build suspense
• Heavy breathing sounds
• Shadows
• Volatile weather (mist, storms, thunder etc)
• Screaming
• Isolation or someone alone
Genre: Considerations & Limitations Is genre Gender specific? Can it be applied to all media texts? What about changes in time? (post 9/11) Is it too generalized? (What about sub-genres) Hollyoaks later? Brokeback Mountain? Moulin Rouge? Breaking convention?
Genre: Considerations & Limitations
Those that could be seen to break convention could be
categorized as Genre Hybrids.
This is when the conventions of two genres meet and
expectations of both genres are fulfilled.
Functions of genre Descriptive approach Functional approach
Genre: Conclusions Is genre the best way to communicate the ‘type’ of media to the audience? Is there a finite taxonomy of genres or are they, in principle, infinite? 'the number of genres in any society... depends on the complexity and
diversity of society‘ Carolyn Miller
Activity:
Watch Hollyoaks Later trailer.
Highlight the signifiers of that genre.
What kind of storylines will it have?
Homework: Extra Reading
See the VLE for Further Reading resources on Genre!
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