2. What genre is
There are many different types of
genres ranging from sub genres and
main genres.
Action, adventure comedy
Crime and gangster, dramas
Epics, horror, musicals, science
fiction, war, westerns, biopics, chick
flics, detective and mystery
4. How genre is used by audience and
producers
• Genre used in two different ways.
• Audiences to find a film they like
• Producers use genres to maximise audiences
thus maximising profits.
• Genres also help producers limit risks
5. How genre is identified e.g
conventions (your genre)
• Genres are identified by genre conventions like;
• Locations,
• Props,
• Characters,
• Costume,
• Sound,
• Cinematography,
• Narrative
• Themes.
6. Location
• Vast expensive back drops with on location
shooting
• Can be historical or imagined, dependant on
the sub genre of the epic is it, e.g. war
epics, mythical epic, science ficton
epics, historical epic, and animated epic.
• In like the 1900 a lot of the locations were set
based like the 300 spartans but now most of it
is cgi based like king arthur.
7. props
• Props use in the time period that the film was
set in e.g. there might be props like
weapons, bowls, chairs, a broom, cutlery and
a bucket.
• Props havent really changed over time e.g. in
a medieval epic say made in the 1950’s
compared to one made in the 21st century
8. characters
• Characters haven’t changed much over time.
• Hunky hero, with his friendly companions by his
side to help him through the tough situation and
some evil villain with lots of evil minions.
• Even epics that arent biopics they still have a
good character with there companions that is
portrayed in a good light,
• Characters in epic are still based around some
sort of historic figure.
9. Costume
• Changed slightly over time but not a big deal.
• Earlier epics weren’t as expensive and as
lavish as the costumes used today.
• Great deal of thought and time is spent on in
todays epics
10. sound
• Great deal of change in the use of sound in
epic films.
• Started as silent films.
• Sound has evolved in epics from starting with
the first epic film with sound in 1934 to sound
becoming more widely used.
• Quality of sound gradually improving over the
years. Now we have massive cinema surround
sound.
11. cinematography
• Cinematography hasn’t changed much e.g. in
films they still used still shots, mid shots, long
shots, over the shoulder shots and panes like
they did in the 1900’s.
• Variety of shots they use have increased e.g. now
a days they use birds eye views to show battle
scenes as well as stills, they also use low angle
shots, high angle shots and extreme close ups as
well as conventional shots like mid shots, long
shot and over the shoulder shots.
12. narrative
• The narrative in epics hasn’t really changed
over time.
• Narrative would change is if it’s a different
type of epic e.g. the narrative of a war epic
would be different to one of a religious epic.
• Mainly sub genre of epics biopics the narrative
is the same a hunky hero saves the world/
defeats the bad guy and gets the girl or they
will die trying.
13. themes
• Themes in epics haven't really changed but
they have become more complicated e.g.
there are 2 or 3 themes going on at the same
time.
• Themes of epics only really vary in the sub
genre is different e.g. a western epic will have
a different theme to a war epic.
14. Audience changes in response/
reception
• Audiences for epics have become more
defined because now epic films mainly target
people that like action films, adventure
films, war films and to draw in a bigger female
audience romance.
• People know what to expect.
• Change in epic films has widely been well
received, they target a bigger audience.
• Epics are good hybrid genres.
15. Classification and censorship arranges
• The Hayes code that was introduced in 1934 and abolished
in 1968 had particular control over what epics could show
through out the 30’s to the 60’s. Before the Hayes code
films didn’t really have many rules.
• Hayes code stated is that the film can’t be made so the
audience feels sympathy for the evil villan that is doing
something sinful or miss leading.
• Hayes codd also stated that law, natural (I think nature) or a
human being could be ridiculed
• Brutal killings were also not allowed to be shown in detail
• The hayes code stated film makers could not show adualtry
attractivley, could only show passionate scences if it was
essential to the plot.
16. • The hayes code got replaced by the motion picture association of americia
in 1968. the motion picture association of americia was founded in 1922.
they use 5 ratings to classify films and they say what age group is sutiable
to watch them. Unrestricted
• G for General - Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by their
children.
• PG for Parental Guidance - Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May
contain some material parents might not like for their young children.
• PG-13 for Parental Guidance 13+ - Parents urged to be cautious. Some
material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.
• Restricted
• R for Restricted - Contains some adult material. Parents urged to learn
more about the film before taking their young children with them.
• NC-17 for No Children Under 17 Admitted - Patently adult. Children are
not admitted.
• Other
• NR for Not Rated - A movie either not classified by the MPAA, or unrated.
• So if an epic film wants to target a certain age group e.g. 12-15 they have
to restrict the content so they can classify the film for that age group.
17. Changes in society (concerns)
• Epic films have changed over the years because of
changes in society and peoples tastes changing.
• Epic films have increased in the amount of action
shown in them.
• Increase of the amount of biopics made because it is
one of the audiences favourite sub genres of epics.
• Very action packed and hint of adventure and romance.
• The plots now a days are not as in depth, not that hard
to follow the story.
18. Metz cycle of genre
Film theorist Christian Metz proposed that genre passes
through 4 stages in its cinematic life. Experimental films
that use the key elements that become the defining
conventions of that genre;
• iconography,
• narrative structure
• Mise en scene ect.
Classic the films that best exemplify the conventions of
the genre. Parody when the genre expectations
generative humour. Deconstructive essential elements of
the genre are gone.
Notas del editor
Genre is a way how film makers can define audiences and target certain films at different types of people. Genre help the film industry make more money and they help expand audiences.
Genres are used to organized into films into similar characteristics we see in films such as film techniques, sound, music, type of action, scripting and many more. Setting, mood, and format help up what a film genre is for example Schindler’s List and The Pianist are set in the wartime context, while the first emphasizes themes as solidarity, sacrifice and valor of human life without differences of beliefs; the second films examines the themes of sense of survival and horror of the World War II during the Holocaust Nazi.
Genre is used by audience and producers in two different ways. It is used by audiences to find a film they like so they don’t go and waste their money on any old film e.g. say a person particually like action films and they like the look of some new action film so they go and see it instead of some other new film out with a genre they often don’t like. Producers use genres to try and maximise audiences thus maximising profits. The way they do this is by making hybrid genres so they can target audiences from 2 or 3 different genres. Genres also help producers limit risks when making film because they can persifically make a film for a genre that they know theres an audience for.
Genres are identified by genre conventions. The conventions include locations, props, characters, costume, sound, cinematography, narrative and themes.
Locations in epic films are often vast expensive back drops with on location shooting on a grand scale, the locations can be historical or imagined, depandant on the sub genre of the epic is it, e.g. war epics, mythical epic, science ficton epics, historical epic, and animated epic. In like the 1900 a lot of the locations were set based like the 300 spartans but now most of it is cgi based like king arthur.
Props in epics are often things they would use in the time period that the film was set in e.g. there might be props like weapons, bowls, chairs, a broom, cutlery and a bucket. Props in epic films havent really changed over time they've mainly stayed the same e.g. in a medieval epic say made in the 1950’s compared to one made in the 21st century there wouldn’t be much difference in props apart from maybe more of them or more complicated props.
Characters are also another example of a convention in the epic genre that hasn’t changed much over time. Because there is still some hunky hero, with his friendly companions by his side to help him through the tough situation and some evil villain with lots of evil minions. Even epics that arent biopics they still have a good character with there companions that is portrayed in a good light, they may not be some super hero or some evil minion but characters in epic are still based around some sort of historic figure.
Costume in epics have changed slightly over time but not a big deal. Costumes that were used in some of the earlier epics like in the 1930’s weren’t as expensive and as lavish as the costumes used today. I think in todays epics a great deal of thought and time is spent on costume and the way the characters look maybe a little more so then they did when epics first began.
Over time there has been a great deal of change in the use of sound in epic films. Considering epics started of as silent films they have come a long way since then in terms of sound. Over the years sound has evolved in epics from starting with the first epic film with sound in 1934 to sound becoming more widely used and the quality of sound gradually improving over the years. Now we have massive cinema surround sound.
Over the years cinematography hasn’t changed a great deal e.g. in films they still used still shots, mid shots, long shots, over the shoulder shots and panes like they did in the 1900’s. but the variety of shots they use have increased e.g. now a days they use birds eye views to show battle scenes as well as stills, they also use low angle shots, high angle shots and extreme close ups as well as conventional shots like mid shots, long shot and over the shoulder shots.
The narrative in epics hasn’t really changed over time. The only reason the narrative would change is if it’s a different type of epic e.g. the narrative of a war epic would be different to one of a religious epic. But generally mainly in the sub genre of epics biopics the narrative is the same a hunky hero saves the world/ defeats the bad guy and gets the girl or they will die trying.
Themes in epics haven't really changed over time but they have become more complicated e.g. there are 2 or 3 themes going on at the same time. Themes of epics only really vary in the sub genre is different e.g. a western epic will have a different theme to a war epic.
Over the years the audiences for epics have become more defined because now epic films mainly target people that like action films, adventure films, war films and to draw in a bigger female audience romance. Now the benchmark for epic films have been set and people know what to expect. Overall I think the change in epic films has widely been well received and people are pleased that they target a bigger audience. Epics are good hybrid genres.
The hayes code that was introduced in 1934 and abolished in 1968 had particular control over what epics could show through out the 30’s to the 60’s. before the hayes code films didn’t really have many rules and they could be produced how the director saw fit. One important rule that the hayes code stated is that the film can’t be made so the audience feels sympathy for the evil villan that is doing something sinful or miss leading. The hayes cold also stated that law, natural (I think nature) or a human being could be ridiculed so it meant that an epic film could not show someone being ridiculed. Brutal killings were also not allowed to be shown in detail so they had to be careful how they depicted violence. The hayes code stated that the film makers could not show adualtryattractivley and the could only show passionate scences if it was essential to the plot.
Epic films have changed over the years because of changes in society and peoples tastes changing. Over the years epic films have increased in the amount of action shown in them. There has also been an increase of the amount of biopics made because it is one of the audiences favourite sub genres of epics. As it is very action packed, with a hint of adventure and romance. The plots now a days are not as in depth but there is a noticable plot and is not that hard to follow the story.
Film theonist Christian metz proposed that genre passes through 4 stages in its cinematic life. Experimental films that use the key elements that become the defining conventions of that genre; Iconography, Narrative structure,Mise en scene ect.Classic the films that best exemplify the conventions of the genre. Parody when the genre expectations generative humour. Deconstructive essential elements of the genre are gone.