Research: Genre

Genre:
Films and television programmes are classified into different Genres, for example Crime or Comedy. The word 'Genre' comes from the french word 'class' or 'type'. Different genres have different conventions or a different code they follow, however some directors go outside the conventions and purposely don't follow them for effect. Conventions can include a stereotypical setting for character or time period. Sub-genres are a further sub-division of genre. There are many sub-genres as well as Genres.

Examples of Genre with Sub Genres:
Action:
Epic Movies (Gone With The Wind)
Spy Movies (James Bond)
Disaster Movies (The Dark Knight)
Thriller movies (Die Hard)
Martial Arts Movies (Enter The Dragon)
Video Game Movies (Tomb Raider)

Crime:
Detective Movies (Lady On A Train)
Gangster Movies (Gangs Of New York)
Hardboiled Movies (The Big Sleep)
Courtroom Movies (The Verdict)

Fantasy Movies:
Contemporary Fantasy Movies (Harry Potter)
Urban Fantasy Movies (Ghostbusters)
Dark Fantasy Movies (Maleficent)
Epic Fantasy (Lord Of The Rings)
Heroic Fantasy Movies (Willow)
Sword and Sorcery Movies (Masters Of The Universe)

Western:
Biopic (The Elephant Man)
Historical Drama (Titanic)
Biblical (Noah)
Period (Sense and Sensibility)
Alternate History Movies (Inglourious Basterds)

Romance:
Romantic Drama (A Walk To Remember)
Rom-Com Movies (Clueless)
Chick Flick (The Notebook)
Romantic Thriller Films (Mr and Mrs Smith)

Animation:
Traditional (Snow White And The Seven Dwarves)
Rotoscoping (Lord Of The Rings)
Puppet Animation (Coraline)
Claymation (Wallace and Grommit)
Cutout Animation (Fantastic Planet)
2D CGI Animation (Frozen)
3D CGI Animation (Toy Story)

Horror:
Splatter (Saw)
Psychological Horror (Black Swan)
Survival Horror (The Crazies)
Found Footage (Blair Witch Project)
Paranormal/ Occult Horror (Paranormal Activity)
Monster Movies (Alien)

Sci-Fi:
Hard Sci-Fi (Jurassic Park)
Apocalyptic (12 Monkeys)
Future Noir (Blade Runner)
Space Opera (Star Wars)
Military Science (Edge of Tomorrow)
Punk (Total Recall)
Speculative Sci Fi (Interstellar)

The History of Genre:
Genres change over time with cultural changes and changes in society. The time period in which the movie was filmed can also alter the genre. Conventions of a comedy genre in modern day may be different to conventions of film made in an earlier period. Different genres often shine during different events, for example during the Great Depression romance films were very popular as they were a way to escape the grim reality of poverty many people were living in. Threats within science fiction films or dystopian films often reflect real fear and real threats within the current society. For example during the 1930s and 1940s science fiction films reflected racial issues an example being the film King Kong, this was due to the rise of the racist group the 'Klu Klux Klan'. If films were successful, the conventions would be repeated and formulated genres emerged as production companies needed to secure a profit after investing millions into these films. Sequels to successful films were also popular as they were a safe bet.

The Importance of Genres:
Genres are important because producers need to engage their target audiences in order for their films to be successful. Audiences also identify films they would like through genres and that draws them in to watch them. If a person buys a ticket to watch a comedy film, they expect to laugh throughout the film. Following the conventions of a comedy film will satisfy the audience as it has worked for previous successful movies. Another example would be the action genre, these will tend to include guns, explosions and car chases. From the advertising within the trailer, audiences will be drawn into the film due to their previous experiences with action films including similar elements.