What genre is There are many different types of genres ranging from sub genres and main genres. Ac8on, adventure comedy Crime and gangster, dramas Epics, horror, musicals, science fic8on, war, westerns, biopics, chick flics, detec8ve and mystery
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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
How genre is iden8fied e.g conven8ons (your genre) • • • • • • • • •
Genres are iden8fied by genre conven8ons like; Loca8ons, Props, Characters, Costume, Sound, Cinematography, Narra8ve Themes.
Loca8on • Vast expensive back drops with on loca8on shoo8ng • 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 loca8ons were set based like the 300 spartans but now most of it is cgi based like king arthur.
PROPS Props use in the 8me period that the film was set in e.g. there might be props like weapons, bowls, chairs, a broom, cutlery and a bucket. Props haven’t really changed over 8me e.g. in a medieval epic say made in the 1950’s compared to one made in the 21st century
characters • Characters haven’t changed much over 8me. • Hunky hero, with his friendly companions by his side to help him through the tough situa8on and some evil villain with lots of evil minions. • Even epics that arent biopics they s8ll have a good character with there companions that is portrayed in a good light, • Characters in epic are s8ll based around some sort of historic figure.
Costume • Changed slightly over 8me but not a big deal. • Earlier epics weren’t as expensive and as lavish as the costumes used today. • Great deal of thought and 8me is spent on in todays epics
SOUND sound • Great deal of change in the use of sound in epic films. • Started as silent films. • Sound has evolved in epics from star8ng 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.
cinematography • Cinematography hasn’t changed much e.g. in films they s8ll used s8ll 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 baCle scenes as well as s8lls, they also use low angle shots, high angle shots and extreme close ups as well as conven8onal shots like mid shots, long shot and over the shoulder shots.
narra8ve • The narra8ve in epics hasn’t really changed over 8me. • Narra8ve would change is if it’s a different type of epic e.g. the narra8ve of a war epic would be different to one of a religious epic. • Mainly sub genre of epics biopics the narra8ve is the same a hunky hero saves the world/ defeats the bad guy and gets the girl or they will die trying.
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 8me. • 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.
Audience changes in response/ recep8on • Audiences for epics have become more defined because now epic films mainly target people that like ac8on 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.
Classifica8on and censorship arranges • The Hayes code that was introduced in 1934 and abolished in 1968 had par8cular 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 aCrac8vley, could only show passionate scences if it was essen8al to the plot.
• The hayes code got replaced by the mo8on picture associa8on of americia in 1968. the mo8on picture associa8on of americia was founded in 1922. they use 5 ra8ngs to classify films and they say what age group is su8able 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 cau8ous. 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 Admi=ed -‐ Patently adult. Children are not admiCed. • 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.
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 ac8on shown in them. • Increase of the amount of biopics made because it is one of the audiences favourite sub genres of epics. • Very ac8on packed and hint of adventure and romance. • The plots now a days are not as in depth, not that hard to follow the story.
Metz cycle of genre Film theorist Chris8an Metz proposed that genre passes through 4 stages in its cinema8c life. Experimental films that use the key elements that become the defining conven8ons of that genre; • iconography, • narra8ve structure • Mise en scene ect. Classic the films that best exemplify the conven8ons of the genre. Parody when the genre expecta8ons genera8ve humour. Deconstruc8ve essen8al elements of the genre are gone.