What is Genre:
Genre is the classification of any media into a category or type, For example: horror, sci-fi, crime, action, drama, thriller and others.
If the audience enjoys the theme of horror, they will usually enjoy other types of media related to the same theme, example: movies, games, books, etc.
Conventions of Genre:
In every genre, there are conventions. These are story elements that define each genre with formulas or structures to help define the reader’s expectations. There will be conventional scenes which form characteristic settings or periods, For example, Prehistoric, Roman, Viking, Medieval, modern day, tomorrow, urban or rural. with stereotypes, props, or icons.
Examples of genre conventions:
Horror: There is always the monster, the victim, ominous setting, blood, low lighting and extreme camera angles, and suspenseful music and unsettling sounds
Sci-fi: Mostly set in space or in the future, a lot of science, aliens, spaceships, planets
Crime: Robberies, kidnapping, extortion, gangs, cops, detectives
Action: Fight scenes, special effects, explosions, chase scenes
Drama: Mise-en-scene, typical characters, props, settings, costumes and periods
Thriller: Psychos, spies, thieves, vulnerable victim, often in extreme settings
Why Do We Have Genres:
We have genres because we must have a way of sorting into different classes so people can understand what the story is about. We need also to have a conventional narrative to support the viewers / readers understanding of the plot / characters in the story.
The use of representative content in each genre shows similarities with others in that genre’s group. For example, most comedies have slapstick, witty dialogue, and mistaken identities.
Neale’s Theory
Neale’s theory suggests that two films of a different genre should include features that are similar, so the audience knows what type of film it is and include features that are different. So, it keeps the audience interested. Which explains his theory on repetition and difference. Neale once said: “Genres are instances of repetition and difference.”
I agree with Neale’s theory because it shows what each film of a certain genre have in common. It can tell the audience that each film of a certain genre is unique whilst following the conventional narratives. It shows the similarities for example: in the scene settings, so people can identify where the movie is most likely set (past, present, future). The genre differences show that movies are not the same and makes each one of them unique whilst following typical genre conventions (repetition). It also balances the differences and similarities to make a good movie and attract an audience.
Group slide:
The group slide shows an example for Neale’s theory. It shows the similarities and differences of the same story in a different conventional narrative.
One film is more serious than the other (Scream) Scary movie is more slapstick and has a comedy and crude aspect to the horror scenes. It can be seen as a soft parody of Scream. Scream is more frightning although there is a slight humour and witty element in it. The main characters in Scary movie mirror Screams characters and the film centers on working out who is killing people wearing a Halloween Ghost face mask. There is also some references to Scream, where one character is saying it didn’t have a plot and another saying their lives are just like Scream. The dialogue is the same in both films too in places. Both films are rated 18.