Visual iconography is extremely important as they are the codes and conventions which can help us recognise different types of genres. Sci-fi was used as an example as star wars and stark trek shares the same conventions however they are two different franchises.
2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?
3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?
The main difference is that in action movies the main character/hero is usually seen approaching a problem or conflict by themselves. Whereas in disaster movies the main character approaches an issue with a group of people who have also been affected by the same thing.
The main difference is that in action movies the main character/hero is usually seen approaching a problem or conflict by themselves. Whereas in disaster movies the main character approaches an issue with a group of people who have also been affected by the same thing.
4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell?
• Director / Star, e.g. Ben Stiller Films
• Technical Process, e.g. Animation
• Style, e.g. German Expressionism;
• Series, e.g. Bond;
• Audience, e.g. Family Films
5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.
They use their prior knowledge of the genre to anticipate whether or not they are likely to enjoy a text.
6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.
Genres are paradigms or templates media producers can follow.
Some genres have loyal fan-bases. People will try out a new sit-com simply because it’s a new sit-com and this can help media producers minimise the potential for failure.
Good examples of this are film trailers which usually attempt to clearly define the genre of the film and then show as many of the codes and conventions in the trailer. This acts to attract fans of the genre and set up the expectations of the film.
7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?
The first time an audience member saw this is would be a surprise,after that it would be pleasurable when the expectation of a gun being hidden this way was met. Eventually, the idea of using the violin case would be seen as unimaginative – it had become a cliché All
Read Media Factsheet 126 - Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions
1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.
X-Men franchise
Superman
Watchmen
Kick-Ass
Guardians of the Galaxy
2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?
X-Men(2000)
Batman Forever(1995)
superman(1978)
spiderman 3(2007)
3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?
innovation: visual codes were established via comic books.
People could recognize the iconography of a superhero film when characters from comic books were used in superhero movies
classical: In the 1950s the superhero genre was relevant and the codes and conventions
were easily identified.
parody: Batman (1966) was intentionally funny and camp and
wouldn’t let its audience take the superhero too seriously.
Deconstruction: Superman (1978) started a new cycle in the superhero genre
with technology leading the innovation with special effects creating more realistic visual ‘miracles’.
Finally, carry out your own genre analysis using the model provided by media theorist Daniel Chandler.
Choose a film or TV text and answer the following questions:
Blow(2001)
General
1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
I chose the film Blow because it was actually based on a true story and
I was very drawn to the biographical aspects of the film, making it almost seem like a crime documentary, it also is very realistic meaning a small minority could relate to certain aspects of the film.
2) In what context did you encounter it?
I encountered this film when I finished watching the movie "Good fellas" because
after watching Goodfellas I searched the internet for movies similar to it
which made me come across Blow.
3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?
It made me think it had similarities to many neo-noir crime films which it did.
4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?
Crime
5) What is your experience of this genre?
I genuinely enjoy crime films a lot but I do not like the overly cliched crime
films as they all seem similar making the experience boring.
6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
Crime, drug dealing, criminal empires, Effects of money
7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
It has a lot of typical conventions of a crime movie, however, the way the film
is told is a lot different as usually in a crime film we don't always get a
realistic movie. What I mean by this is that in many crime films we usually
see the character subvert from crime to proceed with life in a positive way,
whereas blow shows us the harsh realities and consequences of the criminal
lifestyle. Furthermore, it is based on a true story.
8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
I usually expect a lot of killing, drugs and sex.
9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)
A generic label is that there is generally a lot of sex in crime films.
10) What generic labels have others given the same text?
People may think of blow to be the generic drug dealer "rising up the ranks"
of the criminal underworld movie.
11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognise in the text?
Drug-dealing to make money character, the main character meets crime boss and builds
a criminal relationship, The protagonist becomes richer the more he delves into the
criminal underworld.
12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?
Blow does stretch the conventions because of the nihilistic ending, we see the
harsh realities of living a life of crime.
13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?
In Blow, it could be argued that the protagonist reaches his high point during
the beginning part of the movie and we see him go down-hill from there which is
uncommon in a crime film.
14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
We see a relationship between the protagonist and his wife and daughter
and how money affects people in the film, these conventions are generally
associated with drama films.
15) What familiar motifs or images are used?
Mode of address
1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?
I believe this text was aimed at people in the ages between 18-26, with a mixed racial demographics
2) How does the text address you?
The text does not really address me as I have not been through what the characters
in this film have been through.
3) What sort of person does it assume you are?
It assumes you are a person who may be facing issues such as being in the
middle of a normal life and a life of doing illegal activities making you
re-evaluate your decisions in life.
4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?
lower/working class, males, 18-25, mixed ethnicity.
5) What interests does it assume you have?
Smoking weed, partying and doing drugs.
Relationship to other texts
1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)?
The movie gets inspiration from a real life story and person named
George Jung who was an American drug trafficker and smuggler.
2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?
Goodfellas, both texts are based on a true story with the same
criminal aspects.
3) What key features are shared by these texts?
Drug trade, Protagonist goes from being wealthy to having nothing,
both show effects of money and living a criminal life.
4) What major differences do you notice between them?
The major difference was that Good-fellas had a larger focus on the mafia and
gangster theme, whereas Blow showed more involvement with the cartel.
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