Lesson Write Up - 16th Oct

Genre Theory

 

 

 

• identify generic conventions of a song
• everything has some element of genre
• could modify generic conventions to fit the style of narrative

• typical mise-en-scene - iconography, props, lighting, set-design
• typical types of narrative - plot, historical setting
• generic types - male/female roles, archetypal

Archetype - the original, that every stereotype is based upon

• typical personnel - actors/directors may be known for doing a certain genre
• identify formal and generic conventions
• comedy and animation are not genres they are styles

Genre exists not only in the text but in society too, so audiences can understand it.

Genre allows audiences to make choices about what products they want to consume.

 

Pleasures of Genre For Audiences:

• Rick Altman (1999) argues that genre offers audiences 'a set of pleasures'

1. Emotional Pleasures - generate a strong audience response
2. Visceral Pleasures -  gut responses, defined how the stylistic construction produces a physical effect on its audience
3. Intellectual Pleasures -  certain film genres offer the pleasure of trying to unravel the mystery. Pleasure of deciphering plot and forecasting the end, or being surprised by the unexpected.

Strengths of Genre Theory -

• everybody uses and understands it
• potential for the same concept to be understood by producers/audiences etc.