Genre Research

GENRE RESEARCH

Definition:  it is a stylistic category that organizes a film based on criteria such as its setting, characters, plot, mood, tone, and theme. A film's main genre category will be based on where the majority of the content lands.

Sub - genre: a smaller category that fits inside a particular larger genre.

Hybridity: a mixture of two separate genres instead of focusing on just one 

Setting

Is ultimately the time and place where a narrative exists. It is either outwardly articulated or discretely suggested to the reader. A single story can include numerous times and places, but it’s not possible for a story to exist without a setting. It can be suggested by weather, clothing, culture, architecture, etc. It could even be a character within a film that affects how we experience the story.

Setting is an important aspect of how a film might fall into a specific genre. A lack of intention with setting in a film can weaken a story and the audience’s experience of the film. This is why an entire department is dedicated to fleshing out the details of a story’s setting — the art department (in charge of the production design).

Characters

A film needs characters to execute the experience.  Character tropes or stock characters are typically a tell-tale sign of a film’s genre — not only physical characteristics, but internal characteristics as well. 

For example,  a character that is an anti-hero works incredibly well within the crime genre because they will ultimately have to make a choice between their own self-interest or the greater good, which is a story everyone loves. A character’s desires, behavior, or personality may lend itself to a specific genre. There are numerous factors of a character that will lend itself to different genres. This may be what motivates them, the principles they abide by, or simply their age.

Plot

Refers to the sequence and execution of the main events that compose a story.

The three act structure is a narrative model that divides stories into three parts — Act One, Act Two, and Act Three, or rather, a beginning, middle, and end.

• Act 1 — Setup

• Act 2 — Confrontation

• Act 3 — Resolution

Two films can both follow a traditional three act structure but how these films differ is determined by how specific aspects are executed such as the rising action. 

The execution of a film’s plot will rely heavily on the story’s backbone; the theme. 

Theme

The central topic or message within the story, also known as “the backbone” and it is essentially what the audience will walk away with once the credits roll. Different film genres often cover the same themes. This in and of itself is not inherently bad storytelling as long as the film avoids consistent cliche.

They can be communicated in cinema in two ways: auditorily and visually.

Information source: Studio Binder