GENRE RESEARCH

WHAT IS GENRE?

A Genre is any form or type of communication in any mode with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time.Genres form by conventions that change over time as cultures invent new genres and discontinue the use of old ones.Genre began as an absolute classification system for ancient Greek Literature, as set out in Aristotle’s Poetics.Because art is often a response to a social state, in that people write/paint/sing/dance about what they know about, the use of genre as a tool must be able to adapt to changing meanings.

Types Of Genres:

There are mainly six different types of genres present in movies, T.V shows and so on. The main genres are as follows ;

1) Comedy: The comedic genre can be divided further into many sub categories. The main purpose of all the further categories remains the same to make people laugh as much as they can.

2) Romance: The romantic genres main purpose is just to show love amongst people around as usual in a way of couple life or married life facing issues.

3) Action: Any film or any show of any sort in which the protagonist is put up against many physical events which usually contain violence,stunts and explosions is called Action which is really famous in our generation along side with romance.

4) Horror: The movies and shows that lie in horror category of things are based on the fact that they are meant to be scary and bring the feeling of fear inside the viewer which is done by showcasing things that many people are scared by easily

5) Crime: The genre of crime as you can probably guess is just about cops, detectives, murders with mysteries and thousands of plot holes which could make anyone go crazy for them after just watching a single crime based movie or T.V show.

6) Thriller: Any movie or T.V show that can be described as having a suspense story or background to it can be called a thriller genre based movie or T.V show. Basically creating suspense amongst the viewers and a lust to watch more. This is typically seen in Dramas.

              Sub-Genres

A sub genre is is basically a looked over or hidden class of a main genre while holding many different characteristics of various genres as well, like a horror film will have many different similarities with a thriller film as well. Many distinctive sub-genres are biopics, superhero films, zombie horror films,sports films and so on.

MY CHOSEN GENRE: COMEDY

Sub genres of comedy include:

Alternative Comedy;

Differs from traditional punchline jokes which features many other forms of comedy such as observation, satire, surrealism, slapstick and improvisation. In its content, Alternative Comedy emerged as a counter to the establishment entertainment figures from the previous generation: It was often cited for its disregard to established comedic movements and ranged from the surreal to slapstick, usually with a combination of both. Example ‘Young Adult’.

Dark Comedy;

Deals with disturbing subjects such as death, drugs, terrorism and war ; can sometimes be related to the horror movie genre. Examples include;Rick and Morty, Heathers, Parasite, In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths.

Cringe Comedy;

A comedy of embarrassment, in which the humor comes from inappropriate actions or words; usually popular in television shows and film, but occasionally in stand-up as well.

Example : Bridesmaids, Bruno, Death At A Funeral, After Hours.

Insult Comedy;

A form which consists mainly of offensive insults directed at the performer’s audience and/or other performers. Examples include; The Women, Three Amigos, The War Of The Roses, The Man Who Came To Dinner.

Sketch;

A shorter version of a sitcom, practised and typically performed live.

Topical Comedy; 

Relies on headlining/important news and current affairs; it dates quickly, but is a popular form for late night talk-variety shows.

Word Play; 

More intellectual forms based on clever, often subtle manipulation of language (though puns can be crude and farcical).

Codes And Conventions Of Comedy Genre;

CAMERA a wide range of camera shots are used to highlight comedic action and facial features. For example, CU and POV are often used so as to position the audience with the protagonist, enhancing comedic moments. Low and high angle shots are used frequently to exaggerate a character’s power and status. Often the camera’s movements are very naturalistic as comedies create a sense of ‘realism’- making the production more relatable for an audience.

LIGHTING Bright, colourful lighting is often used to reflect the upbeat, light tone of the film. Audiences associate the comedy genre with vibrancy and joy. SOUND Sound effects are stereotypically used throughout comedy films, acting as codes or markers and enhancing comedic effect( EG. Slapstick sounds).

MISE-EN-SCENE Conventionally, Comedies aim to construct a form of ‘realism’, resulting in the use of Invisible Editing. However, Comedic timing is key- editors must choose when to cut to a relevant reaction or character and create a pregnant pause. It is also important to build a form of dramatic irony, letting the audience see the joke slightly before the characters. EDITING Mise-en-Scene is often exaggerated in order to create a comedic effect- make-up and costume are vital in creating a preferred reading of a laughable character. The audience must be encouraged to laugh through the use of technical and symbolic codes in order to prevent guilt for laughing. Stereotypes are used as a cultural shorthand (Dutton) in order to increase comedic value of characters.

THEMES AND MOTIFS Comedies cover a wide range of themes and narratives. Due to the typical use of this genre within a hybrid as a sub-genre, narratives commonly involve action, romance or sci-fi. The genre can also take many forms, such as ‘Black Comedy’,used in satirical or dramatic films, which uses dark humour to make light of a usually taboo topic. Parody and Slapstick are also popular types of comedy; more light hearted than Black Comedies, they fulfil the audience pleasure of ‘Share laughter with family and Friends’ Stereotypically, comedies also offer the pleasure ‘Warm mode of Address’.

Why I Chose This Genre?

As a kid I liked to laugh and make others laugh whenever I could get a chance to and my mother always told me to smile and put on a happy. She told me that my purpose was to make people laugh and share joy with others because we never know what could happen next in this short life of ours.