Genre Research

A genre is a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition which is categorized according to the style, form, or content.

In essence, a genre in filmmaking helps to classify the type of film/media based on its characteristics, which helps the viewer choose what type of content they want to consume based on their liking.

Selecting a genre is a core part of creating media as it has a direct impact on the type of production, the edit, and the sound, which is why it is imperative to decide the genre before starting production.

The use of genres is also necessary for exhibiting your media as it guides you to market your product to a demographic which  enjoys the same category of films as the one you have produced.

Sub-Genres:

Sub-Genres are more specific sub-classes of the larger category of main film genres, possessing their own unique codes and conventions such as plot, cinematography, script, and method of production.

Examples of Genres and their Sub genres:

Action Movie Sub Genres

Epic Movies, Spy Movies, Disaster Movies, Superhero Movies, Martial Arts Movies

Crime Movie Sub Genres

Detective Movies, Gangster Movies, Hardboiled Movies, Legal Thrillers

Fantasy Movie Sub Genres

Urban Fantasy Movies, Dark Fantasy Movies, Heroic Fantasy

Horror Movie Sub Genres

Documentary style movies, Splatter Movies, Psychological Horror Movies, Survival Horror, Found Footage Movies, Action Horror.

Types of genres

Genres can be divided according to their medium such as Print Media, Movies, Television and Video Games are all examples of types of genres in Media –

However as far as Movies and Films are concerned, the Genres are as follows:

• Action                             
• Adventure
• Animation
• Experimental
• Comedy
• Crime
• Documentary
• Drama
• Family
• Fantasy
• Film Noir
• History
• Horror
• Musical
• Mystery
• Romance
• Sci-Fi
• Sport
• Superhero
• Thriller
• War
• Western

Hybrid Genre:

The craft of filmmaking isn’t bound with unchangeable and hard and fast rules, which results in crossover classifications that comprise of at least two genres intertwined to make a more diverse product that filmmakers can explore easily and without the limitation of obeying traditional codes and conventions.

Some examples are:

• Action comedy (action and comedy)
• Action Horror ( Action and Horror)
• Comedy-drama or dramedy (comedy and drama)
• Comedy-horror (comedy and horror)
• Crime fantasy (crime and fantasy)
• Dark fantasy (horror and fantasy)
• Docufiction (documentary and fiction)
• Romantic comedy (romance and comedy)
• Science fiction Western (science fiction and Western)

Chosen Genre:

Action Horror

Code and Conventions of Action Horror:

Each Genre is defined by their style of editing, camera movement, storyline and edit. Without the placement of these building blocks, the very Genre itself will lose meaning. Hence Codes and Conventions are established to separate each Genre from one another, In this case we have Action Horror.

Some Codes and Conventions for Action Horror:

• Jump scares.
• Low key lighting.
• Flashbacks.
• Quick, flashing shots.
• Large, family houses.
• Dark colour palettes.
• Young children.
• Religious Iconography.
• Secluded Locations.

Narratives:

• Haunted House 
• Supernatural Presences
• Possession
• Paranormal Activity
• Serial Killers
• Abduction

Editing, Mise-n-scene/Props:

• Holy Items
• Costumes relating to character and action
• Gadgets used for paranormal detection

Setting/Location

• Abandoned graveyards.
• Large houses away from the city.
• Deserted churches.

Sound/Lighting

• Slow tempo and dramatic music is used to immerse the viewer.
• Ambient lighting
  • Color filters – red – danger/blue – cold
  • High key – extreme shadows
  • Shots with increased shadows and highlights
• short dialogues to emphasize on actions.
• Mostly diegetic sound is to capture and uplift the scenario.
• Darker tints used to enhance the tone of the film.

Camera/Edit

• Slow paced editing to create an aura of suspense
• Slow motion
• Aerial shots
• Establishing shots, extreme wide angle taken to show scale.
• Whip pans
• Use of CGI
• Use of SFX

Sources

http://bethpatchhorror.weebly.com/horror-films-mise-en-scene.html

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-identify-film-genres#13-classic-movie-genres

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