Genre

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

"Both Star Wars and Star Trek use recognisable iconographies of Science Fiction  but they do not use them the same way. Star Trek tends to use a more futuristic setting which relates to an idealised  world of the future. The Star Wars universe is far less ideal and is portrayed in some parts as more ‘rough and ready’, however, they both share enough characteristics to be considered within the same genre."
-I found this response on the 03 Genre cat factsheet.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

The example that is provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre is Independence Day (1996: dir. R. Chimeric), Deep Impact (1998: M. Leder) and, more recently, The Day After Tomorrow (2004: dir. R. Emmerich). In The Day After Tomorrow a father has two goals: to persuade the government to act on his advice and then to rescue his son. In both plots he accepts the help of others e.g. accepting information from other scientists or letting his colleagues accompany him as he travels to New York where his son is trapped.He is shown putting his trust in others and accepting the need for cooperation in order to solve the problems he faces.The representation of heroes is a part of the codes and conventions of the genres.

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?

The difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies is characters, including the use of stereotypes and character roles, are also part of the narrative of texts. Certain stereotypes tend to be linked to specific genres. The ’lone wolf’ hero, for example is a convention of an action text. Here the hero tends to be positioned outside a supportive group and he works alone to fight the villains or save the world. James Bond may be a member of MI6 but he is always sent on missions alone and is often seen as being unconventional.
Jack Bauer of 24 is another stereotypical ‘lone wolf’ action hero and he is often depicted making decisions that could be seen as immoral. However his unconventional responses tend to enable him to get the job done.

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell?

The different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell is:

•  Period or Country, e.g. US films of the 1930s 

• 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 Film

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

The three ways genre is used by audiences is:

1) They use their prior knowledge of the genre to anticipate whether or not they are likely to enjoy a text. This helps when selecting a media text whether it is a lifestyle magazine, a film or a television programme.

2) They are able to compare a text through its shared characteristics with another. If you try to describe a TV programme to someone who has not seen it, you are likely to define its genre and then clarify what other text it is similar to.3) They also use their knowledge of genre to reject a text. For many of us there will be genres we actively dislike and therefore will avoid accessing texts we assume to hold those characteristics.

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

The three ways genre is used by institutions or producers is:

1) Production Genres are paradigms or templates media producers can follow. If a media producer wants to produce a new sit-com, there are certain ’rules’ that must be followed. This actually makes life easier for writers and producers as they don’t have to invent things from scratch. They can also look to successful examples of the genre and attempt to replicate what was popular and, of course, avoid the mistakes made by texts which have disappointed the audience.

2) Attracting an Audience Some genres have loyal fan-bases. People will try out a new sitcom simply because it’s a new sit-com and this can help media producers minimise the potential for failure.

3) Marketing Texts 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.
Other media producers do the same. As cable TV has developed, specialised channels, e.g. Paramount, The Horror Channel and Sci Fi, have found that by broadcasting generic texts they are able to market solely through attracting interested audiences to very specific programmes. On terrestrial television this occurs in the way channels use scheduling. There are specific times of the day when certain genres tend to be shown – for example, 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. are the conventional screening times for dramas on British television.

Given the vast amount of choice now available on television, this makes the complicated job of finding a text easier for the audience and also helps the channels market their programmes effectively.

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

The film genre that is mentioned as an example of how genres evolve is the horror category.

The films that are mentioned are:

• vampire movies (Blade (1998: dir. S. Norrington)), 
• psychological horrors (Saw (2004, dir. J. Wan)),  
• ghost stories (The Grudge (2004: dir. T. Shimuzu)), 
• the teen slasher (Scream (1996: dir. W. Craven)),
• haunted-house movies (The Amityville Horror (2005: dir. A. Douglas)).

The conventions that are mentioned are that each one of these sub-genres has a whole host of codes and conventions of their own. Iconographies like crosses, holy water, graveyards and gothic mansions are part of the vampire sub-genre (and are within horror codes) but are not necessarily included in the teen slasher film.
Add to this the fact that there are also hybrid genres. These are texts which deliberately mix the codes and conventions of more than one genre. Buffy the Vampire Slayer successfully blended codes of the gothic horror, comedy, romance and soap opera and so provided many different viewing pleasures for its audience.

Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions:

1) List five films the fact sheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

The five films the fact sheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre is:

• The X Men Franchise (7 Films since 2000 – 4 more planned)
• The Avengers and its franchise including: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk etc. (11 Films since 2000 – 3 more planned)
• Dragon
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Agents of Shield (TV Series)

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

The examples that are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years is:

•X Men (1, 2 and 3)
•Wolverine (1 and 2)
•Spider-Man (1, 2 and 3)
•Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Batman and Robin

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

Schatz's theory of genre cycles can be applied to the Superhero genre by:

Schatz says that during the innovative and classical parts of a genre’s development, genres are ‘transparent’ - that is the audience does not see the genre, rather they ‘look through it’ to the story being told. During the parody and deconstruction phases genres become ‘opaque’ - audiences look at the form itself. They are aware of the genre rather than just the story being told. Deconstruction is a crucial time because if there is no successful deconstruction of the genre there cannot be a return to innovation and the genre may (sometimes temporarily) disappear as it cannot move beyond parody, Sometimes a genre disappears for a while and then comes back at the innovation stage (horror has done this many times). Sometimes a genre struggles to re-innovate itself and then it can struggle to find an audience. The Western is often used as an example of a genre that has never really made it past the parody stage other than in a few single examples and it struggles to innovate in a way that allows it to become a genre that modern audiences want to see. This cylce can be applied to any genre but in this case it will be applied to the Superhero genre.

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:

General
1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

I chose this text to analyse as it is a series I enjoy watching and i watch on a regular basis. This will make it easier for me to analyse and it will be more enjoyable studying a text I frequently watch.2) In what context did you encounter it?

It was a recommendation made to me on Netflix as it noticed I had an interest in the crime/drama genre. Since i watched the first series, I found myself being anxious for the next episode as the cliff hangers make you intrigued to carry on the story.3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

The show started out slow as I tried to gain an understanding of how the show works and why characters interacted in certain ways. My interpretation of this media text was influenced as i grew an understanding and started seeing trends that are in other crime/drama series which make me watch this particular genre.4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

I would assign it to a crime/drama genre however it could be also interpreted to be an action genre also as it sometimes has mass shoot outs and violence.
5) What is your experience of this genre?

I have alot of experience with this genre as I have watched other films and series in the crime/drama series such as Empire, The Wire, Top Boy, Narcos, Paid in Full, Shottaz. These are all films/series which involve drugs and other crimes and is more than just shootings which make it enjoyable for me.
6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
The subject matter is that the two main characters have to run New York's drug network, at the top of the drug chain. However one of the characters is also trying to run a night club, and the series is about them tackling their way through hardships such as old enemies,police and other drug dealers trying to take their spot.
7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
This series follows what is expected of a crime/drama series in that the characters face complications of the police and have to constantly be on the look out, planning ahead. Their is also binary opposition in the police and other drug dealers.
8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
I expect there ti be violence, complications and seeing how the characters overcome issues and prosper. Solving dilemmas is a main factor in a crime series and escaping the near impossible is an expectation.
9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?
There is a generic label on the poster as we see the character locked behind bars, symbolising it is a crime series.
10) What generic labels have others given the same text?
Others can also interpret it as a drama series as the title says 'in his darkest hour'. It can alsop be seen as an action as the fact he is in jail may show he is involved in criminal activity which may be violent
11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?
A typical convention in this text is police and arrest. The flashing blue lights and the jail bars make it recognisable that it is a crime series. The police are also presented as nuisance to the protagonist which is common in a crime series.
12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?
This text stretches the conventions as the police shown isnt normal street police. Because of the profile of the drug dealers, we are more exposed to the DEA agents and the higher detectives solving the case, rather than just the police busting through the door in an attempt to catch the dealers.
13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?
We also we see romance within the series and the complications of emotion. The main protagonist has an affair on his wife with a DEA agent which isnt usually associated within the crime genre. 
14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
The romantic scenes in which the characters open up to the opposite gender could fit into the romantic genre rather than the crime.
15) What familiar motifs or images are used?
When the protagonist is arrested and put in jail, when the opposition is shot and killed.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)?
It is aimed at all social classes because the characters come from a run down area in America which could appeal to lower class people as they will encounter the same issues. It could also be aimed at the middle class as the characters also go to work and have different conflicts that most people will come across. It  can also be aimed at higher class as the characters have alot of money and are constantly trying ti increase and maintain their high budgets.
2) How does the text address you?
The text addresses me as a lower/middle class citizen as I see the same kind of issues that occur within suburbs 
3) What sort of person does it assume you are?
18+ lower class citizen
4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?
It would assume I am a black male in the lower/middle class as this target audience watch these kinds of programs. The protagonist makes it out of the area where the target audience can relate to.
5) What interests does it assume you have?
it would assume i'm into money, drugs and crime.