Genre

Genre can be important e.g. when telling the difference between a horror movie and a thriller. Most films have certain elements which portray its genre. For example, westerns always have cowboys, whether they are set in the present day or the 1840s. Audiences have a set of expectations as to what a genre text will contain in terms of transportation, what actors wear, character, setting, mise en scene and soundtrack etc.

The main question is, why is genre important?

Gives a pattern for construction, a template

Genre pieces have an audience which like this genre so therefor can make money out of it

Actors can associate themselves with a particular genre e.g. Adam Sandler usually acts in rom-coms such as just go with it. For poeple who like adam sandlar, they might wanmt to see movies in which he is apart of, so again recieving money becuase of the genre and actor(s)

An important part of Genre theory is knowing at which period a film was made. This is particularly important when considering what technology was being used. With today's high speed films (shorter exposure times) films may be shot with very different lighting from those of twenty years ago. Secondly, genre theory is a very good way of marketing a film both for the producers, secondly for the audience. It has become a logo of sorts marking which films certain people may want to see. In particular we may notice this with the teen movie genre. It is a genre which is divided into many sub genres such as spoof etc.

Film genres are similar to musical genres or literary genres in many ways. A filmmaker understands what elements are expected in a specific film genre. Certain actors are generally associated with a specific type of film genre, as well as scriptwriters and directors. The director John Ford, for e.g , worked almost in the Western film genre. The actor Hugh Grant is best known for his work in the romantic comedy genre. Lastly, producer Jerry Bruckheimer specializes in the action film genre.