Task 10 - Introduction to Genre

What is Genre?

Genre Preferences

Genre is a style or category of art, music or literature. Genres are used in almost all films as it helps categorise the theme of a film. For example, whether the genre of a film is: romance, comedy, action etc. In the case of a romantic-comedy this would be defined as a hybrid-genre as it is a crossover or blend of two different genres - romance and comedy. 

Genre Preference 1: Fast and Furious 7 (Furious 7)

• Just from looking at the film's promotional cover picture we can already get an idea about what the genre of this film could be - due to the wheels of the car shown in the cover art. The genre that I identified this film to be, from its cover art and the still image provided, was action. This is because in the still image of a screenshot from the film we are shown two new models of car and a exaggerated stunt being made by a character who is jumping from one car to another - this can be considered a generic trope with action films as they normally always consist of exaggerated but highly-liked stunts, such as the one we can see in the image. From the still image provided only, it wasn't very easy to identify the genre of this film as it also consisted of a war tank which may have made a person who has never watched the film to just look at the image and think its genre is a contrast of war and action but for myself specifically, I looked at it from a biased point of view due to the fact that I have already watched the film so I knew its genre and recognised the movie once I saw the screenshot from it.
• The conventions I most like about this genre is that despite the fact that it is a very predictable genre, in the sense that it usually always consists of the good guys against the bad guys with the good ones winning in the end - but looking back at all genres, it can also argued that this prediction isn't just based on the action genre but can be linked with many other genres too. However, leaving all this aside the conventions I like the most about this genre is that at very moment in the film it always has you on edge due to the highly action-packed theme to it. Usually, I also find myself feeling very motivated and strong at the end of these kind of films due to the high levels of adrenaline that rushes through me during the film.
• Other films from this genre that I have watched and particularly enjoy are:

- Mission Impossible series

- The Expendables 

- Taken series 

- The rest of the Fast & Furious series

Genre Preference 2: Trainwreck 

• Before we even look at the screenshot of the still image of this film and just focus on it's promotional cover art, we can already tell the genre of this film to be primarily comedy but may or may not have a romantic aspect to it, due to the use of a male and female in its promotional film poster. From the screenshot of the still image from the film it can also be justified that this film's genre is romantic comedy due to mainly the lighting used in the film - what I have found out about films is that depending on their genres the lighting changes. For example, if the film is of a drama/mystery genre the lighting in the film would be quite dark but quite the opposite with a romantic comedy genre as it would be could bright. 
• The conventions I most like about this genre is that it is always a nice little personal getaway whilst watching the film of this genre because of how comedic it is which for a moment lets you into the film and make you feel like you are a part of the film. The classic location for a romantic comedy film would probably be New York City which I personally really like because it then indirectly becomes a social norm for a film of this genre to be set there which gives a sense of comfort to the audience. Another convention I particularly like about this genre of film is its generic tropes which simply means the stereotypes or things we are used to seeing in a romantic comedy film. 
• Other films in this genre that I have watched and particularly enjoyed are: 

- Just Go With It

- The Bounty Hunter

- How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days

- 27 Dresses

Genre Preference 3: American Sniper 

• From looking at the promotional film poster of this film we can already get a sense of the genre which is war-related drama. This is because firstly the character in the cover art is wearing an army attire so we can closely link it with war and it being a war-related film from there - when it comes to being of a drama genre we can identify this due to the American flag used in the poster because this gives us a sense of patriotism in the film which is normally always linked with a genre of drama. From the screenshot of the still image from the film we can also identify it being of a war related genre and a dramatic film due to the lighting used in the film - which I mentioned earlier with the lighting change depending on the genre of the film. The costumes in the screenshot are also army attire as seen as in the film poster as well which gives it away again, but in particular the props used in the background of war tanks and broken houses in the right of the still image this all relates it back to the identification of the genre of this film and how particularly easy it was to justify.
• The conventions I most like about this genre of a film is that it is always much deeper than what the film is about because war is a natural thing with the world we live in today and is going on at the moment in many parts of the world and to watch a film that relates closely to real life situations can almost always put you in an ambiguous state - as in you don't know whether to just think of it as a film or start reflecting on it because of how related it is to real life which makes it deep for the audience whilst watching. 
• Other films in this genre which I have watched and particularly enjoyed are:

- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 

- Dear John

- The English Patient 

- The Diary of Anne Frank