Genre blog tasks

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 Read Media Factsheet 03 - Genre: Categorising texts and answer the following questions:



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

Film westerns will share codes and conventions with TV westerns.


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

Someone sitting behind a desk is not genre specific. However, add high key lighting, a modern mise en scene and a screen behind the character at the desk and the combination
of media language choices creates an image we associate with a news broadcast.


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

Certain stereotypes link to specific genres for example the 'lone wolf' character links to the action genre like James bond. However for the disaster movies, the heroic role lies with a group of people where all the members contribute a unique skill to reach a resolution


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

• 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 Films


5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

Knowledge from prior media and movies to find out whether that genre would interest them. Compare characteristics with other familiar texts and there knowledge of the genre could make them reject it as a whole


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

To attract an audience, When producing the media itself and when marketing their media like film trailers


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

Gangster films- focusing on a group of criminals. Gangster films now create more modern approaches to keep audiences entertained and keep up with relevant culture
Scarface, Reservoir Dogs or The Sopranos all have the same themes relating to rivalry gangs and internal power struggles



Read Media Factsheet 126 - Superheroes: A Genre Case Study and answer the following questions:



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

  • Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010) 
  • The Avengers and its franchise
  • Batman (3 Films since 2000;
  • Watchmen
  •  Sin City (2 Films since 2000)

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

WW2 began in 1939 and the US people saw it at first as a European issue and In the 1940s, Superman was shown needing to battle European bad-guys who threatened the peace and security of Metropolis.
The film offers a metaphor for the conflict the US found themselves in during the 00s. Wars had been fought in desert regions with the main prize being the control of oil - binary opposition of good and evil and like Batman Forever, it also deals with the duality of a hero being both ‘light’ and ‘dark’.


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

Innovation: superhero comics then being adapted to movies
Classical: good v bad binary opposition being repeated with other superhero movies
Parody: Batman (1966) was intentionally funny and camp and wouldn’t let its audience take the superhero too seriously - ironic tone
Deconstruction: Superman (1978) started a new cycle in the superhero genre with technology leading the innovation with special effects creating more realistic visual ‘miracles’.





Task 2: Genre analysis case study




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: the walking dead

General
1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?
It's one of my favourite tv shows

2) In what context did you encounter it?
Through recommendations from family and friends 

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?
I thought it would be quite gruesome and an uncomfortable watch as it involves zombies

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?
Action and adventure

5) What is your experience of this genre?
I like action and adventure genre like the marvel movies

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?
Zombie apocalypse and the worlds order ending 

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?
I would say quite typical considering the zombie apocalypse genre is popular

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?
Thrilling and gruesome - involving a lot of blood and death

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?


10) What generic labels have others given the same text?
A zombie apocalypse series

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?
A hero- the one that leads everyone to safety and does his best to protect everyone
A villain- wants to do their own thing and is selfish
Strong female leads 
Guns  

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?
I think it highly stretches the conventions of its genre

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?


14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?
The romantic elements are of romance genres

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?
Blood and violence are frequently used

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)?
Mainly males -teenagers to young adults. This is typical as the action and zombie apocalypse genres are often targeted towards men

2) How does the text address you?
The show has many strong female characters that empower other vulnerable women 

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?
A young female looking for positive representation of women

4) What assumptions seem to be made about our class, age, gender and ethnicity?
TWD have many ethnic characters and people of very different class backgrounds to target all demographics

5) What interests does it assume you have?
It assumes i am interested in topics like feminism and female representation


Relationship to other textsin
1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)? Intertextuality is when a media product references another media text of some kind.
The western genre is a good example on intertextuality in TWD Rick is the sheriff and represents both sides of the conflict 

2) In terms of genre, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?
TWD resembles the last of us

3) What key features are shared by these texts?
both genres involve zombie apocalypses and also have video game versions

4) What major differences do you notice between them?
The last of us have 2 main characters and zooms in on both their traumas and experiences however the walking dead features an ensemble cast and a group of characters navigating through their new lives together


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