Genre Research

What is Genre?

Genre structures peoples ways of seeing the world

Genre films are shared by its subjects or themes: its defined by the distinctive emotional effect. 

4 steps taken to understand Genre

1. Define Genre 

•  you find out what makes that Genre

2. Analyze Genre

• look for the conventions used
• To filmmakers conventions are materials they work with while to the audience conventions shape their expectations 

3. Genre History

•  look for its origin and find out how it developed throughout history 

4. Social Function of a Genre 

• find out how it impacts the audience 

Example of finding the Social Function of a Genre

Basic Genre Conventions of Mystery 

Mise en Scene
Lighting: The lighting for crime films is mostly naturalistic. Usually low key lighting.
Character: The hero is usually a super smart private detective or persistent policemen. There is normally a very mysterious villain whose face is rarely seen and whose identity is only revealed at the end of the film.
Props: Murder outline; magnifying glass; police tape; police uniform; murder weapon; cars; torch; glasses; guns; blood; evidence.

Narrative Structure
Most Mystery films follow a common structure. The Hero is going about their day to day life. Then a crime is committed or someone is found dead. The hero either hears about the crime or is approached by a source and sets off to solve the mystery. The hero will then go out of his/her way to catch the criminal. A few more people then die as the film progresses. The villain normally makes slight mistakes that the Hero picks up on. The criminal is always caught.

Cinematography
Close up shots are used to show peoples fear when they discover a dead body or their anger when their most prized possession has been stolen.
High and low angles to either show a potential murder victim as vulnerable and weak or to show the killer as strong and in control.

Setting
They can be set in countryside towns with a low population and miles away from a city.
Good settings for mystery films can be: police stations, big cities forests, city streets, forensic labs, hospitals, docks, lakes, fields.

Sound
Fast paced music is used when the Hero is chasing a suspect. This creates tension as the audience doesn't know if he will get away or not.

Audience
Usually for people who loves a challenge; determine who is the murder in the film