Movie Genres Explained — Types of Films & the Art of Subverting Film Genres

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when crafting a story one of the first

things a filmmaker has to decide is what

genre does their story fit into

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genre is an important aspect of

Storytelling

the way to let your audience know what

to expect and sometimes surprise them

okay did not see that coming today we

will explore many kinds of genres

what sets them apart and how are they

similar

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this is what is genre

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teach me

in film a genre is a category based on

similarities either in the plot

Aesthetics or the intended emotional

response

the word genre comes from the French

which means kind or sort the concept of

genre can be traced back to Greek

philosopher Plato who believed there to

be only two genres poetry and drama

since then a multitude of genres have

emerged including horror Thriller

romance and comedy

in fact most genres can be further

divided into more specific categories

called sub-genres

for example sub-genres within the action

genre include martial arts adventure and

of course superhero films

so now that we know what genre is let's

explore the purpose of genres and why

they're so important in storytelling

genre serves two purposes to set up

audience expectations and to provide a

roadmap for storytellers

first whether they're aware or not

audiences are well versed in genre rules

they are uniquely familiar with the

patterns and characteristics of genre

through a lifetime of watching movies

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horror movies are expected to frighten

while a comedy is expected to make the

audience laugh terrible she has

beautiful eyes and her hair smells like

cinnamon

failing to meet those expectations can

create unsatisfied customers and

disappointing box office returns

the second purpose for genre is to Aid

storytellers by providing a road map

through which they can tell their

stories

just like a recipe has a list of

ingredients every genre has its own set

of story beats tropes and Aesthetics

if a writer follows the basic recipe

they will create something that fulfills

audience expectations

this roadmap becomes clearer as we move

from basic genres into more specific

sub-genres

our only expectation from a crime film

is that it will deal with criminal

activity this tells us very little about

the characters situations

themes

Etc

but if we go a step down to the murder

mystery subgenre we have a lot more

information about what to expect

we can guess the basic plot a murder

takes place

the structure a detective interviews

suspects and collects Clues until they

solve the mystery

we can even expect a specific type of

scene the big reveal of the murderer in

the end yeah I killed Fran but I guess I

didn't so what do you have on me nothing

what attempted murder I get arson for

the building and a few other charges

with a good lawyer which I have I'll be

out in no time giving the audience

something familiar and something new at

the same time is not easy

but this is the tightrope writers must

walk while working in genres

as Robert McKee points out writers must

not only fulfill audience anticipations

or risk their confusion and

disappointment but they must lead their

expectations to Fresh unexpected moments

or risk boring them

in other words to use genre effectively

writers must know the rules inside and

out to know where and when to give the

audience something unexpected

next day

you're looking for me

since genres function with repeated

elements let's run through them

individually starting with plot

the plot thickens

the plot is how the story is presented

to the audience

many genre films follow the same basic

narrative structure major story beats

and even specific scenes

for example in romantic comedy we begin

with an introduction to the two leaves

they have an awkward introduction called

a meat cute hey sugar you looking for a

date

no I want to find Beverly Hills can you

give me directions

sure

five bucks

can't charge me for directions I can do

anything I want to baby I ain't lost

they fall in love

but eventually a big obstacle breaks

them apart I've never treated you like a

prostitute

thank you

just did

after some soul searching they are

reunited often with a grand gesture

and they live happily ever after

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in slasher films the plot often centers

on a group of young people

who are stalked by a killer

picked up one by one

thank you

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until the final girl is finally able to

stop them

for now

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these plots are certainly formulaic but

eventually they must evolve in some way

to keep the genre alive and audiences

entertained

scream written by Kevin Williamson took

the slasher film formula and made it

part of the story

never say who's there don't you watch

scary movies it's a death wish

you might as well just come out here to

investigate a strange noise or something

knowing the rules of the self-genre

means life or death for these characters

there are certain rules that one must

abide by in order to successfully

survive a horror movie for instance

number one you can never have sex

Williamson used our familiarity with the

sub-genre to single-handedly reinvent

and revive the slasher film look behind

you turn around

behind you I'll turn up

behind you

behind

are you ready another common element

that defines genre a recurring character

types

most genres have their own unique

character tropes characters that we see

over and over in these films

in film Noir we often see the

hard-boiled Detective

this is a disillusioned character with a

cynical view of the world it can't be a

crook anymore because you used up your

chances and you can't be honest because

nobody will let you

they are vulnerable broken and often

misled into danger by another common

Noir character

the fan for Tau

she is a mysterious alluring and

ultimately manipulative character who

draws the detective deep into a web of

deception

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in superhero movies there's obviously a

hero but they can be quite variable in

their characterization

they could be a refugee from another

planet

a teenager gifted powers

or a vigilante billionaire

on the other side of the coin the

antagonists are often super villains set

in direct opposition to the hero

these villains may have had similar

origin stories to gain their special

powers

but their motives and values are quite

different from their heroic counterparts

people will die

starting tonight

I'm a man of my word

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just like plots these character types

need to evolve to stay interesting and

relevant

when you decide which genre to write in

consider how to bring a fresh spin to

familiar characters

so far we've kept our focus on the genre

elements that are put on the page

now let's look at how presentation

creates genres on the screen

presentation is how the formal elements

of a film are put together

cinematography costumes

editing music

setting atmosphere elements like these

also play a major role in defining film

genres

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for example from this shot alone we

automatically know the genre

vast and expansive Landscapes that evoke

Notions of natural beauty

conflict

or loneliness

in fact westerns are one of the only

genres defined by their setting

for costumes we get cowboy hats

Sheriff's Badges and Spurs

props like six shooters and horses

the shot choice and editing rhythms of

the main street shootout are themselves

generic tropes we all recognize

westerns even have their type of music

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science fiction movies have wider

Variety in terms of presentation than

westerns but they too are dependent on

distinct formal elements

instead of the vastness of the Prairie

we get the Stars

spaceships often have bold designs for

the interior and exterior foreign

is often augmented with futuristic sound

effects

costumes range from the completely

normal to otherworldly

aliens are created with prosthetics

sci-fi soundtracks used pheromones

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and later synthesizers

the use of these formal elements is just

as common and useful when presenting

genre films to the audience

now that we know what the basics of

genre look and sound like let's move on

to creative exceptions of how filmmakers

play with genre

genre is a rule book for both the

audience and filmmaker

a tacit agreement that expectations will

be met but with a new twist

in this way genre is an ideal Forum to

subvert and challenge these expectations

and here are four ways this can be done

okay I'm listening let me get a pen

a spoof is a work of humorous fiction

which focuses on specific genre

conventions and exaggerates them for

Comic effect

Austin Powers takes on the Spy sub-genre

a Naked Gun sends up police procedurals

hey

look at that the missing evidence in the

Kellner case my God he was innocent

he went to the chair two years ago Frank

well

I like to use

and Mel Brooks has made a career out of

spoofs including his takes on the

western

Frankenstein

and Hitchcock movies

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the version is when a filmmaker uses the

opposite of genre conventions

it may be with atmosphere

characters

Plus

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or any other element that is within a

genre

like when Sophia Coppola soundtrack

Marie Antoinette with modern music

or subversion like this can breathe new

life into a well-worn genre

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in Ari asta's mid-summer the film begins

in a dark and somber manner consistent

with our expectations from a horror film

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but then the characters traveled to the

beautiful and pastoral setting of Sweden

shockingly contrasts the gruesome

Horrors they encounter

by subverting the common tropes of the

horror genre Asda undermines our

association of daylight with safety to

create a unique experience of dread and

Horror in plain sight what's going on

foreign

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s undergo a complete genre switch at a

certain point in the story

in From Dusk Till Dawn screenwriter

Quentin Tarantino and director Robert

Rodriguez set up the story as a crime

film you get us into Mexico you don't

try to escape and your daughter will be

safe and in the morning I will let you

go

give you my words

instead Midway through the movie The

genre shifts completely with the two

finding themselves in a nest of vampires

foreign

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by switching a filmmaker can avoid

cliches and tropes that the audience may

expect from a given genre

hybrid genres don't switch they are

comprised of elements from two or more

genres from beginning to end

a prime example of a hybrid genre film

is Blade Runner blending film Noir and

science fiction you're reading a

magazine you come across a full-page

nude photo of a girl

is this testing whether I'm a replicant

or a lesbian Mr Deckard just answer the

questions please

Cowboys and Aliens is a Sci-Fi Western

alien is a sci-fi horror film

Men In Black is a Sci-Fi comedy

oh

wow okay

hybrid films are becoming more and more

common as filmmakers explore and

experiment with what is possible within

and between different movie genres

okay I'm waiting for the punchline

there's no punchline

it's not a joke

film genres are constantly evolving and

the most successful filmmakers Bend or

break the rules but this can only be

done with a firm understanding of how

genres work

when you sit down to write your next

genre screenplay try asking yourself

what elements does it need to fulfill

and what elements you can make your own

start your journey into genre filmmaking

using Studio binder screenwriting and

storyboard software

for a complete guide to nearly 100

genres and subgenres check out our post

on the studio binder blog linked below

following the studio binder video essay

rulebook this is the part where we bid

farewell and promise to see you in the

next one

I guess I guess I'll see you yeah all

right one more week

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