Research: Breaking Down Genres

    Picking a genre

Growing up loving films has led me to have some insight into the types of genres that I would and would not like to research about for my movie opening. I personally love the genre of horror and everything surrounding it, including its expanding revolutionary sub genres. I also find enjoyment in action movies, dramas, and comedies. Knowing these has narrowed my research down to a few specific genres which I can dive into further in order to implement them in my movie opening. 

    Genre 1: Horror 

Origins and Literary Roots

Horror stories are of ancient origin and form a part of folk literature, featuring elements such as ghosts, witches, or vampires, or addressing psychological fears. Horror has roots that come from two sources: folklore and religious traditions, with most monsters from horror films originally coming from folk beliefs passed down orally in communities. In Western liteature, the cultivation of fear for its own sake began to emerge in the 18th century with the Gothic novel, invented by Horace Walpole whose The Castle of Otranto (1765) may be said to have founded the horror story as a literary form. Matthew Lewis introduced gore with The Monk, while Ann Radcliffe promoted terror in her novels, paving the way for writers like Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Bram Stoker. Knowing the origins of the horror genre can help me recognize trends in the genre and incorporate a balance of the origins of horror as well as newly developed narratives in horror.

Film Evolution and Development

In 1896, French film pioneer George Méliès created a short piece called The Haunted Castle which is generally regarded as the first horror film. Between 1900 and 1920, an influx of films followed, with many filmmakers turning to literature classics as source material, including adaptations of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Werewolf. The two decades between the 1920s and 30s are considered a important era of the genre, with titles such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922) being the first movies to attempt to unsettle their audience. The slasher format, kicked off by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1974, and became the trope that typified the 80s, with Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street becoming classics that spawned franchises.

Genre Characteristics and Elements

Horror films are centered around the dark side of life, the forbidden and strange, unexplainable events, dealing with our primal nature and its fears: our vulnerability, nightmares, alienation, terror of the unknown, fear of death and fear of sexuality. Knowing this gives me a greater knowledge on the genre conventions of horror movies. The setting and atmosphere in a horror movie are important in establishing mood, with filmmakers often using ruined and aged houses, isolated cabins, dark woods, or abandoned asylums. Suspense is the backbone of horror, involving the anticipation of something bad about to happen and often built through music and pacing, as well as the storyline. Characteristics include ghosts, monsters, or creatures typically being present, with settings generally being dark or run-down, and activity happening at night or under darkness. These characteristics could be included into the mise-en-scene of the movie opening.

Genre 2: Comedy

Origins

Comedy originated in Ancient Greece and was used as a way to amuse the audiences through theater. Playwrights such as Terence and Plautus from ancient Rome ended up embracing comedy as a genre and expanded it even further. Because of the long-standing history of comedy, it has evolved in many ways since then. 

Purpose

Comedy is one of the most widely known common genres and makes way for many subgenres. It is also a broad genre, and the obvious main purpose of it would be to create amusing characters and scenarios to make the audience laugh, but another main purpose is to blend that with good storytelling. To make a movie opening using the comedy genre, I would have to balance the two aspects of humor, and also give coherent context and plot in the opening.

Subgenres & Stereotypes

Some of the subgenres that are common under comedy include satire, romantic comedies, and dark comedy.  It emphasizes several key characteristics that define the genre, which include the use of everyday characters that are placed in unusual or humorous situations, the use of everyday language for easier connection to the audience, the use of stereotypical characters (like the old man, young man, servant, and girl) that audiences will easily recognize, and traditionally happy endings where characters end up better off than when they started.

        Genre 3: Action

Origins and Evolution

The origins of the action genre can be traced back to the start of cinema, where having no sound allowed the directors to entertain their audiences with scenes of chase, combat, and adventure.  Early silent films such as "The Great Train Robbery," made in 1903, showcased elements that would become iconic in the action genre, such as clear conflict, heroes, and sequences of thrilling events leading to a climactic resolution. As cinema evolved, the action genre adapted to include sound, color, and eventually special effects, with each of these innovations offering new ways to increase the impact of action sequences. 

Genre Definition and Characteristics

Action films are built around physical action, a narrative emphasis on fights, chases, and explosions, and a combination of special effects and stunt work. This genre includes films with impact, energy, stunts, chase scenes, battles, martial arts, fights, and motion.  Action movies are defined by their lead characters and villains, usually with distinctions between right and wrong embedded within the characters.

Subgenres and International Influence

The genre of action has a variety of subgenres, which each have their own conventions. Martial arts films focus on combat skill and gained prominence through Bruce Lee in the 1970s, while superhero movies combine action with fantasy and science fiction, as seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lastly, spy films blend action with espionage. Popular movies such as this and there influence worldwide allows me to dive into what makes these movies so successful and replecate it into my opening.

Sources:

• https://study.com/academy/lesson/comedy-genre-definition-characteristics.html
• https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy
• https://study.com/learn/lesson/comedy-types-history.html
• https://comedylens.com/types-of-comedy-exploring-the-various-styles-and-genres/
• https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy/20th-century-tragicomedy
• https://www.europeanstudios.com/encyclopedia/action-film/
• https://www.filmsite.org/actionfilms.html
• https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/breaking-down-action-film-genre/
• https://www.britannica.com/art/horror-story
• https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/how-horror-movies-have-changed-since-their-beginning/
• https://raindance.org/unveiling-the-essentials-of-horror-key-elements-and-their-cinematic-uses/