Genre: blog tasks

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

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

Star wars and stark trek are both given as examples as they both share very similar visual iconographies that are associated with their genres

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

It states that the genre can be defined by how the story is told, e.g. Soaps and sit comms can both be defined as individual genres due to the way their stories are told

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

In action movies, the main hero tends to be a lone wolf while in disaster movies the main hero tends to be a team leader.

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

·         Period or country

·         Director / Star

·         Technical Process

·         Style

·         Series

·         Audience

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

• ·         People use genre to assume if they are going to enjoy a movie.
• ·         People compare genres to other movies and to see if they share similar characteristics.
• ·         People assume genres will hold similar characteristics therefore reject it and assume that they already will dislike it.

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

• ·         Attracting an audience, for example loyal fan-bases will most likely be interested in their movie
• ·         Marketing texts, for example using adverts and trailers to promote their film.
• ·         Production, if a media producer wants to produce a new sit-com, there are certain rules that must be followed. Making it easier for writers and producers to create a film or show.

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

• ·         Vampire movies
• ·         Psychological horrors
• ·         Gothic horrors
• ·         Ghost stories
• ·         The Teen Slasher
• ·         Haunted-house movies.

SSome iconographies that are mentioned are Crosses, holy water, graveyards and gothic mansions for the vampire sub-genre.

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

d·         The X men Franchise

·         The Avengers and its franchise including: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk

·         Spiderman

·         Guardians of the Galaxy

·         Agents of Shield

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

• Scott Pilgrim vs the world (Edgar Wright)
• The Avengers (Marvel)
• Superman(DC, Warner Brothers)
• Watchmen (Alan Moore)
• 300 (Frank Miller)

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

Innovation: The concept of heroes are introduced and the iconic symbolism is used in film, TV, and Radio.

Classical: Around the 1950's superhero media had conventions that were used repeatedly and recognisably

Parody: This is the point in which these conventions are ridiculed and parodied (e.g Superhero move (2008) Kick-Ass (2010 Megamind (2010)

Deconstruction: This is the point in a genres life cycle where you see the genre change. e.g while the very first Superman may have taken itself seriously with low-quality effects (obviously due to technology setbacks) New superhero films like The Avengers give the audience amazing effects and a serious tone with comedic aspects.

The Text I am analysing is Stranger Things Season 1 

General
1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

Stranger things is an interesting T.V show that has multiple aspects to it which are quite different to other shows within the same genre

2) In what context did you encounter it?

It was recommended on Netflix

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

It felt as if it was a special find as it was not mainstreme when i wacthed it

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

Initially as a horror

5) What is your experience of this genre?

I tend to enjoy the horror genre

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

It mainly deals with life during the 1980's and the life of children growing up during that time period7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

Its quite different as the subject matter and how it was made is quite different to how tv shows of the same drama are made 

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

I expect them to have a good and coherent narrative 

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

The only generic label I can think of is that other texts from the same genre are known to have bad CGI 10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

Bad acting is another label people have given to the genre 

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?

It follows the convention of having a clear hero and a clear villain 

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

While it does not challenge typical conventions, it does use the typical conventions and creatively adopts them for the show.

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

It doesnt really challenge the conventions of the genre

14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?

It does have aspects of a rom com and sci-fi, the relationship between the two main characters and the nature of the main villain adopts conventions of a sci-fi villain

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?
The typical use of a male main character to lead the group of main characters is a typical motif of disasster/horror movies
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)?

I feel like the text was aimed for teens and young adults

2) How does the text address you?

The text addresses me through the relationships of the main characters

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

It assumes that I like to be scared but I also enjoy having an attachment to lovable characters

4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

It assumes that I am a young teen, other than that no specific other classifications were assumed5) What interests does it assume you have?

It assumes that I like horror esk texts, it also assumes I have an interest in sci fi texts.

Relationship to other texts
1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)?

There are many references to different texts and motifs of 80's life 

2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?

It surprisingly shares a quite simlar vibe to E.T by Steven Speilberg

3) What key features are shared by these texts?

There is a group of friends in 1980 that come together for a strange supernatural anomaly that joins the friend group

4) What major differences do you notice between them?

The villain is quite different, so is the relationship between some of the friends, the supernatural anomaly is also very different