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

Movie genres explained — a filmmaker’s guide to Hollywood film genres and their conventions, how film genres are made, and why they are so important to understanding the relationship between audience and filmmaker.

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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Film Genre
00:52 - Genre Definition & History
01:44 - The Purpose of Genre
04:41 - Plot
07:29 - Characters
09:31 - Presentation
11:46 - Creative Exceptions
16:26 - Takeaways

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WHAT ARE MOVIE GENRES

Most films belong to at least one (sometimes many) of the various movie genres. Whether you’re browsing a video store or Netflix, you can see all kinds of movies separated into categories. Drama, comedy, horror, romance, etc. But what are movie genres, really? Or perhaps a better question is how are film genres created in the first place? This video is an introduction to film genres, how they work, how they’re created, and why filmmakers should know film genres and their conventions.

WHERE DO MOVIE GENRES COME FROM

The term ‘genre’ comes from the French meaning “kind” or “sort.” But the concept of genre goes back to Ancient Greece where writers like Aristotle started with only two genres: poetry and drama. Since then, in theater, literature and eventually film, we’ve seen a multitude of categories. The type of movies we see today have been molded and refined over centuries, splintered off into smaller categories called subgenres. This process can be understood as a form of evolution, where less popular genres die out and those that remain relevant and interesting thrive to this day.

FILM GENRES AND HOLLYWOOD

Hollywood is an industry built by combining art with commerce. If certain movie genres make money, Hollywood makes more of them and vice versa. When the studios advertise their latest film, they almost always lean heavily into the genre. This is because audiences want to know what kind of story they’re going to be told. Movie stars are a big draw, but the type of movie is arguably the most important deciding factor.

FILM GENRES AND THEIR CONVENTIONS

So, how are movie genres constructed? We can boil the ingredients down to three essentials — plot, characters, and presentation. Subgenres like zombie movies or romantic comedies often function with recognizable patterns in their story structures, types of characters, and the formal elements of their presentation (cinematography, editing, music, etc.).

SUBVERTING FILM GENRES

Audiences want to know what they’re getting. On the other hand, it can’t be too familiar either. There should be enough familiarity with a dash of something unexpected. And there are a number of ways filmmakers are successful at subverting film genres. One is switch genres at some point in the story. Another is to work with hybrid genres — films that blend two or more genres from start to finish.

Once writers and directors understand these “rules” and expectations, they will be better able to deliver what the audience wants along with something unexpected.


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“Susanne” - Weezer
“Hurry Gurdy Man” - Donovan
“Carbon Dioxide” - James Horner
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“We Belong Together” - Randy Newman
“Down to Earth” - Peter Gabriel
“Beyond the Sea” - Bobby Darin
“Danke Schoen” - Wayne Newton
“Vespertilio” - Hans Zimmer
“Doc Returns” - Alan Silvestri
“Salome” - Makeup and Vanity Set

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