LO3: Genre theory

Genre: a category a product fits into based on the content.

types of genre:

1.Action       2.Sci-fi        3. Adventure       4.Horror         5.Thriller        6.documentary       7.war

8.Fantsy        9.Drama      10.Romance/Rom-Com         6. social realism

hybrid: mix of two genres

6* Analysis how the production techniques are used to create meaning in a media product you have studied (12)

6* Analysis the concept of 'genre' and 'representation' in a media product you have studied. (12)

Genre is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses to text by dividing them into categories based  on common elements

The genre of 'Poltergiest' is horror. We can see this by the low lighting and the point of view camera shot, also a cantered angle to show danger.

KEY THEORY 1: Barry Keith Grant (1995)

all genres have subgenres (a genre within a genre) they are devided up into more specific categories by their similarities and recongisable features

• 'Poltergiest' has a sub-gere of thriller this is because it uses alot of jump scares and fast pace cuts, also it is located in a family house in a small town with alot of lowkey lighting throughout the house. In this classic sounds such loud bangs,creeky house to give an ere atomosphere

KEY THEORY 2: Patrick Phillips (1996)

Genre offers audiences 'Comfort Reassurance'. Genres fulfill audiences expectations by following predictable patterns .

• 'Poltergiest' uses low key lighting,jump scares, ere atmosphere, unhuman/ghostly character to fit with the horror genre.

KEY THEORY 3: Branston and Stafford (1999)

Genre helps to minimise risk and predict expenditure so you know a film is going to sell. Genre conventions also makes it easier to market and sell products to an audience.

•  'Poltergiest' was made in 1982 and was remaked in 2015 they did this because they know the old one did well and wanted to update the version, also horror is a very popular genre so they knew people would go see it even if they hadn't seen the first one.

KEY THEORY 4: Rick Altman (1999)

Genre offers pleasures: Emotional pleasure,Visceral pleasure, Intellecture puzzles.

• From my film  you would get visceral pleasure of fear because it is a horror genre meaning you are supposed to feel scared.

KEY THEORY 5: David Bordwell (1989)

'Any theme may appear in any genre'

Theme= the ideas, ideologies concepts,'myths' etc. that are encoded into a media text.

• The theme of the poltergiest is spirts,witch-graft,surburban dysfunction. These themes can be seen across a whole range of genres.