How Do You Define Genre As It Relates To Film Category ✓ Solved
How Do You Define Genre As It Relates To Filma Category Of Artist
1. How do you define genre as it relates to film? a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.
2. Choose a film genre that you enjoy. What are some conventions of that genre? Name a film that would fit the semantic view of that genre and name a film that would fit the syntactic view of that genre.
3. Choose and share a clip from a film that exemplifies genre conventions in your opinion. For instance, the clip that I have chosen here would be the clip that I showed aliens who landed on Earth and asked me what a Spaghetti Western movie was Use different video
Sample Paper For Above instruction
Film genres serve as fundamental frameworks that categorize movies based on shared conventions related to form, style, or subject matter. These categories not only facilitate audience understanding and expectations but also influence filmmakers' creative choices. Defining genre involves exploring both semantic and syntactic dimensions, which together provide a comprehensive understanding of how genres function within cinematic art.
At its core, the semantic view of genre emphasizes the thematic and content-based similarities that define a genre. These are the recognizable topics, settings, characters, and narratives that consistently appear across films within the same category. For example, the horror genre semantically includes elements such as suspenseful atmospheres, supernatural or violent themes, and fear-inducing scenarios. Films like "The Exorcist" (1973) exemplify the semantic view because it features supernatural themes, religious symbolism, and a narrative centered around evil spirits. The semantic approach focuses on the meaning conveyed through the film’s content, allowing audiences to classify movies based on these shared thematic elements.
In contrast, the syntactic view considers the structural and formal conventions that define a genre. This approach analyzes narrative patterns, filmic techniques, and stylistic features that are characteristic of the genre, regardless of thematic content. For example, Westerns are often characterized by certain syntactic features such as specific cinematographic techniques like wide shots of landscapes, specific narrative structures involving heroism and morality, and stylistic elements like particular costume designs (e.g., cowboy hats). A film like "The Searchers" (1956) fits the syntactic view as it employs these stylistic and structural conventions typical of traditional Westerns, regardless of the superficial thematic differences.
Personally, I enjoy the science fiction genre, which often explores futuristic technology, space exploration, and societal questions about humanity and morality. Conventions of this genre typically include imaginative world-building, advanced technological devices, and themes of exploration or alien encounters. For example, "Blade Runner" (1982) aligns with the semantic view, with its themes of artificial intelligence and human identity, while "Star Wars: Episode IV" (1977) exemplifies Western genre conventions set within a sci-fi universe, embodying heroic narratives and epic battles, which also adhere to the syntactic conventions of adventure storytelling.
To visually illustrate genre conventions, I would select a clip from "Blade Runner" that highlights the dystopian future setting, neon-lit cityscape, and reflective themes of artificial life. This clip would exemplify how film elements like lighting, cinematography, and mise-en-scène work together to reinforce genre conventions of science fiction. Such visual cues immediately communicate the genre to the audience, reinforcing their expectations based on established conventions.
References
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- Williams, P. (2001). American cinema: The Hollywood sound. Indiana University Press.
- Bernard, P. (2011). The Western: From fiction to film. Routledge.
- Chatman, S. (1978). Story and discourse: Narrative structure in fiction and film. Cornell University Press.
- Gledhill, C. (2000). Art of light and shadow: The theatrical film Noir. Indiana University Press.
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- Cohan, S., & Hark, M. (1997). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Routledge.