Theories of Genre

Stuart Hall theorised that the audience perceives a film in relation to their own experiences and opinions. Therefore, no two people will watch a film in the same way. Those who share similar socio-cultural backgrounds are more likely to experience a film in similar ways. People who cannot identify with the film tend to have a very different socio-cultural background and as a result they will choose not to watch films of that genre. The idea is quite evident in the last piece of coursework I completed. 

For example, it is unlikely that many people will enjoy and relate to a horror film, as they do not understand the background, meaning a large proportion of people are alienated from the audience. Because I chose to create a piece of coursework that sits in the thriller/horror genre, I have inadvertently reduced the size of my audience straight away.

New genres are being created all the time. There are many crossovers such as Sci-Fi/Action, Action/Adventure, Romantic/Comedy, as well as an increasing number of sub-genres within a genre. This is particularly evident in horror films, featuring sub-genres such as: psychological horror, gothic horror, slasher, zombie, horror terror, and torture horror.

Each specific genre will have its own formula – a combination of tricks, techniques and props that are instantly recognisable. These formulas are used over and over again due to their effectiveness, and often become genre clichés. An example of this would be the “person standing behind you, seen in the mirrored bathroom cupboard.” When the audience sees this, they usually guess what is about to happen, which many people enjoy, hence why they choose to watch multiple movies of the same genre. 

One of the classic symbols seen in my coursework was the use of misdirection. Something boringly average happens in the middle of the screen, whilst the “horror character” moves around undetected off to the side of the screen. This trick plays on the audience’s minds, and often causes them to watch the film multiple times to see what else they might be missing. Other clichés used in my work included the typical extreme close ups, the dark instrumental soundtrack, and the enigma provided at the start of the story, to keep the audience’s attention throughout.