1. Genre

2. Genre Recap 1) What is genre? 2) Why is it important in media studies? 3) How do you categorise a product into a specific genre? 4) Why do genres change?

3. When identifying genre the following can be considered: Setting Character Theme Style Narrative Iconography

4. Iconography Look for: · particular props/gadgets(fast cars, guns)· dress codes of actors· physical attributes· settings· mannerisms

5. Action films - high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' - all designed for pure audience escapism.

6. Genre of your opening sequence Identify the genre: Setting Narrative Representation Style Iconography Consider how your product adheres to the conventions of your chosen genre Remember that these notes will be used for your revision so make them clear so they are useful to you.

7. Edward Buscombe Argued that we need to move beyond ‘outer forms’ (iconography) andalso explore the ‘inner forms’ (attitude, tone, purpose) when exploring genre His concept was that there needed to be some thought towards what these genres are trying to say. Used the example of the western where he argued that they tend to be pro-violence (to some capacity, at least)

9. syntax: the search for genre meanings- relationships between undesignated & variable characters (a deeper meaning)

11. Example For the opening sequence of The Holiday, there are some connotations of the romantic comedy- often high key lighting, young, good-looking and relatively wealthy characters. However, this is only one aspect. We can use Buscombe’s theory to think about the attitude that romantic comedies have towards love (inner form), Altman’s theory to delve into a deeper discussion of how romantic comedies appear to condemn single people to a life of unhappiness and we can use Neale’s suggestion to highlight issues of verisimilitude (would Kate Winslet really be struggling to find a boyfriend?)

12. Summary Genre is a helpful concept for us as an audience and for producers but from an academic point of view it is not a precise concept (especially now) and is flawed. Even if you struggle with the precise aspects of theory, you must adopt a complex approach when discussing theory.