Investigating into genre

Reflect on genre.
Genre is the concept of catagorising films, however it is also the foundations for all films giving them their key themes and issues, which, in Media, we call the conventions and this is where all writers, producers and directors take the necessary elements to create a genre.  Genre is influenced by social, economic, political and cultural changes which effect the film studios.  This has forced genre to develop and evolve from the classic Hollywood Studio system with sub-genre to the contemporary hybrid such as a rom-com.


The process of film making.
The process in which film studios have to undertake to create a film is lengthy and time consuming.  They first need to consider the type of genre that they see a gap in the market for and then have to undertake, in a survey, to investigate whether or not the audience would be interested and engaged with this type of genre.  If the survey is positive then the studio starts to create the plot line, characters, setting etc.  If negative the studio returns to the drawing board.  During the creation of the plot the writers and studio must stick to the conventions and build upon past films in the same genre so that the audience is engaged and knows what to expect from the type of film.


What have you learned about genre?
I have learned that the audience requires repetition, variation and familiarity with new films.  This is critical to the film making process as they must keep similar elements within film resonates with the audience, however, they need some variance to keep the audience engaged.  One aspect to film making is regenrification. This is the ability to repackage and rebrand a film if the box office suggests that the film would not be a success if is stays within the genre it is in. This shows that the division between genres is weak and blur into one another with no set standards. 


What can you take from what you have learned?
I have learned that I need to undertake my research with greater detail and more thoroughly and to ask a wide set of question to my audience.  Besides the genre that they may be most interested in.  Things like characters, setting, theme and issues and lighting.  Also I can take my learning of how to investigate in greater detail from the problems that I have faced and where I have gone wrong.