Defining movie genres

In today's media lesson we learnt about what defines a movie genre. Each movie genre specific conventions. It is similar to a maths equation. Every movie genre has a formula. The plot will often have key elements that are the same for others in its genre. For example sci-fi films are almost always about alien planets going to war with Earth. The type of characters you find in a certain movie helps you understand what genre it falls into. For example Western films will always have cowboys and indians. Westerns are also predominantly about a group of people trying to keep the peace in a small community in western America. The setting of a movie can also tell you a lot about its genre. For example a teen movie will almost always have some scenes set in a high school. Another way the audience can tell what genre movie is is by the way it uses the atmosphere to manipulate how the viewer feels. For example horror movies will often have a dark atmosphere (the predominant colours in most shots might be black or red). This is to make the audience feel nervous and scared. Musicals will always make the audience feel a sense of community spirit and overall happiness by the end. The mise en scène plays an important part in the genre of film. For example a sci-fi film like Star Wars will have a lot of futuristic technology and spaceships in the background. The weapons they use are also futuristic which is in keeping with the films are genre.

So I learnt that every movie genre is constructed by its use of setting, mise en scène, characters, historical background and overriding themes.