MIGRAIN: Genre

 1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

A news broadcast is used as an example.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

Particular types of storylines can help identify a genre.

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?

In action movies the hero is usually isolated from other people, whereas in disaster movies thehero is typically placed with the leading role within a group of people.

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? 

• Period or country
• Director/star
• Technical process
• Style
• Series
• Audience

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

• By using prior knowledge
• Compare things through shared characteristics
• Reject a text through knowledge of its genre

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

• Used as templates to recreate in their own way
• Used to attract audiences of a current genre
• Film trailers for marketing

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

The gangster genre

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

• Xmen franchise
• Avengers franchise
• Spiderman
• Guardians Of The Galaxy
• Green Lantern

2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

In the 1940s Superman movie he is shown to be fighting against european villains who threaten his home, which contextually links to ww2 where americans first saw europeans as the threat. Compared to a more recent film such as Spiderman 3 where there really isnt any hidden metaphor to depict.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

Through the ideas of innovation, classical and parody.

Film: Terminator Judgement day

1) Why did you choose the text you are analysing?

Its my favourite film
2) In what context did you encounter it?

Through family
3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

I was expecting to enjoy it
4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

Action
5) What is your experience of this genre?

The action genre is my favourite genre, ive seen hundreds.
6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

A typical theme of heroes saving the world from the bad guy
7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

A very typical good guys save the day action film
8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

I expect good sequences of camerawork and special effects.
9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

Action, SciFi
10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

The same.
11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?

You have the fighting scenes, special effects, the action sequences, everything expected from an action movie.
12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

There are certain scenes which are portrayed as sad moments which arent typical in an action movie.
13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

Certain parts of the film drift into a slight horror aspect with some of the characters deaths.
14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?

the way characters are killed by the antagonist, in a horror-esq way.

Mode of address
1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?

Late teenagers and adults, anyone who enjoys action movies.
2) How does the text address you?

I love they way the characters are portrayed as heroes and the action scenes are what i enjoy in a good movie.
3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

A typical action-seeking teen.
4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

That im an average late teenager where nothing else really matters to determine wether id be attracted to the film or not.
5) What interests does it assume you have?

Action, viloence, horror.

Relationship to other texts
1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analysing (and to what other texts)? Intertextuality is when a media product references another media text of some kind.

There is a part in the film where the main hero sacrifices himself to help the other protagonists, which you could say references other texts where this happens, e.g. Iron Giant or Avengers Endgame.

2) In terms of genre, which other texts does the text you are analysing resemble most closely?

Any 80s action movie, e.g. Rambo or Die hard.
3) What key features are shared by these texts?

Theyre all extremly violent in the action category
4) What major differences do you notice between them?

terminator drifts into a scifi whereas the other two mentioned are much more realistic.