Genre Theory

Genre - Genre is a style or catagory of art, music or film. Blake Snyder came up with 10 alternative categories of genre its a simple way of categorising. We categories films like Saving Private Ryan as a War/Drama and Hotfuzz as a comedy, but Snyder believes thats they are both the same genre. This is known as the 'Golden Fleece'. Every movie has a time limit of developing characters and the 'Golden Fleece' movies show this in its own way. These films usually have a prize waiting at the end that is usually won and that maybe a trophy or a girl it depends of the style of film. One other style of Snyder's genre is 'Out of the bottle' this is films where the character wishes for something and the wish is granted and is delivered but something out of the ordinary. These are films like Bruce Almighty and Yes Man both Jim Carrey films but both funny and follow this perception of Out of the Bottle. This is seen in films thats have a spell with rules, in Bruce Almighty sees god and he give him powers but can't use them for free will. Others of his genres are Dude with a problem (Die Hard), Rites of passenger (Napoleon Dynamite) and Superhero (The Lion King).

Is genre like a straight jacket?

It's a yes or no question no right or wrong answer.

Personally i think its a good thing, because if you just had a brand new film and you can't fit into a genre its going to create its own genre. It is a way for us to separate films films into a categories so it makes it easier for us to find the film and it makes the film more recognisable.

When we hear films like Friday the 13th, Freddy V Jason and Saw we instantly think Horror our brains cry out HORROR. It's the same with Comedy, Romance and Thrillers.

I also believe this is a bad thing too, because actors and screen writer a well as directors are put into a box which is there specific area of work and people only think of them as thats specific genre. This means they aren't able to work in different styles of work. Directors like Martin Scorsese is mainly known for his Crime Dramas but he is capable of doing a comedy as he has written one before but people just don't think of him as a comedic writer they think of him as a Crime and Thriller.