Knowing The Different Types of Film Genre
Knowing The Different Types of Film Genre
Knowing The Different Types of Film Genre
Film Genre
Yes, sir. Certainly, it was I who found the body. This morning, as usual, I went to cut my daily quota of
cedars, when I found the body in a grove in a hollow in the mountains. The exact location? About
150meters off the Yamashina stage road. It’s an out-of-the-way grove of bamboo and cedars. The body
was lying flat on its back dressed in a bluish silk kimono and a wrinkled head-dress of the Kyoto style. A
single sword-stroke had pierced the breast. The fallen bamboo-blades around it were stained with
bloody blossoms. No, the blood was no longer running. The wound had dried up, I believe. And also, a
gad-fly was stuck fast there, hardly noticing my footsteps.
The plot and characters may be prevalently known as the vital parts in
shaping up a good story, but it is also important to consider a story’s other
elements, such as the point of view, subject matter, themes, period, and
narrative structure, among others. These easily-overlooked elements define
the approach .and particular quality that a story has. These elements can spell
the difference between a good story and a great one.
In time, the different kinds of approaches to making stories have become familiar and recurring.
They fall into patterns that we recognize right away. Thus, stories that have well-known conventions,
tropes, and other similar qualities are categorized into a group. These are what we know as genres. In
film, genres mostly evolved along with the advancement of technology to make movies.
Back in the day, movies were simplistic, ranging from simple comedies, dramas, westerns, among
others. Nowadays, movies about the fantastical and extraordinary are the
norm, such as epic space adventures, fantasy folklore, superhero flicks, and
full-length animated films using computer generated imagery. The sky is not
the limit. Movies go way beyond what we know to be familiar
You must be already itching to make movies so you can tell your very own stories and win academy
awards and such, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Before we start learning and undertaking the process of video production and filmmaking, first, it is
important to know what kind of story you desire to tell. Knowing the certain qualities and characteristics
of the different film genres can help you hone your skills in creating and telling your very own story
Categorizing Films
A movie, like any story, can be comprised of many elements which we distinguish and categorize into
groups called film genres. Films can be categorized in a dizzying number of ways. But for practical
purposes, they are categorized between the following:
Film genres
are the
categorization of various forms of film, based on consistent, recurring, and familiar filmic patterns,
techniques, and conventions. The following are important when grouping films into a certain genre:
story, plot, narrative events, structure, characters, motifs, styles, themes, messages, familiar icons, and
characterization
Films cannot usually be grouped exclusively into a sole genre. Most, if not all of the films released, are a
combination of two or more genres and are called hybrids. An example is the romantic comedy, which is
now more popularly called the rom-com, for short. The horror-comedy is another example that has
experienced a rise in popularity recently. Other examples of hybrid-type genres are the following:
science fiction-action-adventure, documentary-comedy (or “mockumentary”), and the action-comedy.
Elements of a Narrative Film
One defining component to them is… you guessed it, a narrative! Narrative films are also called fictional
films. They stand in contrast to documentary films which mainly present information. Narrative films are
mainly defined by two things—the story being presented and its narrative discourse or how the story is
told
The story is basically defined as a series of events, characters, and action represented within a given
setting of time and place, or a world of cause and effect.
The narrative discourse is mainly evident in the strategies of presentation, specifically when the camera
is used to present different perspectives and depths. This allows the viewer to be immersed in the world
of the story by actually showing the faces, the actions, the movements, and the events happening. In
contrast, the situations and events presented in literary fiction can only be imagined.
There are lots of styles and flourishes to be made in the narrative discourse of a film. Everything
depends on what the director of the film wants to achieve with the story. These different styles can be
categorized through the recurring film elements.
Theme - involves the issues, topics, or concepts around which the story revolves
Setting - the environment where and when the story takes place
Horror/Suspense. This is designed to provoke one strong emotional response from the viewers:
fear.
Detective/Mystery. This revolves around the protagonist unraveling a particular mystery, which
is the central aspect of the plot
Science Fiction. This deals with futuristic science and technological concepts around which the
plot revolves.
Fantasy. This often has the elements of myth, magic, wonder, and the extraordinary.
Musical. This centers on musical dance performances as a main part of the narrative.
“Chick Flick”/Guy Film. The characters in this type of film are those that viewers can relate to.
Sports. The story of this type moves around a sport or sports setting.
Animated lms. This uses animation and rendered “cartoons” to present the narrative.
There are degrees of “realism” in documentary films. Regardless of being generally considered
as non-fictional films, fictional elements may still be used in documentaries. For example, the
filming and recreation of events that truthfully happened (reenactments) can be part of the
documentary process
A story can be told in many and diverse ways. It all depends on the different approaches one
might take in making and telling a story. The same can be said for filmmaking. We categorize
these different approaches in numerous types of ways, but we mainly group them based on
recurring and familiar patterns within the story. We call these groupings film genres. A film
genre is defined mainly through the story, how the story is told, and through its elements
(theme, plot, mood, setting). In time, film genres have evolved along with the technology to
make films
Film genre - the categorization of various forms of film, based on consistent, recurring, and
familiar filmic patterns, techniques, and conventions
Hybrids - films which share the elements of two or more film genres
Story - a series of events, characters, and action represented within a given setting of time and
place, or a world of cause and effect
Narrative Discourse - how the story is told, which is mainly manifested on the approach of
presentation with the use of the camera
Q1 COMP
A movie, like any story, can be comprised of many elements which we distinguish
and categorize into groups called film genres.
This involves the issues, a central idea, beliefs, topics, or concepts around which the
story revolves. --- Theme
The one who takes the action in the story. --- Character
The environment where and when the story takes place. --- Settings
A series of events, characters, and action represented within a given setting of time
and place, or a world of cause and effect. --- Story
This uses animation and rendered “cartoons” to present the narrative. – animated films
A type of film genre which has one main defining aspect: high energy scenes. –
action / adventure
A type of film genre which has a lot of random singing and dancing performances –
musical
A type of film genre that mainly tries to present reality and information rather than
tell a story. – documentary
This type of film genre is for entertainment and to make the audience laugh –
comedy
It is serious in nature and either plot or character driven. Topics revolved around
Social Issues and Life Issues. – drama
It has elements of myth, magic, wonder, and extraordinary that will make the
viewers amaze of the scenes in the plot of the story. – fantasy
This type of film genres deals with futuristic science and technological concepts. –
science fiction
WLA TO MGA BE NEXT QUA PA
Pre-production is the planning stage in filmmaking. This is the stage where you write your
story and visualize it. In other words, this is the times when you brainstorm for ideas. After
deciding on a main concept and a film genre to tackle, you should write it down and then
start creating your story. The story will be the basis of your video work. A good story almost
always produces a good video.
1. The objective - You just state what is happening without disclosing anything about what the
characters think or feel.
2. The third person - The narrator, who is not an actual character, tells the story and even the
emotions of the main character/s.
3. The rst person - The narrator does participate in the action and is telling the story according
to how he/she perceives it.
4. The omniscient - The narrator knows everything, from what the characters are thinking to
their every action.
In choosing a perspective, pick one that you are at ease with. Then sit down and start writing
your story.
The standard approach to writing a story is the three-part structure where you already have a
definite beginning, middle, and end in mind.
The beginning, or introduction, is usually where the main character is revealed. You must be
able to convey the character’s essence because this will move the story forward. This is called
character-sketching.
After establishing the character, you move on to the middle part of the story. This is where you
start developing the plot by means of presenting other characters and obstacles. Conflicts will
lead to the rise in action in the plot, and eventually, to the climax, which is the peak of action in
the plot.
The ending, or resolution, is the result of the decisions that your character makes. In choosing
your main character, you have a wide array of options. Just bear in mind that you have to make
the audience know for certain the identity of your main character