What is genre?

A genre is what defines the type of film, it puts it into a category for the institution and audience. It helps the consumer because it gives them a category of their type of films which attracts them, and the genre is fit to live up their expectations. This benefits the institution because it gives them rules to follow and guidelines. It also helps the producers to fit what attracts a certain crowd of people. Genres allow the consumers to choose which type of film they want to see, and media producers can make certain types of films for certain audiences. 

Under a genre category, there are subgenres, the purpose of subgenres is to attract more people giving the film a larger audience appeal and therefore the institution gains more money. An example of subgenre's are action-adventure, romantic comedy and horror. Furthermore, another category within genres are hybrid genres, A hybrid-genre is a genre which changes theme mid way through a film. it is also known as a 'cross genre'  which is a genre that mixes themes and elements from two or  more different genres. Examples of hybrid genres include action comedy, dark fantasy, comedy horror and comic fantasy. Hybrid genres attract a mix of audiences, for example, a romantic comedy attracts romantic genre consumers and also audiences which are interested in comedy. This allows the institutions to widen their types of audiences. 

Genres are made up of conventions, media producers use conventions to define consumer expectations. A genre convention are typical story elements in a certain genre, it's like a structure for a good film. Genre conventions include setting, characters, narrative, mood, structure, storyline and also certain prop use.

For example, action conventions will include a hero, victim and villan characters. The purpose of the hero in an action is to stop the villan and save the victim. The common mood set in an action film is usually sinister and upbeat but will incorporate nerve racking soundtrack to create suspense. As the audience, we know what to expect in an action film, we know there will being exploations, fights, weapons, fast cars, and always a motive. An excellent example of a typical action film is The Terminator. Produced in 1984, it is directed by James Cameron and produced by Gale Anne Hurd (Hemdale Pacific Western Productions Cinema). 

Horror conventions usually include specific fears which is common within the audience. Such as clowns, alienation, zombies, death, ghosts and nightmares. Horrors often based in dark areas with minimal amounts of people like in 'Cabin In the Woods'. the purpose of horror films is made to be unsettling as it has a purpose to scare to audience. Some examples of horror films are; Cabin in the woods, Paranormal activity and Annabelle. 

A good example of a thriller convention is Extraction, directed by Sam Hargrave, produced by Joe Russo and distributed by Netflix. Extraction is technically a subgenre as it includes action and thriller together. Conventions of a thriller include a antagonist victimising the protagonist. Usually thrillers incorporate elements of low key lighting, quick cuts to reinforce action, tense music, diegetic sound of breathing and sometimes montages. Thrillers like Jaws, are shown to the audience in the killers point of view while the creature is hidden within the shadows. 

 A main convention of a romance is the two main characters going through a heartbreak, this common convention is used as it is what the audience expects to happen. Normally, romance genres contain emotional feelings of loss or death. The typical narrative in a romance genre include a couple meeting and falling in love, however there is always someone who disagrees, typically there is a fued and they break up. A perfect example of this generic convention is The Titanic (1997), directed by James Cameron and produced by 20th Century Fox. 

Western conventions are usually set in western America in a natural, desert like setting. Typical western films include good guys vs bad guys, gangs, robberies, and chases. Codes and conventions for a western are used to attract a specific audience, Western genre's are aimed at target audiences which are usually older age category and normally men. Western conventions use props such as guns, horses, whiskey and costumes such as cowboy hats, spur boots and also often use sound effects like gunshots and buzzard calls. The cinematography in western genres are specific to the codes and conventions, the audience expects to see extreme longshots of the American West, desert landscapes and shots of old, ghost-like towns. A typical western film is Toombstone (1993) directed by George P. Cosmatos and Kevin Jarre, this film is shot in Arizona USA and is produced by Hollywood Pictures.

Finally, consumers expect Si-Fi's to be associated with space, aliens and futuristic spaceships. The genre incorporates hypothetical and science based themes into the plot of the film. The genre often includes futuristic elements and technologies to explore social, political, and philosophical issues. In many cases the film itself is set in the future, either on earth or in space. The generic convention of sci-fi incorporates heroes, villains, quest, advanced technology and unfamiliar locations