MMA0013
Introduction to Film and Interactive Media
INTRODUCTION TO FILM:
FILM GENRES
MODULE 2
Sub-topic 1 – Film Genres Pt. 1
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the day, the learner should be able to:
• Identify the Film Genre Types of the following:
- Action
- Adventure
- Comedy
- Crime and Gangster
- Drama
• Genre is a classification of films based on plot type and
characters
• No single system of genres exists.
• Film genres are similar to literary genres.
• Purpose
Helps define purpose of film
Allows viewer to anticipate content before viewing
Analyze content after viewing
• Action • Horror
• Adventure • Musical/ Dance
• Comedy • Science Fiction
• Crime and Gangster • War
• Drama • Westerns
• Historical
• Also called “Thrillers”
• protagonist or protagonists are
thrust into a series of challenges
that typically include violence,
extended fighting, physical feats,
and frantic chases.
Features
• Physical stunts and chases
• Rescues, battles, fights, escapes
• Destructive crises (floods, fires,
explosions, tsunamis, etc.)
• Fast pacing, non-stop motion
• Two-dimensional characters
• (good guys, bad guys)
Main plot elements include quests for
lost continents and exotic setting; the
creation of empires, characters
embarking on treasure and heroic
journeys, travels, explorations, quests
and searches for the unknown
usually also having to overcome an
adversary.
• Journeys to exotic locations:
jungles, climax forests, savannahs,
frozen wastelands.
• Plots usually secondary.
• May be fiction or documentary.
• Plots end on a positive note
• Emphasis on resolution and
community
• Light tone to elicit amusement,
laughter
• Exaggerated plots, characters,
situations,
• language, relationships
Categories
• Slapstick: physical humor
• Parody: exaggerated imitation of
another genre
• Romantic comedy: boy-girl
relationships
• Satire: questioning generally held
beliefs
These films are developed around
the sinister actions of criminals or
gangsters, particularly bankrobbers,
underworld figures, or ruthless
hoodlums who operate outside the
law, stealing and violently
murdering their way through life.
Drama of this kind is usually qualified
with additional terms that specify its
particular subgenre.
Types of drama
• Crime drama, Police prodecural, and legal
drama
• Historical drama
• Horror drama
• Docudrama
• Comedy-drama
• Melodrama
• Military drama
• Romantic drama
• Teen drama
TEXTBOOK/REFERENCES
Brian Wood (2018), Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book (2018 release)
Brown, Blain. (2018). Motion picture and video lighting for cinematographers, gaffers and
lighting technicians. RoutledgeTaylor & Francis Group
Chun, R.(2017). Adobe Animate CC Classroom in a Book. Adobe Press:
Blazer, Liz (2016), Animated storytelling : simple steps for creating animation & motion
graphics, PeachpitPress
Daniel Shiffman(2015), Learning Processing, Second Edition: A Beginner's Guide to
Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction
ONLINE REFERENCES
[Link]
MODULE 2
Sub-topic 1 – Film Genres Pt. 2
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the day, the learner should be able to:
• Identify the Film Genre Types of the following:
- Historical
- Horror
- Musical/Dance
- Science Fiction
- War
- Westerns
A historical film is a fiction film
showing past events or set
within a historical period. This
extensive genre shares
territory with the biopic,
costume drama, heritage film,
and epic film.
• Plot and character designed to
elicit fear.
• Cathartic experience of fear
• Usually surprise ending
• Can have overtones of science
fiction or fantasy
• Music is main theme
• Main characters are musicians
• Often stage shows
• Full-scale scores, song and
dance routines
• Categories
• Broadway musicals
• Biographies of musicians
• Stage shows
• Set in space or other worlds
• Science fiction begins from
science fact
• more realistic characters
and plots
• Often based on utopia
(ideal) or distopia(post-
apocalyptic) settings
• Plot driven
• Usually recent history (20th
century)
• These films can be:
realistic
fantasy or future world war
satiric
• Setting: old West (usually 19th
century)
• Themes: justice, good and evil
• Characters: cowboys, Indians,
sheriffs, etc.
TEXTBOOK/REFERENCES
Brian Wood (2018), Adobe Illustrator CC Classroom in a Book (2018 release)
Brown, Blain. (2018). Motion picture and video lighting for cinematographers, gaffers and
lighting technicians. RoutledgeTaylor & Francis Group
Chun, R.(2017). Adobe Animate CC Classroom in a Book. Adobe Press:
Blazer, Liz (2016), Animated storytelling : simple steps for creating animation & motion
graphics, PeachpitPress
Daniel Shiffman(2015), Learning Processing, Second Edition: A Beginner's Guide to
Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction
ONLINE REFERENCES
[Link]