DELVING INTO GENRE
Conventions and Paradigms:
Genres function according to sets of rules and conventions, which govern their capacity and range. They respond to these rules and conventions by developing formulas and patterns (paradigms).
Over time, these formulas and patterns may acquire not only typical. but even archetypal force, dominating ways of seeing and of representing the world around us.
Conventions - Conventions are individual elements within a particular film which help us specify what genre that film belongs to.
E.g. Within an Action Film there are conventions of.. weapons, explosions, etc.
This link will take you to a page which talks about Convention is further detail
This link will take you to a page which talks about Convention is further detail
Paradigm - A Paradigm is the overall pattern created by a film that helps us categorise it.
Iconography - The main signs and symbols that you see/hear.
Structure - The way a text is put together and the shape it takes.
Theme - The issues and ideas the programme deals with.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do we categorise films?:
As far as TV and film is concerned, this commercial idea of genre grew with the evolution of the film industry, but was particularly developed in Hollywood in the 1920s/30s when the major studios were being established. Film producers wanted ways of attracting audiences to their films to create profit. The obvious solution was to establish what kinds if films people liked and produce them in large number. Marketeers could then give films a label so that audiences knew what to expect, thereby luring them into the cinema. Genres thus became formulas consisting of predictable conventions that audiences liked.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The importance of genre for audiences and producers..
Audiences - Select texts on basis of genre, often because texts are arranges at retail outlets by genre. Also, certain genres are considered appropriate to certain ages/genders in society, and choices are made accordingly. 'Chick Flicks' have systems of expectations about the content and style of a text, according to its genre. This enables them to take particular pleasures in the text, those of repetition, and of predicted resolution. Pleasure may also be drawn from differences.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The positives and negatives of genre
Classification by genre is seen as both positive and negative. On the one hand, rigorous conformity to established conventions (paradigms) while giving the audiences what they want, can actually lead to stagnation of a genre as a "they're all the same" judgement is passed. This is what happened to the traditional Hollywood Western and Musical - once many profitable examples of these genres were pumped out by the studio each year, but the formats became stale through over-repetition and audiences lost interest.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iconography - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconography
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iconography - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconography
Change title re 'Lesson' good to make out all work your own as this is YOUR blog. Create your own relevant title. It's not clear from your write up that Paradigms are defined by the iconography, structure and theme - I think because they all have the same headings, but also you would need to write an extra sentence to make this clear.
ReplyDeletePut any links you use next to the item you are discussing and also refer to it so it is clear what the link contains and how it has influenced your learning, otherwise it just sits on your post with no relevance - do this for every link please.
Some excellent images used and overall really good work - well done Connor.