The Role of Film Genre in Hollywood Cinema - Coursework Example

The Role of Film Genre in Hollywood Cinema: Introduction: Cinema is life. The stage is a wonderful place because it depicts various concepts and themes of life—of joys, sorrows, hardships and of achievement. Because cinema is a portrayal of life, we need to study its various forms so that we may be able to appreciate its beauty. The various forms of film are better known as genre. Genres are classifications of films which are based on content, theme, design, narratives, styles, mood, era and situations. These classifications are what we see today on local DVD stores and in film ads. They are categories of what the film is all about. Yet all these are shallow representations of what genre really is. Studying about film genre is not about labeling the films as such. Genre, to the film maker, means the elements on which a film is based, which includes thoughts, ideas and realizations. This paper aims to tackle a thorough understanding on what film genre really is and how it has affected Hollywood Cinema for the past years. Film Genre: A Background The word “genre” originated from France and originally meant “class or kind”. Initially, in the older days, it was used to differentiate various works of literature such as prose, drama or poetry. Later on, Shakespeare began to add subcategories such as tragedy and comedy. In the early 1950s, the word genre began to be associated with various classifications of film. The usage of this word continued on to the 1970s wherein there were more films being produced in Hollywood. As of now, there are numerous film genres that we see at movie houses and stores, indicating that indeed cinema have broadened over the past years. At present, genre is not just a word used to classify films. Filmmakers and artists now look at genre as a type of style or subject matter. These people delve deep into the events, ideas and thoughts that lead to the conceptualization of the film. Was there a difference in the creation of film as to style and theme over the years? It is not easy to brand a film by its genre. Genre, in itself, is a vague term. Most of us nowadays classify films as to its subject matter and suitability. Yet, there is a question as to whether the idea of film genre will always remain as such. It is not indeed easy to brand a film as to whether it is just a comedy, a drama or action film. Most films are mixed, i.e. they may be romantic comedies or action-drama. Yet, as vague as it is, it is essential for us that we know the basic elements of film genre. A filmmaker needs to know the elements of a particular genre because it is with these elements that he creates the film. All throughout the making of the film, it is the elements of the film genre that will be determined, from choosing the scenes, the background, the places, the actors, the costumes and the music. There are actors which are known for a certain type of genre and there are producers who specialize in one form of genre or another. Although film genre is a vague term, several people have tried to define what genre is. Janet Staiger, in her book “The Studio System”, Hollywood films are not pure genres but are a blend of the love-oriented plot on other genres, and that we can tell the genre of a film with these four ways. According to her, The Idealist method is a method which is based on a certain standard. The empirical method compares the said film to other films which fall in a certain genre. The “a priori” method uses generic elements. The social conventions method makes use of accepted society norms. (Staiger, 1993) Robert Stam agrees with the vagueness of the term genre. He questions whether genres are really true or are they only create by critics. He asks for a fixed classification of genres is in doubt whether genres are really timeless and infinite or not or whether it is culture bound-or trans-cultural. He further asks whether genre is descriptive or merely prescriptive. (Stam, 2000) Films are categorized based on these genres as to setting, theme, mood or format. The setting is the environment on which the scenes open. The theme is composed of the ideas on which the film centers on. Format is the way the film was presented. Mood is the feeling or emotional tone of the film. Film can also be categorized as to target audience. Furthermore, films are further subdivided into subgenres which are just combinations of several genres or they may be hybrid genres. Films are difficult to be categorized according to setting because setting is dependent on mood and theme. For instance, in war films the setting needs to be in a battlefield and if the film is of the horror type, the setting needs to be dark and creepy too. Linda Williams in her essay “"Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess" (1984) has another view with regards to horror films, saying that horror together with melodramatic and pornographic movies are “body genres” because they incite physical responses on the spectators. Genre has evolved through time. Initially its purpose was just to tell a simple story about a certain person or a thing or an event. However, as time went by, there were additions. Storylines and plots became more complicated and genres evolved into subgenres and hybrid genres. The addition of new changes to film as time goes by keeps the audience interested. Through genre, the scriptwriter is also able to base the scenes in the actual scenario of present life so that the viewer can relate to the emotions and ideas being presented and the message the film is trying to project is delivered. Each genre is also unique in its own sense. It has its won elements, its own themes, format, settings, style and actors. There are certain film genres which are repeatedly being shown to the public and this seems to convey some message that the film makers are trying to convey so that the public never forgets (Schatz, 1981). These repetitions of stories, themes and ideas often make the audience anticipate the possible outcomes in the films. (Calweti,1976). Various genres are being present in today’s’ movies. Action films nowadays are making used of complicated props and stunts to make the film more realistic. Also action films are also based on the trend nowadays such as space adventure, mountain climbing and water sports. Oftentimes the present political situation is being portrayed in this films which depict drug syndicates, government corruption, assassinations or sensitive issues such as abortion and divorce. All these genres are based on the public’s expectations for a certain period of time—in our case, our present time. However the present movies still show that the genres in the past have been used over and over—as if to convey some message to us. Also, it seems to guide us in our process of choosing the films that we want to see because we already anticipate the outcome of the film because the genres of the past films are present in our minds and through repetition and emphasis, we have formed some sort of conditioned response. The Portrayal of Hollywood Cinema Hollywood has evolved into a true Tinseltown over the years. It has become a historical center for movies and filmmaking in America. It has given birth to many filmmakers, directors, actors and actresses. What may have contributed to the success of American Cinema? A movie is primarily determined by its genre. Similarly, it is impossible to believe yet true that the success of Hollywood films are due to its film genres. How this came about is what we are going to discuss here. Indeed what makes a film become a blockbuster hit? There are several theories concerning this and one of this concerns the film genre. Creating films which are at par with the genre creates satisfaction to the audience and the filmmakers alike. When a person watches a movie, he often thinks about the background with which the movie was created. This further adds interest to the viewer as he is prodded on to continue watching as the genre slowly unfolds. As the film goes on, the genre is also responsible for the themes and ideas that the film is trying to portray. Thus film genre is an important component of film. Without genre, no film is created. Film genres are also useful in the filed of market research, criticism and the media. Oftentimes, the film genre is used on determining whether the film was successful in the portrayal of certain ideas or whether they would become blockbuster hits or not. This is the commercial side of filmmaking. This is based on the fact that when film is classified by genre, it is easy to promote it to the general public. People would prefer an action film over a melodramatic film and various audiences would watch different movie genres. These people who chose to watch that specific movie which portrays a certain genre are proven to appreciate the film more because they anticipate the ending and the turn of events in the scenes. Market research of films had found out that people watch a certain film because of the genres being portrayed so that they can anticipate their emotions. They could watch a comedy film because they wanted to experience joy and would watch an action film because they feel bored. It is indeed remarkable how public knowledge of genre plays an important role in the success of films. John Truby has a different idea when it comes to interpretation of film genres. For him, to understand a film’s genre, you have to transcend its forms to make it original. He further continued that it is essential that writers learn this because most writers know how to write a movie based on a certain genre by they do not know how to twists its elements so that it would appear as original and interesting (Truby, 2008). Film genre, in some ways, helps the director. It enables them to showcase their talents in using symbols and characters present in previous movie genres to present movie genres to appeal to public emotions. Despite this, the director also has the chance of showing his creativity by using his won techniques in portraying some of his ideas to the public. Film genre has also been proven to be beneficial to both the audience and the actors. As discussed previously, the classification of films according to genre helps the audience in choosing what they want to see. Furthermore this is also advantageous to the actor because it becomes as avenue for him to develop his skills as to a specific film genre. There are many actors who are associated with a specific genre and they became famous for it. In Hollywood, the categorization of films into genres helps the film industry economically because it determines the success of some movies. Filmmakers can look at the present situation, anticipate the public’s needs and thus they can create certain films based on a genre which can be a solution to the people’s needs. (Calweti, 1976). Movie producers can also do research by seeing the films which were successful during a certain time and take note of the film genres so that they can base their upcoming movies on these successful ones and they will be assured that the movies will become successes. Based on these facts, it is clear why film genre has helped much in the success of the Hollywood movies. It became the basis for creating blockbuster movies which made Hollywood famous throughout history. Conclusion In conclusion, the creation of genre in film is very important to the cinema industry. Genre is an indispensable element in film where the setting, actors, places, music and script is based. It provides filmmakers with ideas on what to write regarding a certain era. It helps the actor perform well and showcases his talents. It helps the audience understand films better. Most of all, it helps Hollywood maintain its title as the center of American cinema. Thus, we as students in art should seek to improve the profession of filmmaking by preserving the past genres of our time and in using them as basis for producing newer films. This is one way of bridging the gap between the past and present. The past is full of lessons which we have to review at present. References 1. Keith, Barry. (2007) Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology. Wallflower Press. 2. Truby, John (2008) "Whats My Genre?" Writers Story http://www.writersstore.com/article.php?articles_id=46.  3. Grant, Barry. (1986) “Film Genre.” NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc, 1977 4. Calweti, John. (2005) “Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture.” Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1976 5. Staiger, J (1993) The Studio System, (ed.) 6. Williams, L. (1999). "Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess" (1984). Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings (Fifth Edition). Braudy, L. and M. Cohen (eds.). Oxford, Oxford University Press: 701-715, Read More