Genres/Sub-Genres/How to Describe a Film/Critique-7 Film Eras /Early Animation Devices
Genres
WHAT DOES THE TERM, “GENRE” DEFINE?
WHAT THE GENERAL PLOT LINE WILL GO AND ALLOWS YOU TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THAT FILM
GENRES
1. Action: A fast paced film that displays the use of human endurance.
2. Adventure: Journeys to other lands.
3. Animated: Cartoon or stop-motion.
4. Comedy: Funny!
5. Crime: Plots are based on unlawful human actions.
6. Documentary: A film that tells a report on an issue. Not a story or narrative drama.
7. Drama: Films that deal with strong human emotions.
8. Family: A film with subject matter suitable for all ages.
9. Fantasy: Films that deal with fairy tale adventures or plots from the dark ages.
10. Horror: Films that are created to scare the audience.
11. Musical: Films that have song and dance as the primary factor.
12. Science Fiction: Films that deal with outer space adventures and extra-terrestrial
encounters.
13. Suspense: Films that keep secrets from the audience. The outcome is always kept secret in the best way possible.
14. War: Films based on wars that occurred in recorded human history.
15. Western: Films based upon the exploits of the American west during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
SUB GENRES
1. Adult film: This sub-genre really began in 1970 as a sub-genre of Drama. They are films which explain human social and sexual values on a scale that only people over the age of 17 can really understand. Look for the NC-17, X, XXX and some R ratings.
2. Atomic Age: This is a sub-genre of Science Fiction. It began almost as early as Science Fiction itself. It came about because of the Atomic bombs being used in the late 40's and 50's. I like to use the starting year as 1954, with the release of "Godzilla, King of the Monsters". This basically describes that the chief concept of the film is the end result of the use of atomic weapons, and that atomic weapons will be the end of us.
3. Concert: Sub-genre of Musical. When a musical group has a concert filmed and released to theaters.
4. Dark Humor: Sub-genre of comedy. When a serious subject has many comical undertones.
5. Detective: Sub-genre of Suspense. Came out in the late 30's. The films of Dick Tracy are the best example.
6. Disaster: Sub-genre of Action. Films which are made to show natural or mechanical disasters, with large death-tolls, that have befallen mankind.
7. Espionage: Sub-genre of Action. Spy films, such as James Bond.
8. Exploitation: This sub-genre has been around for a long time, but it too has not been consistent, and some people will tell you that is good. It really began to get strength in the 50's. This is an era that explains the worst about human beings in graphic detail. It is basically a sub-genre of all.
9. Frontier: Sub-genre of Western. This kind of western is treated as a drama. There is minimal gun shooting and the chief concepts explored are the stories of the frontiersmen moving west in 19th century United States.
10. Futuristic: Sub-genre of Science Fiction. Simply future-earth.
11. Gangster: Sub-genre of Crime. Handles gangsters and prohibition. Takes place in the 1920's. This does not include films on the Mob or Mafia. You will find those elsewhere.
12. Historical: Sub-genre of Drama. Explains something that happened in history.
13. Holiday: Sub-genre of Family. Story that surrounds a holiday. Made mostly for children.
14. Macabre: Sub-genre of Horror. Began in the sixties. Films that have a gothic feel to them. They deal with human beings, but have supernatural undertones. Examples are The Phantom of the Opera, films on Edgar Allen Poe, and selected works of Dario Argento.
15. Magic: Sub-genre of Fantasy. Magical powers.
16. Martial Arts: Sub-genre of Action. Films that come from Hong Kong or at least deal with the concepts of Kung-fu, Karate, etc.
17. Mystery: Sub-genre of Suspense. Murder mysteries. Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes, etc.
18. Police: Sub-genre of Crime. Films that deal solely with police activity.
19. Political: Sub-genre of Drama. Main plot-line is Politics.
20. Prehistoric: Sub-genre of Science Fiction. Dinosaurs, and lands from millions of years ago during earth's past.
21. Romance: Sub-genre of Drama. The chief plot is about love and relationships.
22. Slapstick: Sub-genre of Comedy. Vaudeville. Comedy teams. Physical Humor.
23. Slasher: Sub-genre of Horror. Began in the late 60's. The actual term was not used until 1978 with the release of Halloween. The title refers to the murders and weapons of the main antagonist, and that the creators of such films use the blood and edged weapons as shock value. This sub-genre can be used in Science Fiction also.
24. Social: Sub-genre of Drama. Deals with social issues of the world.
25. Speculation: Sub-genre of Documentary. These documentaries are films about mysteries of the world such as Bigfoot, UFO's, etc.
26. Spoof: Sub-genre of Comedy. When a film makes fun of a certain film genre. Examples are Airplane, and films by Mel Brooks.
27. Stand-Up: A sub-genre of Comedy: When a stand-up comedian has his concert filmed and released in the theaters.
28. Sword and Sorcerer: Sub-genre of Fantasy. Films that take place during the Medieval times. Merlin the Magician and King Arthur.
29. Terror: Sub-genre of Horror. No monsters. All human beings. Ex: Psycho.
30. Thriller: Sub-genre of suspense. No Mystery. The audience still is gripped until the end. Hitchcock did a lot of these.
How to describe a Film
1. Genre- main, Sub-Genre
2. Setting, approximate time period, place
3. Main characters-
· approximate age
· occupation
· relation to each other
4. Plot line brief summary of what happens
Samples of Wizard of Oz, Finding Nemo and Titanic
Critique- 7 film eras
· PIONEER ERA- WHEN FILMS BEGAN, NO SOUND, EVERYTHING NEW, DOCUMENTARIES, NEWS FOOTAGE, RECORDING OF STAGE PLAYS
· SILENT ERA- EXPERIMENTAL IN EDITING, SOUND TRACKS, SPECIAL EFFECTS, NARRATIVE DRAMAS BEGAN
· PRE W.W.II II ERA- TALKIE ERA, COLOR AND ANIMATION INTRODUCED, STAR SYSTEM WAS PREVALENT, SLAPSTICK COMEDY WAS MAINSTREAM
· GOLDEN ERA- MUSICALS, HORROR, GANGSTER, JUNGLE, EXPLOITATION FILMS BECAME POPULAR
· TRANSITION ERA- FILMS BEGAN TO MATURE, AVANT-GARDE, ART FILMS AND FOREIGN FILMS WERE INTRODUCED, TELEVISION IS INTRODUCED
· SILVER ERA- DAWN OF MODERN FILM, EXPLICIT MATURE SUBJECT MATTER, END OF BLACK AND WHITE, OBVIOUSNESS OF LOW OR HIGH BUDGET
· MODERN ERA- COMPUTER ERA, SPECIAL EFFECTS, NEW FILM TECHNIQUES, ERA RELIES MORE ON BIG BUDGET RATHER THAN PLOT OR ACTING
Early Animation Devices
Thaumatrope- device with two different images, one on the front and one on the back
Phenakistascope- spinning disc with a series of images on the outer edge
Zoetrope- revolving drum with images drawn on the inside
Flip book-
The persistence of vision- the eye’s ability to retain an image 1/20 of a second after it disappears