Genre is closely linked to the word 'generic' which means 'formulaic', therefore genre is a way of classifying a narrative. Katie Wales notes that 'genre is... an intertextual concept' which means seeing individual texts in relation to others, thereby grouping texts by semiotic or thematic notion.
Most film genres are borrowed from literature and therefore films are categorised mainly by narrative content, although some are defined by setting (if environment is cruicial to the plot), themes (the issues or concepts explored in the film), the mood (emotional tone of the film) or target audience.
There are also many subgenres or mini genres which are defined differently such as budget-based films (blockbusters), while others are recognised for srtistic status (the art film) or racial identity (black cinema)
Filmmakers want the narrative of a film to be instantly attractive and recogniseable as they know what type and size of audience it will attract. Audiences find genres satisfying, due to the fact that they know that certain expectations may be fulfilled and they find pleasure in predicting what will happen next.
What changes genre? How do genres change?
The main cause of genre change is the society in which the film is conceived. the political climate is crucial to the themes explored within films as representations within films aim to reflect aspects of modern issues. For example, the increased number of zombie films produced by Hollywood in the 1950's alludes to the fear of communism during the Cold War between America and Russia. The mindless, generic zombies are an embodiment of America's perception of communists as unknown beings with no independence and to be feared.
Carolyn Miller suggests that 'the number of genres in any society ... depends on the complexitity and diversity of society'. Therefore it is natural that as the internet creates geographical irrelevance and globalisation due to the ability to migrate, which in turn produces multicultural societies, such as Britain, that genre should grow and develop.
Technological advancement in film, such as stop motion animation, increased understanding of how to create special effects changed genre and led to the revolution that was 'Star Wars' in 1977. The incredible spcae-scapes, lightsaber battles and exploding planets enthralled a generation of cinema goers abd the bar for exciting stunts and 'realistic' fantasy/science fiction worlds was raised. However, technological advancements in society also influences film. In recent years the progressed reaserch into stem cells and scientists battling for organ cloning to be legalised has inspired films such as 'The Island' (2005) to 'Never Let Me Go' (2010) which focus on the psychology of the cloned individuals who are created to provide organs for the rest of the population. These films reflect the science verses morality battle as in 'what does it mean to be human?'
"Science fiction is that branch of literature that deals with human responses to changes in the level of science and technology" said Isaac Asimov. Many films comment on alien invasion in the 1950's alluding to the paranoia created by the Cold War, for example the 1950's films like 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' as well as the infamous Roswell spacecraft crash in 1947, which heightened an already large fascination with UFO's. As technology in society progressed so did the topic of Science Fiction films, which began to focus on cyborgs, clones and post-modern implosions, such as 'Blade Runner', 'Planet of the Apes' and 'The Terminator' as well as Aliens.
"Science fiction is that branch of literature that deals with human responses to changes in the level of science and technology" said Isaac Asimov. Many films comment on alien invasion in the 1950's alluding to the paranoia created by the Cold War, for example the 1950's films like 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' as well as the infamous Roswell spacecraft crash in 1947, which heightened an already large fascination with UFO's. As technology in society progressed so did the topic of Science Fiction films, which began to focus on cyborgs, clones and post-modern implosions, such as 'Blade Runner', 'Planet of the Apes' and 'The Terminator' as well as Aliens.
Popular culture is a huge influence of film theme. 'The Joneses' (2009) is a film that presents a family, or 'unit', who were selected by marketing corporations to advertise products via 'stealth marketing' eg. word of mouth. This is particularly significant today as conspicuous consumption has been growing since the 1920's. Thsi films is a reflection of the weight we give material items and is an introspective look at films and television shows which have also begun 'stealth marketing' - companies pay for their branded products to appear in a film or show.
Popular culture serves as the medium of presenting the lives and behaviour or 'norms' of the individuals and from the 80's there was a strong drug culture prevalent, not just in people's everyday lives but in music as well, where some might say it was glamourified. In 2000 9.7% of youths 12 to 17 were current drug users and this figure rose to 10.8% in 2001. It was in the late 90's that scientists revealed a strong correlation between drug-abuse and mental illness. The reality of this is reflected in films such as 'Trainspotting' (1996) and 'Requiem for a Dream' (2000). This also highlights how crucial contemporary issues and news reports are to inspiring film plots and creating an evolution of genre.
The different experiences of each writer, living in different families, countries, and situations, will continue to keep new and original ideas appearing in the landscape of film and contributing new conventions to genres which will create gradual change. 'Trainspotting' is a great example of this as the film is an adaptation of the novel, of the same name, by Irvine Welsh and is a brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life where he grew up.
Popular culture serves as the medium of presenting the lives and behaviour or 'norms' of the individuals and from the 80's there was a strong drug culture prevalent, not just in people's everyday lives but in music as well, where some might say it was glamourified. In 2000 9.7% of youths 12 to 17 were current drug users and this figure rose to 10.8% in 2001. It was in the late 90's that scientists revealed a strong correlation between drug-abuse and mental illness. The reality of this is reflected in films such as 'Trainspotting' (1996) and 'Requiem for a Dream' (2000). This also highlights how crucial contemporary issues and news reports are to inspiring film plots and creating an evolution of genre.
The different experiences of each writer, living in different families, countries, and situations, will continue to keep new and original ideas appearing in the landscape of film and contributing new conventions to genres which will create gradual change. 'Trainspotting' is a great example of this as the film is an adaptation of the novel, of the same name, by Irvine Welsh and is a brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life where he grew up.National or community feeling also inspire certain genres to change or bring some genres to a new audience with new expectations and demands. Towards the end of and after the Second World War the adaptation of superhero comics to TV and film increased considerably. 'Superman' (1978) was the first major superhero feature film and proved a critical success and a commercial hit. The 2000s brought forward some of the most profitable superhero franchises in history, with Marvel Enterprises dominating the superhero film genre. The rise of Al-Qaeda, the War on Terror, and the global financial crisis all created a lower mood in society. Filmmakers countered this with an array of superhero films in which the evil in the world is personnified as a supernatural being or force, but one that is always conquered by morally pure heroes/heroines.
Economic factors also drive the change or sometimes even the stagnation of a genre. If a style of film is popular and generating mass income the film industry would consider the film a success and replicate the formula either through remakes or very similar themes or plots. In recent years Rom-Coms have been critisced for having lost originality and for being overly predictable. These reviews have forced the genre to be more creative, experimenting with more realistic depictions of relationships such as '500 Days of Summer' (2009) or focusing on a different kind of relationship, for example, Bro-mances as seen in films like 'Wedding Crashers' (2005) and 'Role Models' (2208).
Genre itself also aids its own change. Representation in film feeds subconsiously into society forming certain views or raising issues which then become contemporary news and so are depicted in film. A film expert, Neale, stresses that the society/film relationship is reciprocal: 'a genre develops according to social conditions; transformations of genre and texts can influence and reinforce social conditions'. Although this is a hard change to find examples of as it happens almsot subliminally, it could be argued that the representation of families and couples in film has evolvedwith the laws regarding guardianship and divorce yet also influenced the social view of it, combating prejudice. Some Marxist commentators see genre as an instrument of social control which reproduces the dominant ideology.
How genres have changed can be looked at specifically for each genre, but generally for all genres over the years new successful formulas have been created, adding to the conventions of a genre and broadening the number of interpretations of these conventions. Some genres are 'looser' - more open-ended in their conventions or more permeable in their boundaries, then others anyway, but most genres have then been divided again, creating subgenres. For example, the Horror genre has sub-genres of slasher, creature-feature and zombie films. Each of these sub-genres is the product of a reimagining of what horror and fear mean at the time. Sub-genres allow room for more creativity and unique concepts, preventing constant repetition of certain elements within film, with the same recycled story which would bore audiences.
Genre merges act in a similar way to sub-genre by mixing up the conventions of two or more genres, thereby making the film appear to a wider audience. This has been happening in the industry for a long time, for example, 'Star trek:The Motion Picture' (1979) was classified as an Action, Adventure, Mystery, likewise the 2009 reimagining of 'Star Trek' is an Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, yet also features a romance, some would argue also a Bro-mance and lines of comedy. it is rare to find a film that is purely one genre.
In conclusion, film genres are changed by values and contemporary issues/feelings of the time in which they are made, such as economic, political, technological and moral factors. Film genres have changed by merging or sub-dividing to keep generating new ideas and inspiring individuality. Character representation is adapted to be a reflection of the modern times, as are the storylines which denote to the new cultural/social climate. The genre of the film is the ambience and a crucial part of the media message. The interaction between genres and media can be seen as one of the forces which contribute to changing genres, for example 'The Social network' (2010) is a biographical drama which comments on modern media. Also introspective films such as the 'Scream' series (1996-2011) and 'Easy A' (2010) where the characters are aware of the conventions of the genre that they are in and the film is a comment on that genre, highlight the cyclical nature of genre change and change in genre. Genre is constantly adapting to the world in which we live because it is an embodiment of 'the crucial ideological concerns of the time in which they are popular'.
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