Genre Decision Blog

   Now that multiple genres have been examined, it’s important to see how they stack up next to each other. Each genre has its own unique conventions that convey what genre the movie falls under. Identifying these conventions and which ones will benefit us the most will make it easier to choose what genre our project should be.     

    The romance genre was one of the many genres that were discussed by the group. Famous films that fall under this genre are “10 Things I Hate About You”, “When Harry Met Sally”, and “You People”. This genre is one of few that has had pretty consistent conventions for many years. Of course, things have changed to accommodate with current society, but most still utilize close-ups and medium/long shots to highlight the main characters and their feelings while also relaying information about them and their surroundings. Though the genre is very broad, most movies are set in everyday settings like schools, apartments, etc. while the costuming will vary depending on the plot and setting. Modern romance movies often use cross-cuts and straight cuts to slowly build the film and add tension to moments that require it. The sound in this genre is very important because it is a major way to show how the characters feel without explicitly stating it. Most romantic movies have a very strong soundtrack while also utilizing dialogue and diegetic/non-diegetic sound. The conventions of this genre are very simple and easy to follow. However, I do not think the group will work well with the genre. The genre is not very unique, and we are definitely trying to steer clear of making something that is uninspired and similar to other projects.     

    The team also researched a thriller. In this genre, the building of suspense is the most important part. This impacts the common camera techniques, which are all present to build a feeling of anxiety in viewers (panning shots, close-ups, and tracking shots to name a few). Most movies in this genre have darker themes, so they often involve things like weapons and blood. In this genre, the use of diegetic sounds like clicking or bees buzzing instills fear into the viewer. The best way to describe this genre is that viewers are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Modern movies like The Black Phone, Barbarian, and Don’t Worry Darling showcase this perfectly. While this genre gives the group a lot of room to make creative choices, I do not think we will be choosing this one. Our pitch for this genre has been done before, so it may stint our project from becoming as good as it could be.     

    The final genre we examined was sports. This genre is a little more niche compared to the others as it is often coupled with another to become a subgenre ( or a genre that has elements of another genre as well). Films that are in this genre often use settings like gyms, schools, and fields to focus on the athletic strengths of the characters. As a result, the characters were clothing-like uniforms that work well for exercising. Common camera techniques are wide shots, close-ups, and long shots which convey how the characters are feeling while playing their sport and build tension. The editing and sound in movies like this often convey the intensity of a certain situation and the emotions of the characters. The group is most likely to do this genre because it is so versatile. The sports genre can be coupled with several other ideas. It also provides room to edit interesting things like training montages.     After several different genres were assessed, my group decided to go with sports for our genre. This was for several reasons. The most important was that it is convenient for the group. There are multiple athletes in our group. Each can provide insight into what moves would make interesting shots and what would be the most feasible to film. Additionally, the setting of movies that fall under this category is easily accessible. Most romances and thrillers often have major props like fake weapons and wedding rings that may be harder to obtain. We already have most of the props we need to produce a sports video. Overall, it was agreed upon that our pitch for the sports genre was better than the other ones presented.