Media Factsheet 03 and 126

Factsheet 03

1) What example is provided of why visual iconographies are so important?

The science Fiction pieces that are so much different, yet still contain the same visual aspects. That's what makes a genre recognisable- without the visual iconography we wouldn't be able to recognise a specific genre.

2) What examples are provided of the importance of narrative in identifying genre?

Soap opera and Sit-com. 
The difference is very simple- soap opera uses more serious narrative, tend to be a little over dramatic. In sit-com they use more humorous approach to difficult situations.

3) What is the difference between character representation in action movies and disaster movies?

In an action film the 'lone wolf' hero is usually alone, needs to solve a crime and fight villains all by himself. 
In a disaster films the hero usually gets help from a group of people, making the hero a part of a team.

4) What are the different ways films can be categorised according to Bordwell? 

-Period or Country 

-Director/Star

-Technical Process 

-Style 

-Series 

-Audience 

5) List three ways genre is used by audiences.

-to compare through shared similarities

-to reject a genre we don't like

-to prepare us when we start some new e.g series

6) List three ways genre is used by institutions or producers.

-they can take it as an example, a base

-attracting fans 

-showing conventions and codes to attract audience 

7) What film genre is used as an example of how genres evolve? What films and conventions are mentioned?

With the example of the gangster genre we can see how films involved throughout time, yet they still have the same aspects and similar story lines. 

There are also things like sub-genres or hybrid genres. In those the examples are horror movies that are unique and have their own codes and conventions or have them mixed with different genres.

Factsheet 126

1) List five films the factsheet discusses with regards to the Superhero genre.

-Avengers

-Superman 

-Batman and Robin

-Spiderman

-X Men
 
2) What examples are provided of how the Superhero genre has reflected the changing values, ideologies and world events of the last 70 years?

In the past years superheroes gave us slightly different narrative: different obstacle, villain or a relationship with a woman. The genre needs to fit in to the values of different generations. They used to mirror the conflicts in real life, the narrative addressed a specific cultural fear.

3) How can Schatz's theory of genre cycles be applied to the Superhero genre?

The genre of order-
Hero - Individual, male - dominant
Setting - Contested space which is argued over (ideologically unstable)
Conflict - Externalised, against others (expressed through violence)
Resolution/ending - Elimination (death)
Thematics - The hero takes upon himself the problems, contradictions of his society and saves us from them

It's very clear that Schatz's theory is very useful in the superhero genre, because is shows a typical codes and coventions of this genre.

Romantic Comedy 'To All the Boys I've Ever Loved Before'

General

1) Why did you choose the text you are analyzing?

It's a clear example of a movie of this genre yet is original in some way.

2) In what context did you encounter it?

I watch a lot of movies from this genre and it was very popular.

3) What influence do you think this context might have had on your interpretation of the text?

I expected everything that rom-coms had to offer, and I also had big expectation because of its popularity.

4) To what genre did you initially assign the text?

Romantic Comedy/Teen Romance

5) What is your experience of this genre?

It's hard to find a unique film in this genre and still be satisfied with it. For me this is one of the hardest genres to direct and make it interesting.

6) What subject matter and basic themes is the text concerned with?

It's about a boy and a girl that starts to like each other, even when that wasn't their first intension. They struggle through an ex that tries to break them up, but at the end they end up together.

7) How typical of the genre is this text in terms of content?

It has a lot of basic rom-coms scenes and the pattern is predictable, but it also has an interesting and unique storyline. 

Over all is was typical for this genre.

8) What expectations do you have about texts in this genre?

As weird as it sounds, for me they are meant to be cliché and predictable. That's the way I see the romantic comedy genre. 

9) Have you found any formal generic labels for this particular text (where)?

Yes, it was the obsicle that they had to go through. When everything seems so perfect, there's always something, a lie or an unknown secret, that complicates their relationship.

10) What generic labels have others given the same text?

The characters always seem to be the same: the lovers, the villain and a best friend that always helps to figure out a problem. 

11) Which conventions of the genre do you recognize in the text?

A lot of lines were very cliché and the situations were very predictable.

12) To what extent does this text stretch the conventions of its genre?

The obsicle that they go through has no sense and is very childish. Is also has very clear characters from Props theory. 

13) Where and why does the text depart from the conventions of the genre?

The storyline is very unique. 

14) Which conventions seem more like those of a different genre (and which genre(s))?

There is a part where the main character is bullied, which is more likely to be seen in a teen drama.

15) What familiar motifs or images are used?

The High School, the popular people at school, mean girl, a helpful friend.

Mode of address

1) What sort of audience did you feel that the text was aimed at (and how typical was this of the genre)?

Teenagers, mostly girls.

2) How does the text address you?

It's a very simple love story, it shows that love can happen everywhere to anyone. 

3) What sort of person does it assume you are?

Optimistic, romantic, maybe a little typical, who likes happy endings.

4) What assumptions seem to be made about your class, age, gender and ethnicity?

We love happy endings and real-life scene. There are a lot of us that are in High School and dream about a love story like that.

5) What interests does it assume you have?

That we like to relate to people and social life.

Relationship to other texts

1) What intertextual references are there in the text you are analyzing (and to what other texts)?

2) Generically, which other texts does the text you are analyzing resemble most closely?

10 Things I Hate About You

3) What key features are shared by these texts?

Same set, very similar relationship, and a family helping to solve a problem.

4) What major differences do you notice between them?

The times are different, and the main guys have very different characters.