A2 Media Studies Question 1B - Genre

Here are my notes for the A2 Media Studies OCR exam. Hope these help you on what to write about.

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Question 1B

It is useful to begin the question was a quote, here are examples below:

- "All those who consume films understand genre". (Lacey, 2008)

- "Genre is a product of the interaction between institutions, audiences and the text". (Lacey, 2008)

- "Genre offer a set of expectations that create a clear idea, for audiences, about what is possible in the films diegesis". (Lacey, 2008)

- Chandler (2000) also argues that genre is not a static concept.

- Buckingham (1993) says that genre is in a constant process of negotiation and change.

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Question 1B

Genre powerpoint examples - definition of post-apocalyptic genre - sub genre of sci-fi, horror and thriller.

- related to dark themes including devastation, infestation, supernatural beings and survival.

- the genre is overall about surviving the world after an apocalypse has occurred.

- conventions include alien invasions, global events, struggle of human survival, virus and zombies.

- typical settings include empty streets, rundown public places, forest and green spaces.

- editing is typically quick cut to add to the tense atmosphere of the genre.

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Question 1B

conventions in film trailers - voiceover of panic and destruction

- quotes about life/death/disaster/how many alive etc.

- production and distribution companies shown

- when the film is coming out

- actor credits in which this tends to be the USP

- music tends to start slowly and build up throughout

- typical shots in trailers include establishing shots and close-ups

- intertitles

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Question 1B

Conventions of Left Behind trailer (production work) - voiceover explains situation and whats happening.

- quotes from film reviews and noimnations.

- production company shown at the beginning.

- states the release date

- no actor credits, not always needed

- USP - reviews/awards and the fact that young characters are featured - relates to target audience.

- music builds up - adds tension/mystery - modern music is appealing to audience.

- close-ups and establishing shots as well as a handheld shot which relates to the music.

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Question 1B

Lacey (2008) considers the 'repetoire of elements' that work in a combination to suggest a media text belongs to a particular genre or a mix of genres.

- settings - settings in our trailer include empty public places, green spaces and mostly the college.

- characters - wanted characters to be teenagers because during our research we found out that there werent many films in the post-apocalyptic genre that involve teenagers.

- narrative - this is vital in a film trailer, it gives the audience a preview and encourages them to go and see the film.

- iconography - films contain visual and audio images, which become instantly recogniseable and associated with the genre.

- style - style of the film trailer is shown to be dark and said due to the apocalypse.

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Question 1B

as a group we researched the following films in which gave us inspiration.

- I Am Legend - gave us the idea of having three characters finding a way to get out of the virus e.g. Will Smith's character trying to find a way of getting rid of the virus in his lab.

-28 Days Later - gave us the idea of havign a virus as the apocalypse as well as the idea of finding survivors.

- The Road - gave us the idea of what settings to have in our trailer such as the empty public places and the main characters walking alone on a road.

- Attack the Block - gave us the idea of having the main character being teenagers.

Themes - most of these future scenarios are about the end of the world - acrwebsite.org.

- concerns the theme of humanity's possible demise, the remainder struggle for their very survival - westga.edu

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Question 1B

- post-apocalyptic films shares a great similarity with the western cowboy films - westga.edu

- post-apocalyptic films embodies many of the same themes and dynamics present in the western - westga.edu

These three companies mostly produce films under the genre we have studied; Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and Paramount.

Example paragraph:

The production I shall be discussing is the post-apocalyptic film trailer that was produced in a group of three. Lacey (2008) states that genre offers a set of expectations that create a set of expectations that create a clear idea, for audiences, about what is possible in the film's diegesis. In other terms audiences expect to see certain conventions within a film, e.g. audience will expect to see the characters attempting to survive in the world they live in after the apocalypse.

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Question 1B

He also says that this relates to film distribution and marketing, because our decision about which film to see will largely depend on whether we have enjoyed similar films. As well as this he says that a new film must offer something different and unique in terms of a USP, e.g. in our film trailer our USP is the characters in the film being teenagers, which relates to the film distribution and marketing because the film would be distributed to cinemas, shops and online viewing sites e.g. Netflix in order for it to reach them. This also relates to marketing with it being marketed at public places such as bus stops, not to include the internet e.g. YouTube and networking sites.

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