Primary Film Genres and Sub-Genres

Film Genres Film genres are identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that have similar techniques or conventions such as:  content  subject matter tructures  themes  mood  period lot  settings  recurring icons  stock characters  narrative events  situations  motifs  styles  props  stars

Primary Film Genres Primary film genres include the following:  D D rama  Comedy  Action dventure  Horror  Science Fiction  Animated  Crime  Fantasy  Suspense  Documentary  Musicals  Family  Westerns ar

Sub-genres Are identifiable sub-classes within the larger film genre, with their own distinctive subject matter, style, formulas, and iconography.

Film Genres- Drama Dramas are serious, plot- driven films, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations, and stories involving intense character development and interaction.

Drama Sub-genres  Historical  Political  Romance  Social

Drama Sub-genres Historical Historical events

Political Main plotline is government

Romance Chief plot is about love and relationships

Social Deals with social issues of the world

Film Genres- Comedy Comedies are light- hearted plots deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter by exaggerating the situation, language, action, relationships and characters.

Comedy Sub-genres  Dark Humor  Slapstick  Spoof  Stand-up

Comedy Sub-genres Dark Humor When a serious subject has dark undertones

Slapstick Physical humor, 3 Stooges

Spoof When a film makes fun of a certain film genre

Stand-up Stand-up comedian’s concert film released in movie theaters

Film Genres- Action Action films usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, races against time and crises featuring non-stop motion, break-neck rhythm and pacing.

Action Sub-genres  Disaster  Espionage  Martial arts films

Action Sub-genres Disaster Film that show natural or man-made disasters, with large death-tolls

Espionage Spy films, James Bond

Martial arts Films that deal with the concepts of Kung-fu, Karate, etc.

Film Genres- Adventure Adventure films are exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the Action film genre.

Adventure Sub-genres Swashbucklers Historical Epics

Adventure Sub-genres Swashbucklers Action on the high seas

Historical Epics Large, grand events in history

Film Genres- Horror Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.

Horror Sub-genres  Macabre  Slasher  Terror  Monsters

Horror Sub-genres Macabre Started in the 60s, films have a Gothic feel

Slasher Began in late 1960s, blood, sharp-edged weapons, shock value- Halloween

Terror No monsters, all human beings

Monsters Natural or man- made creatures

Film Genres- Sci-Fi Sci-fi films are often quasi- scientific, visionary and imaginative - complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, quests, fantastic places, new technology, and extraordinary monsters. Sci-fi films often feature multiple genres.

Sci-Fi Sub-genres  Aliens  Atomic Age  Futuristic  Pre-Historic

Sci-Fi Sub-genres Aliens Outer space creatures

Atomic Age Atomic/nuclear technology and weapons

Futuristic Simply future-earth

Pre-Historic Dinosaurs and lands from millions of years ago during earth’s past

Film Genres- Animated Animated films are most widely- known as cartoons.

Film Genres- Animated  Hand-drawn  CGI  Stop-Motion  Claymation

Film Genres- Animated Hand-drawn Literally sketched by hand

Animated Sub-genres CGI Computer generated images

Stop-Motion Objects are filmed in seconds and rearranged

Claymation Same process as Stop-Motion, using clay figures

Film Genres- Crime Crime films feature the sinister actions of criminals, mobsters, bank robbers, underworld figures, and ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life.

Crime Sub-genres  Detective  Gangster  Police  Courtroom Dramas

Crime Sub-genres Detective Came out in the 1930s, involves a police investigation- Dick Tracy

Gangster Initially, criminal activity involving prohibition and gambling, 1920s

Police Illegal activity

Courtroom Dramas Characters on trial

Film Genres- Fantasy Fantasy films deal with fairy tale adventures, or plots from the dark ages.

Fantasy Sub-genres  Magic SSword and Sorcerer

Fantasy Sub-genres Magic Magical powers, hocus-pocus

Sword and Sorcerer Films take place during medieval times

Film Genres- Suspense Suspense films that keep a secret from the audience.

Suspense- Sub genres  Mystery  Thriller

Suspense Sub-genres Mystery Murder mysteries, Charlie Chan, Sherlock Holmes

Thriller The audience is still gripped until the end, Alfred Hitchcock films

Film Genres- Documentary Documentaries offer a report on a subject or issue, through narration, interviews, film clips, re- enactments, etc.

Film Genres- Documentary Documentary Realistic subject told thru interviews, exploration, news clips

Documentary Sub-genres Mockumentary UNrealistic subject, presented in documentary style

Film Genres- Musicals Musicals/dance films are cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way, or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography.

Musicals Sub-genres  Broadway/film musicals  Concert/Performance Films

Musicals Sub-genres Broadway/Film Musicals Singing and dancing

Concert/Performance Films Film version of a live musical performance

Film Genres- Family Family films contain subject mater suitable for all ages

Film Genres- Westerns Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry - a eulogy to the early days of the expansive American frontier. They are one of the oldest, most enduring genres with very recognizable plots, elements, and characters.

Western Sub-genres  Cowboys and Indians  Frontier  Outlaws

Western Sub-genres Cowboys v. Indians Native Americans vs. Cowboys

Frontier Settlers, homesteaders in early America

Outlaws Bandits and criminals in the Old West

Film Genres- War War films acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) on land, sea, or in the air provide the primary plot or background action for the of the film.

Film Genres- War War films are based on battles recorded in human history War Films

Bonus Film Genres- Exploitation A Sub-genre of all Exploitation films were most popular in the 1950s. These films present the worst characteristics in human beings in graphic detail.

Bonus Film Genres- Exploitation