1. The Different Genres
How are they different?

2. Comedy
“Home Alone,” “Hail, Caesar!,” “The Pawnshop” – 1916 by Charlie Chaplin
Light-hearted plot
No serious conflict
Exaggerates situations and relationships
Spoof – making fun of a real situation
Dark Comedy – comedy about something horrible

3. Action “The Terminator” High energy Non-stop motion
Clear good guy, bad guy
Plot is easy
Not too much backstory

4. Thriller “Inception,” “Jaws” – also horror
Similar to action but with deep plotlines
Less action
Allows the audience to reflect afterward
Not necessarily scary, but intense

5. Romance “Titanic” – also a historical drama Romance drives plot
Focuses on life situations
Usually based in reality
Intense character development

6. Horror “It” Designed to frighten/bring out worst fears Shock factor
Shocking finale
Survival is a big factor for characters in horror films

7. Sci-Fi “Interstellar,” “Star Wars” – also an adventure/epic
Can be scientific or fantasy
Imaginative
Space sci-fi
Magic sci-fi
Can be linked to action or adventure

8. Drama (Historical Drama)
“Bridge of Spies,” “Titanic” – also a romance
Set in a past time
Focuses on both relationships and significance of past events
War
Historical events
Flashbacks and plotlines reflect reality of current times

9. Animation “Lou,” “Moana” Light plotlines
Character development is strong
Strong moral message (usually)
Aimed for all ages
Imaginative

10. Adventure/Epic
“Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” – also a sci-fi
Exciting stories
Can be quite long
Exotic places
Wide variety of places and creatures

11. Musical/Dance “La-La Land,” “Black Swan” – also a drama
Contains full-scale scores (musical pieces)
Completely sung (“Les Miserables”)
Partially sung (“The Phantom of the Opera” [2004])
Can include dancing and choreography
Two styles:
Operatic – classical
Musical – modern