Genre

STEVE NEALE – Concept 1: Repetition and Difference

Growth in sub-genres and genre hybrids

Levels of Verisimilitude	Media product references to the real world. The higher the level, the more accurate e.g news, documentaries and historical dramas
Narrating Similarities	Defines structure dependent on the genre
Character Driven motifs	Lead characters might have defined attributes, e.g crime dramas often uses anti-heroes as leading roles whilst also involving the theme of redemption
Iconography	Refers to the mise-en-scene expectations (setting, costume, make-up) as well as camera/lighting styles. Typical Western movies for example involve guns, desert, horses, saloon bar…
Audience Targeting	Highlights genre is designed to appeal to specific audiences, for example, romances are targeted to female audience. Sci-fi is targeted towards males through action-based male leads.
Representational Effects	Gender specifies representations. E.g, horror films usually construct women as victims while crime dramas are conventionally led by emotionless male detectives.

Repetition and audience pleasure:

The use of repeated motifs, themes and stylistic devices allows the audience to recognise and engage with the media products by providing a sense of familiarity.

News —> Political engagement

Sci-fi —> Other worldly

Crime —> Enigmas and surprises

Genre Subversion:

• Audience needs: given enjoyment through the use of familiararities but also still needing some element of surprise to keep the unique selling point.
• Contextual influences: adapt genre driven content as a result of historical/political/social influences. Social norms regaring gender roles.
• Economic influences: falling/poor sales or engagement will also encourage change to content.

Media organisations effect calendared production routines using genre- driven content as a key planning tool, e.g horror films for Halloween or period dramas for Sundays.