Main Genres

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Main Genres
Action Silent Comedy
Adventure Historical
Horror Crime Drama Musicals
Sci-Fi War Westerns
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Silent Era

• 1896-1927

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Silent Era

• By 1896 camera, film, stock, and projector (all
  of the tools necessary) had all been invented.

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Silent Era

• Novelty of film first drew viewers

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Silent Era

• Single shots of scenic views or simple action
  were the first movies

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Silent Era

• These films had no recorded sound, but were
  presented with live musical accompaniment.

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Silent Era

• After 1897 films began to tell stories.

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Silent Era

• Early films were shown in nickelodeons, small
  theaters that held about 200 people.
• Many were recent immigrants, who used the films
  as an inexpensive way of learning about their new
  country and Americas culture.

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Silent Era

• One of the most famous of the early filmmakers
  was D.W.Griffith, who pioneered many filmmaking
  techniques in over 450 films.
• He was one of the first to use all the techniques
  of making a film (all 3 aspects).

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• What is your understanding of the term genre,
  based on what youve learned in English?

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• What are some examples of different literature
  genres?

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Film Genres

• Various forms, classifications, or groups of
  films that are recurring, and have similar, or
  recognizable patterns, film techniques or
  conventions. They often include one or more of
  the following settings, content, themes, period,
  plot, motifs, styles, structures, and characters.

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Genres offer myriad combinations of a finite
number of elements.
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• By the end of the silent era, many of the main
  genres were established
• the melodrama,
• the western,
• the horror film,
• comedies,
• and action-adventure films

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• The genre of science-fiction films wasn't
  generally popularized until the 1950s.

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• What are some potential problems that you
  could foresee with films following the typical
  characteristics associated with their genre?

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• One problem with genre films is that they can
  become stale, cliché-ridden, and over-imitated.

He was watching a typical genre film, and now
look at him.
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On the other hand, if the elements of a
particular genre are well known, part of the
pleasure comes from seeing how those basic
elements will be treated this time around.
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The Horror Genre
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Horror Genre

• Designed to frighten, panic and invoke our
  hidden, worst fears, while still captivating and
  entertaining us.

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• Horror Genre
• Center on the dark side of life and deal with our
  most primal nature and its fears our nightmares,
  our vulnerability, our alienation, our
  revulsions, our terror of the unknown, our fear
  of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or
  fear of sexuality.

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Horror Genre

• Often combined with sci-fi

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Horror Genre

• Earliest were gothic in style meaning that they
  were usually set in spooky old mansions, castles,
  or fog-shrouded, dark and shadowy locales.

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Horror Genre

• Developed out of folk tales, witchcraft, fables,
  myths and ghost stories.