Genre Study

Action Films
Examples:
1. James Bond (began 1962)
2. Terminator (1984)
3. Enter the Dragon (1973)







Narrative Conventions:
Oftentimes, the action genre has scenes that cause the audience to experience of feeling of escape through the actions scenes. Shots are used to create impact and escalated force, done through quick cuts and short average shot length. These are done through managing the pacing of the film through rhythmic cuts and edits. The scenes can include chase scenes, fighting scenes, escape scenes, rescue scenes, adventurous journey scenes and much more. Action and adventure films are similar in that both genres can branch similar sub-genres such as science fiction films or thrillers.
The main character is oftentimes male and serve as the "action hero" so to say, where as the women usually play a supporting role as accomplices or the love interest of the protagonist. The protagonist, in actions films, commonly face odds that seem impossible to overcome and, in the end, the hero emerges victorious above.


Comedy Films (Dumb Comedies)
Examples:
1. Borat (2006)
2. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
3. Superbad (2007)

Narrative Conventions:
Comedies are designed to create amusement for the audience; the purpose of the genre of comedy is to amuse and entertain the audience and provides an "escape" to everyday life. This is done through various traits of the genre including jokes, mockery, exaggerations, and other techniques. Comedies can generally fall into the many sub-categories of the genre, including dark comedies, horror comedies and action comedies. Comedies are seen in in its primitive stage before the 1900's, in which sound was not needed and relied on the slapstick aspect. Slapstick is the most primitive type of comedy; it relies on over exaggeration, where they began to bloom in the 1940s and 50s, assisted by comedians such as the Marx Brothers, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. With the introduction of dialogue in movies, comedies began implementing it to further add additional humor to comedy films. The plot often follow the convention of another genre such as action, drama, horrors, etc. A film can be categorized as comedy by its visual entertainment and humor.



War Films

Examples:
1. Inglorious Bastards (2009)
2. The Hurt Locker (2008)
3. Defiance (2008)







Narrative Conventions:

War films often explore the destructions and effects of war, hence its name. It frequently takes place in areas of war, and much are made during times of war. In the past, war movies were used as a means of propaganda in order to influence the population to enlist and provide assistance in the military. War movies were used to glorify a certain idea that a together a nation shared and acted as a call to action. As the genre developed to how it is seen today, it depicts the physical and emotion struggle of the protagonist in entering the war. Characters are usually a group of men that are thrust into the war zone unprepared and unequipped with the skills needed to survive. As the plot progresses, the character undergoes an emotional change to adapt to the environment of war. Oftentimes, the main protagonist has a love interest back home away from the war and this can be the reason for his perseverance and strength in order to return safely. The war genre's plot is often fueled by either revenge or personal issues.