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The Development of Film Genre

Refers to the category of films that are similarly categorized based on their narrative elements and emotional responses

5-26-2023


Classic Hollywood - The Rise of the Big Studios


1. Paramount Pictures Corporation


The distribution company started and became stronger capital by purchasing a large number of theaters. Mainly shooting European style films.






2. Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc


Most of them are gangster films, biographical films, or realistic films adapted from social events.
The first to invest in sound motion shooting.
Silent film and sound film.

The epoch-making film "Jazz Singer", the United States entered the golden age of Hollywood.






3. 20th Century Studios

Actors and directors with the most long-term contracts.
Such as Western director "John Ford".






4. Radio-Keith-Orpheum Pictures

Known for its musicals, it created the genre of monster films, and "Citizen Kane" is the first in film history.
It closed in 1959.






5.Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc

Known for its expensive production costs, it involves a wide variety of films, but historical themes and musicals are its strengths. The post-production animation business is also very strong (Tom and Jerry). The current situation is that different industries have been repeatedly acquired.






At the same time, Europe was busy with the First World War, and the film industry in Europe, the birthplace of film, suffered a serious setback.The technological upgrade from silent films to sound films marked the arrival of the golden age of Hollywood.
But before that, the "melodrama" launched by the Nordic film company in order to cater to the market, the genre method with traditional character types and established plot modes is also considered the predecessor of genre films.



What is Film Genre


"Genre film" can be simply understood as a templated film, which refers to a film produced according to a specific mode. With the focus on emphasizing its production mode. The production of a film with a specific theme, style or structure corresponds to a certain type of film. For example, musicals , Western films, science fiction films, horror films, etc., they are respective types of films.

Three Characteristics


1. Formulated plot - Write the plot in a fixed creative mode (different types will have specific subdivided plots)

2. Stereotyped characters - The characters are fixed (cowboy images in western films,like hats, leather boots, pistols and domestic Peking Opera facial makeup images)

3. Illustrate the visual image of the test - The lens serves the narrative, and it can directly express the meaning (the lyrical long lens in the literary film is a non-narrative lens)



Ladri di biciclette (1948)




Classic Hollywood Narrative - Derived from the Structure of Shakespeare’s "Sanmu Opera"


Step 1- The peaceful life of the protagonist is broken, and the behavior motives for balancing life.

Step 2 - Protagonist and opposite contradictory object struggle to the death
the best part.

Step 3 - The ending of Hollywood stories is generally closed and can be explained clearly.

The narrative method of arranging a series of interrelated plots or events in sequence according to a single clue, and finally leading to a series of dramatic endings, is also the narrative structure of Hollywood-the formulaic plot of genre films



Genre Films Boost Hollywood Success


While genre films bring huge profits to studios, they also greatly limit the development of films

Even now, it is still our habit to distinguish genres for movies, and we will choose to watch the genres we like according to our own preferences.

But it is a huge blow to film creation. With the concept of genre in mind, the space for imagination will be severely limited
For example, it is difficult not to create a beautiful scene in a "romance movie"; it is difficult to break away from the big production and big scenes when it comes to "science fiction movies"

The new film-like method is helpful to the commercialization of the film, but it is a stifling existence for creative inspiration.




À bout de souffle (1960)




Film Aesthetics Movement - "New" Wave


"Old" movies represent Hollywood in the golden age. Around 1950, Hollywood film masters such as "Hitchcock, Billy Wilder" and other film masters emerged in an endless stream. Hollywood’s business model has basically taken shape "Paramount, 20th Century Studios, Film production companies such as "MGM" control most of the film production, shooting "genre films" with ups and downs.

All film movements with "new" are related to the political background at that time. War, economic depression, suffering of the people, and social turmoil were the background of the times.

Neorealism in Italy - (1940s-1950s) Italian filmmakers began to use realism techniques, using social reality, poverty and war as themes of films. Thus creating a new film style and aesthetics, which was called Called the "New Realism Movement". Representatives include Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica and so on.

French New Wave Movement (La Nouvelle Vague) - (1950s-1960s) A new generation of French filmmakers began to use free and smooth shooting techniques and revolutionary storytelling methods, thus creating a new film aesthetics and style, known as "New Wave Movement". Representatives include Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and so on.



Bonnie and Clyde (1967)


Todays Film Genres


Modern films are difficult to summarize with a single genre. The fusion of more and more genres has created the prosperous film market today.