The Different Types of Genres

Genres

The definition of a genre is ‘the category under which a certain film has been classified, which primarily depends on the content of a film. Films within a certain genre have usually similar narrative elements that include setting, theme, topic, and the type of mood that is associated with the movie.’

There are many types of genres which serve different purposes in films. They bring out different reactions and emotional responses when viewing something and appeal towards different tastes.

Genres are abstract conceptions and ‘any theme may appear in any genre’ (Bordwell 1989,

147).

The main types of genres are…

Sub-genres stem off all the different genres in order to give more variation in media to target different audiences. It is another way of categorizing films in to themes that may seem more appealing to different viewers and audiences.

For example, using the genre in a film of comedy can be broken down into the following sub-genres:

• Alternative comedy
• American sitcom
• British sitcom
• Satire
• Stand-up

Iconography

Within a genre you will find specific signs associated with that genre. This is called iconography.

For example, iconography can be related through:

• particular tools of the trade (fast cars, guns) 
• dress codes of actors
• physical attributes
• settings
• mannerisms

Overtime, genres and subgenres have become more varied and have been exposed through the media in a more advanced way. This is due to political reasons, having more technology, and a change in different cultures.