Research - The Main Genre Categories 1 Action

The following list is to show you the main film genres that are frequently seen in the cinema:

• Action – films are mostly a big budget with a lot of physical stunts and thrilling car chases. This may also include bare knuckle fighting, vehicle explosions, and some rescue missions. Often with a hero figure going against a villain for example Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader. Many actors become synonymous with the action genre if they do a few films in that genre. The "Expendables" is an example of a film with multiple famous action stars, the film parodied the rivalry that audiences imagine must exist between different action stars.

Research - What Is A Genre

Now that I have looked into what a trailer is and consists of, it has given me a lot to think about for my own trailer. This is why I thought it would be best if I did a little research into what a genre is, so I can choose properly instead of rushing into it. This will give me more of an in depth understanding of what kind of genres there are and which one is best for us to work on.

Film genres have a variety of categories, classifications or groups of films that have recurring or obvious patterns, language rules, filmic techniques or conventions that include;

• Settings - Props, Costumes etc.
• Theme - Happy/Dark.
• Mood - Frightening/Pleasant.
• Period - Present/Past/Future.  
• Plot - Whole narrative.
• Central Narrative Events - The main action.
• Motifs – The image it gives off.
• Styles – Black and White, Silent.
• Situations – Climax Scenes.
• Recurring Icons (James Bond - The Bond Films)

After the silent film era had ended most genres were already categorized into the following:

• Melodrama
• Western
• Horror
• Comedy
• Action Adventure
• Musicals (Talkies)
• Science Fiction (became popular in 1950s)

Many films are well thought out hybrids, they include several film genres. According to Jim Collins since the 1980s Hollywood films were largely influenced towards ironic hybridization. This meant that directors would choose to combine more than one genre for example Cowboys Vs Aliens. Andrew Tutor claimed that any genre of film can be defined in four ways: 

• The idealist method judges films by predetermined standards.
• The empirical method identifies the genre of a film by comparing it to a list of films   already deemed to fall within a certain genre.
• The Apriori method uses common generic elements which are identified in advance.
• The social conventions method of identifying the genre of a film is based on the  accepted cultural consensus within society.

Genre is constantly seen as an unclear term with no permanent restrictions. There are many film theorists that question the term genre for example Robert Stam argues that does genre really exist or is it just the creation of critics. While some genres are based on story content (the war film), other are borrowed from literature (comedy, melodrama) or from other media (the musical). Some are performer-based (the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films) or budget-based (blockbusters), while others are based on artistic status (the art film), racial identity (Black cinema), location (the Western), or sexual orientation (Queer Cinema).Various genres come with a specific target audience as well as publication support from film magazines, adverts, merchandise and websites. For example statistics show that men are more likely to view a horror or action film than a romantic film. 

(Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_genre)

Research Into Trailers 10

This film is the third in the series, and may even be the funniest.This time they want to get back home and they need the penguins help. 

• The trailer begins with the production logo 
• follows with a sequence of text with serious background almost militaristic music, next we see them emerging out of the ocean slowly with a wide shot of all of them together. This gives the impression the animals are on a mission.
•  the next scene shows the monkeys and the penguins misbehaving in a hotel room, the scene cuts to the penguins where a gag is rapidly delivered. This establishes the film is comedy for those that may be unfamiliar with the previous films
• The films genre is a family comedy animation it’s a film that is intended for the whole family to enjoy especially children. 
• The trailer reveals some plot elements, particularly that the animals become wanted by the police and tries to include some of the characters that audiences will recognise from the previous films.
• The background soundtrack switches appropriately to "I Fought the Law" by The Clash once it becomes obvious the animals have become fugitives

Research Into Trailers 9

We have all played the game now it’s time to watch the film. The film just takes the title of the game and involves aliens fighting naval forces. 

• The trailer begins with the opening of the production logo, 
• then wide shots of the navy and its weaponry. 
• There is some narrative development where we find out a young man is in love with his captain’s daughter, which is the captain of the naval ship he intends to work on. 
• The next shot is of their first naval drills out in the open sea and they come across a strange wreckage in the sea, some crew in a small boat go and search the wreckage, as one of them touches it they get electrocuted which seems to have activated the robotic alien. 
• This is where we can guess starts another "Transformers" movie clone, or a "War of the Worlds" type premise, but this one is based on the ocean.
• The quality of the CGI is shown off towards the end of the trailer, where the spectacular sequences are glimpsed. This what draws the audience in.

Research Into Trailers 8

 

• The trailer opens by showing the production logo first 
• followed by wide shots of New York City and a person narrating over.
• The camera takes a long shot of a girl in the underground subway; she’s trying her best to hide from the Russian mafia. 
• this is followed by an action sequence between them and Statham begins. 
• Throughout there is a musical score that is both loud and urgent in style, this adds to the atmosphere.
• The trailer is built up from a quick succession of short 2-3 second shots

Research Into Trailers 7

• The trailer begins with the camera focusing on rushing waves and then zooming in on an island, 
• in between this we see text explaining the story further. The camera angles are mostly long shots of the areas on the island. The pace of non-diagetic music gets faster as we as we race through different shots. 
• Then a close up shot of the infamous Scrat and his acorn causing a mountain to break apart, which triggers all the continents breaking apart. This signature scene is a form established in the trailers of previous films.
• Some plot elements are given away. Manny and the crew drift apart from his wife and daughter,  he tries to get back to them, unfortunately while doing so he comes across some animal pirates. 
• The mis-en-scene is recognisably CGI and the animation follows a style that is unique to the Ice Age franchise, this being the fourth series.

Research Into Trailers 6

This trailer has to be the funniest I've seen because all the main actors give away that it’s going to be a comedy. The film will be released on 27^th July 2012, 

• the trailer begins with non-diagetic music, a Dr. Dre song, 
• The mis-en-scene is a bright sunny day, in a residential middle class neighbourhood, we see a car driving slowly through, every one stands still to stop and stare. 
• We then see the characters in a saloon car and we find out that they are the neighbourhood watch guys, they are the ones who keep the order. 
• The song is meant to make them look cool and fearless but they look geeky and funny. We find out that they get assaulted by a teenager and they detain him unsuccessfully trying to intimidate him.
• This establishes the type of humour we are likely to see in the film