Genre is the industry standard way of separating media products and to categorise them. Genre is a french word meaning class or type. Films are put into genres depending on the codes and conventions found within their film, for example if there are jump scares and strong violence being inflicted it will be in the horror genre. Horror is an example of a genre, here are some more.
Sub-genre further breakdown of genre, a sub-division, for example Slasher is a sub-genre of horror. These still have codes and conventions of the genre, but use more in depth codes and conventions to further solidify the sub-genre.
Genres have been around almost as long as film began. They started off by creating films similar to the likes and reception of the audience on the previous film. By using the same codes and conventions they could create a film that was popular and ultimately make them more money. A genre is for the benefit of the viewer when browsing for a film, as well as film-makers to know what film is best to produce.
Genre can lead to the expectation of a film, for example in a comedy film they expect to laugh or in horror expect to get scared and a rush of adrenaline they wish for. It helps them know what to expect in terms of character archetypes, story line and actors. For example it is unlikely for Jonah Hill, a comedy actor to appear in a War Epic, because audiences relate him to comedy films and would be uncomfortable with the idea of him taking on a serious role. In a romance film the audience expect a storyline where two people meet, fall in love, then something bad happens, and then a happy ending.
The audiences pleasures are met when their expectations are met, genres successfully achieve this.
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