Steadicam

Halloween (1978) was one of the earliest films to use Steadicam the first was Rocky (1976). The opening Point Of View sequence, which is seen from Michael Myers' point of view as he stalks through the house to kill his sister, was shot using a Steadicam.

Where Does The Price Of My Movie Ticket Go?

Investors And Filmmakers 30% - The people who paid to make the film need to be repaid. Investors in the movie for profit will want to be "first out", meaning they get paid before any other investors. Major filmstars and directors can also claim a percentage of the box office. This can be as much as 20% for a Tom Cruise or Peter Jackson.

Distributor 50% - For major blockbusters the movie distributor can demand as much as 50% of the price of the ticket, but this can be more like 25-28% for smaller films. They get the largest portion as they have put the largest investment into the film. As a rule of thumb a film must make 3 times its budget to cover its full production, distribution and advertising costs.

Cinema 20% - the portion of the ticket price given to the cinema showing the film is relatively small. This is why your popcorn cost so much (consessions); its how they make thier money.

Genre And Audience Quote

I found a good quote about genre and audience that you might want to use in your essays.

"Every movie is unique, so one can't learn much about what will capture an audience. And just when you think you have it down, tastes change or something new comes along and the old formula comes crashing down....there really is nothing that is predictable, not costs, not performance value and certainly not revenue. Genre means nothing; rating has only a small effect on porbabilities...stars only change the odds slightly and at high cost."

DeVANY, A.S., (2004). Epilogue: Can You Manage A Business When "Nobody Knows Anything"?, Hollywood Economics: How Extreme Uncertainty Shapes The Film Industry, Routledge, p.267

Key Tracking Assessment

KTA1:

1. Pick one of the following genres:

• Science Fiction
• Horror
• High-School Teen Movie

2. Make a list of the genre’s generic elements, i.e.

• Typical Style
• Mise-en-scène : iconography, props, set design, lighting, temporal and geographic location, costume, shot types, camera angles, special effects,
• Editing : Fast paced, slow paced, etc,
• Typical Sound Design : types of dialogue, music, sound effects, etc.).
• Typical Narrative Structure (plots, historical setting, set pieces).
• Themes (the underlying messages, ideas, concepts the film deals with).
• Generic Types, i.e. typical character types (do typical male/female roles exist, archetypes?).
• Typical Studios, i.e. certain film studios are associated with particular genres.
• Typical Personnel (directors, producers, actors, stars, auteurs etc.).

3. Make a list of key film text from that genre.

KTA2:

1. Watch a sci-fi, horror or high school teen movie and identify its stages of equilibrium, disequilibrium and return to a new equilibrium.
2. Identify your own example of a genre film which pastiches another media text.
3. Identify your own example of a genre film, which parodies another media text.

KTA3:

Choose a Horror, Sci-Fi or High School Teen movie and analyse it in terms of how it reflects the key themes associated with its genre.

KTA4:

What elements of these posters (Star Wars: Clone Wars, Juno, Diary Of The Dead - see handouts and blog for images) allow you to identify the film’s genre?

KTA5:

Answer the following exam question: "Generic conventions provide a basic structure, but that is all. Every film is unique." Discuss this view. [45 marks]

KTA6:

Answer the following exam question: Explain how and why certain films combine the conventions of more than one genre. [45 marks]

KTA7:

Answer the following exam question: Discuss how and why film genres change over a period of time. [45 marks]

Essay Help

I have uploaded a folder onto Moodle containing essay plans, lists of useful quotes and past exam questions.


I have also made added a list of all the Key Tracking Assessment (i.e. your homwork tasks) and put them on Moodle.

Remakes Of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

• Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956) - The Original, Dir. Don Seigel, (Themes - conformity, communism, HUAC).
• Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) - Dir. Philip Kaufman, (Themes - urban alienation, enviromentalism,).
• Bodysnatchers (1993) - Dir. Abel Ferrara, (Themes - socio-moral collapse of the US, adolescence, loss of innocence, darkening of the American Dream, break-up of the family).
• The Faculty (1998) - Dir. Robert Rodriguez (teen horror, set in a highschool, Themes - conformity v. individuality, cliques).
• The Invasion (2007). - Dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel (Themes - the state of the world today, post 9/11 paranioa, disease (e.g. Bird Flu, SARS, AIDS etc.) but generally politically confused.)

Key Tracking Assessment 5

Answer the following exam question: 9. "Generic conventions provide a basic structure, but that is all. Every film is unique." Discuss this view. [45 marks]

2735 Media Issues And Debates Thursday 12th June 2008. Section B - Film: The Concept Of Genre In Film.

To help you write this essay, I have uploaded a folder onto Moodle containing essay plans, lists of useful quotes and past exam questions.

Science Fiction Themes

I have uploaded some differentiation resources onto Moodle for those of you who want to learn more about how the themes of science fiction films reflect the dominant ideologies of the societies that made them. Some of these were written by me for university so if you need help to understand them come and see me.

Key Tracking Assessment 3

Choose a horror, sci-fi or high school teen movie (I'd avoid teen movies, its too difficult) and analyse it in terms of how it reflects the key themes associated with its genre.

What is Communism?/What was HUAC?

These links will build on what we have done in class about the themes of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers and how it related to the political enviroment in America in the 1950s. Hollywood was badly hit by the HUAC investigations which resulted in ten well known screenwriter, and other film workers being blacklisted and jailed, they were know as 'The Hollywood Ten'.


Political Links:

• Communism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist
• House UnAmerican Activities Commission: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HUAC
• The Cold War: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War

The Hollywood Ten

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hollywood_Ten

You Tube Videos For HUAC and 'The Hollywood Ten'

• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=HUAC&aq=f
• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=hollywood+ten&aq=2&oq=Hollywood+Te

Differentiation Notes

I have uploaded some new genre notes onto moodle. These notes expand on the basic theories we have covered in class and, as a result, are more detailed and complex. You don't need to know all of this stuff as it is more advanced than you need but if you feel that what we are doing in class is too basic for you or you are simply interested in learning more then feel free to check them out. They include some extra tasks that you can do if you want as well.

The Seven Story Types

All stories will fit into one of seven basic plot types. These plots date back to ancient Greek theatre and the names we give them are based on famous examples of stories which fit into that category. The 7 plots are:

1. ACHILLES - The flawless (or almost flawless) person, e.g. Superman.
2. CINDERELLA - The dream come true (e.g. Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman.)
3. CIRCE - The chase, e.g The Blues Brothers.
4. FAUST - Selling your soul to the Devil may bring riches, but eventually, you will belong to him, e.g. Wall Street
5. ORPHEUS - The loss of something personal, e.g. Regarding Henry,
6. ROMEO & JULIET - The love story, e.g. Sleepless In Seattle. (Ironically, Shakespere's Romeo & Juliet actually goes into the Tristan and Iseult category!)
7. TRISTAN And ISEULT- X loves Y, but one or both are already spoken for, e.g. Fatal Attraction.

Key Tracking Assessment Task 4

What elements of these posters allow you to identify the film’s genre?

Exam Dates

The date of the Unit 2735: Media Issues And Debates exam paper (Genre & News) is: Thursday 11th June, a.m.

The date of the Unit 2734: Critical Research exam paper (for anybody resiting) is: Tuesday 16th June, p.m.

Classic Universal Horror Movies

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
The Cat and the Canary (1927)
The Man Who Laughs (1928)

Dracula (1931)
Dracula (Spanish Version) (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Mummy (1932)

The Invisible Man (1933)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Classic Hammer Movies

The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957)

Dracula (1958)

The Mummy (1959)

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

Key Tracking Assessment 1

Many of you have failed to submit your first key tracking assessment, the deadline for which was Week Beginning 02/02/09. Failure to submit homework will not be tolerated. If this work is not submitted by the time you return from half term you will be placed on a learning contract!

Key Tracking Assessment Task 2

1. Watch a sci-fi, horror or high school teen movie and identify its stages of equilibrium, disequilibrium and return to a new equilibrium.
2. Identify your own example of a genre film which pastiches another media text.
3. Identify your own example of a genre film, which parodies another media text.

Deadline: Week beginning 23/02/09 (first lesson back after half term)

Same Story...Different Genres

• The Glass Key (1941)
• Yojimbo (1961)
• A Fist Full Of Dollars (1964)
• Last Man Standing (1996)

Sci-Fi Horror And Teen Movies On Network TV 31st Jan - 6th Feb

Saturday 31st

The Final Countdown (1980, PG), 16:35, Channel 5, Sci-Fi.
Planet Of The Apes (2001, 12), 21:00, Channel 4, Sci-Fi.

Sunday 01st

The League Of Extrodinary Gentlemen (2003, 12), 20:00, Channel 4, Sci-Fi.
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005, PG), 22:30, BBC2, Sci-Fi.

Thursday 5th

Sleepy Hollow, (1999, 15), 22:20, Channel 4, Horror.
Thir13en Ghosts (2001, 15), 22:00, Channel 5, Horror.

What Is Genre

Genre: a French word for ‘Type’.

‘Genre’ is a critical tool that helps us study films and filmmakers, and audience responses to film by dividing films into categories based on common elements. These are know as a genre's Generic Characteristics.

Key Tracking Assessment Task 1

1. Pick one of the following genres:

• Science Fiction
• Horror
• High-School Teen Movie

2. Research that genre and make a list of its generic elements, i.e.

Typical Mise-en-scène: iconography, props, set design, lighting, temporal and geographic location, costume, shot types, camera angles, special effects,
Editing: Fast paced, slow paced, etc,
Typical Sound Design: types of dialogue, music, sound effects, etc.).
Typical Narrative Structure (plots, historical setting, set pieces).
Themes (the underlying messages, ideas, concepts the film deals with).
Generic Types, i.e. typical character types (do typical male/female roles exist, archetypes?).
Typical Studios, i.e. certain film studios are associated with particular genres.
Typical Personnel (directors, producers, actors, stars, auteurs etc.).

3. Make a list of key film text from that genre.

Deadline: Week Beginning 02/02/09

TRC A2 Media Studies Genre Blog

Welcome to the Thomas Rotherham College A2 Media Studies Genre Blog for Unit 2735 – Media Issues And Debates, Section B: Film, The Concept of Genre in Film.

Keep an eye on this blog as we will be using it to provide teaching and learning materials as a support to the college's Moodle VLE.