ms231 lecture05

TIPPERARY INSTITUTE: 

TIPPERARY INSTITUTE Media Studies Lecture 5: Genre Online at: http://learning.tippinst.ie/course/view.php?id=18

Aims and Objectives: 

Aims and Objectives To introduce the concept of Genre Identify a number of different Genres and their codes and conventions Examine the role of Intertextuality in creating meaning in media texts Explain why Genre is attractive to Producers Discuss the use of Genre as a critical tool for media analysis

Required Reading: 

Required Reading The required readings for this Lecture is Chapter 3 of Branston and Stafford and Pages 55-62 of Media Studies: the Essential Introduction, Rayner et. al (2001), Routledge, London

Genre: 

Genre What is Genre? A French term meaning type or classification The classification of media texts into groups with similar characteristics

Function of Genre: 

Function of Genre Genre acts as a way to organise media texts Share common elements, e.g. style narrative and structure Elements are repeated and become familiar Genres appeal to audiences by meeting expectations

Classic Genres in Literature: 

Classic Genres in Literature Epic Tragedy Lyric Comedy Satire

Genres in Film: 

Genres in Film Western Gangster Film Noir Science Fiction Romantic Comedy Horror Disaster Costume Drama (Activity – give examples )

Iconography: 

Iconography An important tool for identifying Genre is Iconography Visual imagery common to a genre Examples: Guns in Westerns Knives in Horror Movies Cars in Detective/Cop/Gangster Movies

Activity: 

Activity Identify and list a number of codes and conventions used in the Western Genre

Activity – Codes and Conventions in Cop Movies: 

Activity – Codes and Conventions in Cop Movies

Genres in Television: 

Genres in Television Soaps Documentaries Sit-Coms Police/Detective Reality TV Quiz Shows Chat Shows News and Current Affairs (Activity – give examples)

Fictional and Non-fictional Genres: 

Fictional and Non-fictional Genres It is important to distinguish between Fictional and Non-fictional Genres Fictional Genres – entertainment, pleasure and escapism Non-fictional Genres – entertainment, information, knowledge and reality

Fictional and Non-fictional Genres: 

Fictional and Non-fictional Genres Lines sometimes become blurred When Deirdre was wrongfully imprisoned in Coronation Street the Sun Newspaper ran a story demanding her release Tony Blair was asked in Parliament to arrange her release Sometimes fictional genres contribute to public debate by introducing contentious issues, e.g. aids, abortion, rape, homosexuality

Hybrid Genres: 

Hybrid Genres A Hybrid genre is a genre that mixes different genres, Example: Docusoap – contains elements of documentary and soap opera

Activity: 

Activity The following films are showing in the Clonmel Omniplex this week – what genres do they fit? Cellular Man About Dog Saw Wimbledon Garfield Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow Home on the Range Two Brothers

Activity: 

Activity Refer to your Media Consumption Worksheet Television Consumption – which genres do your favourite programmes fit? Which genres do the programmes you dislike fit? Cinema Consumption – which Genres do the films you watched recently represent?

Media Intertextuality: 

Media Intertextuality Intertextuality is the way in which texts refer to other media texts Intertextuality can take different forms Mimicry Parody Pastiche Homage

Mimicry: 

Mimicry Mimicry – mimics or copies stylistic features of another text Borrows from another text Connotation from original text follows through to new text Example: Thelma and Louise and the Peugeot 106 Car advertisement

Parody: 

Parody Parody – mocks the original in a critical or comedic way Examples: Use of final scene in the Graduate in Advertisements for Cars and Washing Powders. Use in soap operas – Andy and Kat’s weding in Eastenders Airplane movies – parody of Airport Disaster Movies Austin Powers – Parody of James Bond Movies Scary Movie – Parody of other Horror Movies

Pastiche: 

Pastiche Imitation of other texts Hotchpotch Recycling of earlier texts Reliance on Bricolage

Bricolage: 

Bricolage French word - Do it yourself Borrows and reassembles Example: Music re-mixes Film example: Pulp Fiction

Homage: 

Homage Homage – paying respect to Used by Directors to pay homage to earlier films Similar scenes are created The work of Hitchcock has been used by other Directors

Why is Genre important to Producers: 

Why is Genre important to Producers Winning formula – minimise risk taking by creating texts that audiences want to consume Important for budgets and plans Tool for product placement Can be Gender Specific – helpful in targeting audiences for advertising Channels can carry one Genre – e.g. Gardening, Home Improvement and Music - enables advertisers to target specific audiences

Activity: 

Activity Over the next few days – channel hop Identify which advertisements appear with specific genres Identify which adverisements appear regularly on MTV

Do all texts fit a specific Genre?: 

Do all texts fit a specific Genre? Some texts become marginalised because they do not meet audience expectations Yet, some become highly successful because they are very different, e.g. Blackaddar Monty Python Absolutely Fabulous

Genre as a Critical Tool: 

Genre as a Critical Tool Has some limitations because there are so many texts Mainly suited to Film and television – limited use in analysing newspapers, magazines and radio Some genres, e.g. soap operas contain subgenres making comparisons difficult – Does Eastenders belong in the same Genre as Neighbours?

Glossary: 

Glossary Genre Iconography Codes Conventions Hybrid Genres Intertextuality Mimicry Parody Pastiche Bricolage Homage Subgenres

MS231_A05-01: 

MS231_A05-01 Access an image of your favourite movie. Identify which genre it fits. Find a font that fits the Genre and create a caption, e.g. Romantic Comedy Horror Upload the font as a JPG into Moodlebox and as an HTML into the Moodle Assignment Area.

References:: 

References: Branston, G. & Stafford, R. (2003) The Media Student’s Book (3rd ed), Routledge, London Hartley, J. (2002), Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, The Key Concepts, Routledge, London Rayner, P. et. al (2001) Media Studies: The Essential Introduction, Routledge, London Watson, J. & Hill, A. (2000), Dictionary of Media & Communication Studies, (5th ed), arnold, London

Questions : 

Questions Liz Greaney lgreaney AT tippinst.ie Bernie Goldbach bfg AT tippinst.ie Soft copy: http://ict.tippinst.ie/~bgoldbach/ms/ms231_lecture05.ppt