BAFTNMP-105 : Film Appreciation – Genres : What is cinema, Film theory – form and function, Film analysis, Auteur Theory, effect of auteur, Contributions of D W, Griffith, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean Du Godard, Digital Aesthetics, Music and choreography, film genre. Cinema and society, History of Cinema, Hollywood cinema, early cinema and film form the studio system, rise and decline of the studio system. Indian Cinema History of Indian cinema, history of regional cinema, legends of Indian cinema, Hindi film industry, the Hindi film industry, music and choreography in Indian cinema, contemporary cinema.

1) The Oxford History of World Cinema. 2) The Cinematic ImagiNation : Indian Popular Films as Social History by Jyotika Virdi. 3) History of Indian Cinema by Renu Saran.

Film theory "Film theory" seeks to develop concise and systematic concepts that apply to the study of film as art. The concept of film as an art-form began with Ricciotto Canudo's The Birth of the Sixth Art. Formalist film theory, led by Rudolf Arnheim, Béla Balázs, and Siegfried Kracauer, emphasized how film differed from reality and thus could be considered a valid fine art. André Bazin reacted against this theory by arguing that film's artistic essence lay in its ability to mechanically reproduce reality, not in its differences from reality, and this gave rise to realist theory. More recent analysis spurred by Jacques Lacan's psychoanalysis and Ferdinand de Saussure's semiotics among other things has given rise to psychoanalytic film theory, structuralist film theory, feminist film theory, and others. On the other hand, critics from the analytical philosophy tradition, influenced by Wittgenstein, try to clarify misconceptions used in theoretical studies and produce analysis of a film's vocabulary and its link to a form of life. Language Film is considered to have its own language. James Monaco wrote a classic text on film theory, titled "How to Read a Film," that addresses this. Director Ingmar Bergman famously said, "Andrei Tarkovsky for me is the greatest director, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream." An example of the language is a sequence of back and forth images of one speaking actor's left profile, followed by another speaking actor's right profile, then a repetition of this, which is a language understood by the audience to indicate a conversation. This describes another theory of film, the 180-degree rule, as a visual story-telling device with an ability to place a viewer in a context of being psychologically present through the use of visual composition and editing. The "Hollywood style" includes this narrative theory, due to the overwhelming practice of the rule by movie studios based in Hollywood, California, during film's classical era. Another example of cinematic language is having a shot that zooms in on the forehead of an actor with an expression of silent reflection that cuts to a shot of a younger actor who vaguely resembles the first actor, indicating that the first person is remembering a past self, an edit of compositions that causes a time transition. Montage Montage is the technique by which separate pieces of film are selected, edited, and then pieced together to make a new section of film. A scene could show a man going into battle, with flashbacks to his youth and to his home-life and with added special effects, placed into the film after filming is complete. As these were all filmed separately, and perhaps with different actors, the final version is called a montage. Directors developed a theory of montage, beginning with Eisenstein and the complex juxtaposition of images in his film Battleship Potemkin.[7] Incorporation of musical and visual counterpoint, and scene development through mise en scene, editing, and effects has led to more complex techniques comparable to those used in opera and ballet. Criticism Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. In general, these works can be divided into two categories: academic criticism by film scholars and journalistic film criticism that appears regularly in newspapers and other media. Film critics working for newspapers, magazines, and broadcast media mainly review new releases. Normally they only see any given film once and have only a day or two to formulate their opinions. Despite this, critics have an important impact on the audience response and attendance at films, especially those of certain genres. Mass marketed action, horror, and comedy films tend not to be greatly affected by a critic's overall judgment of a film. The plot summary and description of a film and the assessment of the director's and screenwriters' work that makes up the majority of most film reviews can still have an important impact on whether people decide to see a film. For prestige films such as most dramas and art films, the influence of reviews is important. Poor reviews from leading critics at major papers and magazines will often reduce audience interest and attendance. The impact of a reviewer on a given film's box office performance is a matter of debate. Some observers claim that movie marketing in the 2000s is so intense, well-coordinated and well financed that reviewers cannot prevent a poorly written or filmed blockbuster from attaining market success. However, the cataclysmic failure of some heavily promoted films which were harshly reviewed, as well as the unexpected success of critically praised independent films indicates that extreme critical reactions can have considerable influence. Other observers note that positive film reviews have been shown to spark interest in little-known films. Conversely, there have been several films in which film companies have so little confidence that they refuse to give reviewers an advanced viewing to avoid widespread panning of the film. However, this usually backfires, as reviewers are wise to the tactic and warn the public that the film may not be worth seeing and the films often do poorly as a result. Journalist film critics are sometimes called film reviewers. Critics who take a more academic approach to films, through publishing in film journals and writing books about films using film theory or film studies approaches, study how film and filming techniques work, and what effect they have on people. Rather than having their reviews published in newspapers or appearing on television, their articles are published in scholarly journals or up-market magazines. They also tend to be affiliated with colleges or universities as professors or instructors.

Film Analysis I Shots Extreme long shot (ELS) / panoramic shot (Panoramaeinstellung): The camera is far away from the subject, emphasising the surroundings (Umgebung) e.g. a tiny group of riders in a vast landscape in a western. Long shot (LS) (Totale): A human usually takes up less than half the height of the frame (Bild), often used to show the setting of a scene. Medium shot (MS) (Halbnah): The subject and the surroundings have about equal importance. The picture shows e.g. the upper body of a person. Close-up (CU) (Großaufnahme): The subject fills most of the frame (e.g. the entire head) and little of the surroundings is shown. Close-ups are often used to show a character’s feelings. Extreme close-up (ECU) (Detailaufnahme): For example only the eyes or a certain object (like a knife or a gun) are shown. Establishing shot (Anfangseinstellung): Usually a long shot or an extreme long shot, which “establishes”, i.e. shows the setting (Schauplatz) often at the beginning of a film. POV shot (point-of-view) (subjektive Kamera): The camera adopts (übernehmen) the perspective of a character. We see what a character sees and therefore often identify with him/her. Reaction shot: Someone’s face reacting to an event, for example when a villain (Bösewicht) comes into a saloon. Before we see him we see the fearful expression on the faces of some of the guests. Camera Positions Top shot: The camera looks down at a 90° angle, you can see only head and shoulders of a person. Aerial shot / Bird’s-eye view (Vogelperspektive): The camera looks down from a great height (e.g. from a helicopter), frequently used in an establishing shot to give the viewer an overall impression of the setting. High angle shot (Aufsicht): The camera looks down at a character, making the character smaller e.g. to reduce his importance or convey loneliness. Eye-level shot (Normalsicht): The camera is on the same level as the character. Low angle shot (Untersicht): The camera looks up. A director may use a low angle shot to show a scene from a child’s perspective to convey fear and inferiority (Unterlegenheit). Worm’s eye view (Froschperspektive): The camera looks up from an extremely low angle e.g. to emphasize a character’s importance and/or power. Camera Movements Panning shot (Horizontaler Schwenk): A horizontal movement of a stationary (feststehend) camera. It corresponds to the turning of our head from one side to the other, used e.g. to present a panoramic view of a wide landscape in a western. Swish pan (Reißschwenk): A very fast panning shot which produces blurred images, often used to convey great speed. Tilting shot (Vertikaler Schwenk): A vertical movement of a stationary camera, corresponding to moving our head up and down. Film Analysis II Mobile camera: There are different ways to move the camera. One way is to move a platform with the camera and its operator on tracks (Schienen). Tracking / Traveling shot: A shot in which the camera moves from one point to another, either sideways, in, or out. Forward tracking shot (Vorwärtsfahrt): The camera follows a person from behind, e.g. during a chase. Reverse tracking shot (Rückwärtsfahrt): The camera moves backwards (= reverse), a character moves towards the camera, e.g. a man tries to escape and runs towards the viewer. Parallel tracking shot (Parallelfahrt): The camera moves parallel e.g. to a driving car or a group of riders. Dolly (Kamerawagen): A platform on wheels used to move the camera and its operator around while filming. Crane (Kran): Mechanical device to position the camera in the air or to move it above the ground; mostly used for high angle shots. Hand-held camera: Sometimes used to produce a deliberately jerky (verwackelt) picture, e.g. to convey emotional turmoil (seelische Qualen). Zoom: A special lens (Linse) gives the camera the apparent power to vary its distance from any subject. It creates the effect of smooth and fluid movement toward or away from the subject without actually requiring any movement of the camera. You zoom in on a character or an object. Focus When a film is shot (Film drehen) the director (Regisseur) and the cinematographer / cameraman (Kameramann) must decide which of the actors and/or props (Requisiten) must later be sharp / in focus (scharf) and which blurred / out of focus (unscharf, verschwommen). As the human eye is automatically drawn to the object which is in focus, the director may guide the viewer’s attention by focussing on (scharf stellen) e.g. a certain character or object. Deep focus (Tiefenschärfe): The photographic technique of keeping the entire image, no matter how far from the camera, in sharp focus. This allows action to occur at the same time in the foreground (Vordergrund), middleground and background. Shallow focus (geringe Tiefenschärfe): Only people or objects in the foreground are in focus, whereas the background is blurred; thus the importance e.g. of a dialogue can be visualized. Soft focus (Weichzeichner): A special lens creates a “soft”, dream-like picture, which often conveys that a character remembers e.g. his wonderful youth. Editing The smallest structural unit of film is a shot (Einstellung). A group of several interrelated shots form a scene (Szene). A group of consecutive (aufeinander folgend) and interrelated scenes which form a narrative unit (Einheit) are called sequence (Sequenz). Editing (schneiden) is the creative process of assembling (zusammenfügen) a meaningful film. The person who does this is called editor (Cutter). Cut (Schnitt): The most common transition (Übergang) between shots, made by joining the end of one shot to the beginning of the following shot.

Film Analysis III Fade-in (Aufblende): An image that appears out of a black field. It is frequently used at the beginning of a film. Fade-out (Abblende): A picture fades (langsam verschwinden) into black, used e.g. at the end of a film as a gradual exit from its world. Dissolve (Überblende) also: lap dissolve: A transition between shots in which one shot begins to fade out as the next shot fades in, overlapping the first shot before replacing it. Wipe (Wischblende): One shot is “pushed off” the screen by the next shot. The most common wipe is a vertical line, moving across the screen from one side to the other. Cross-cutting: Alternating (abwechseln) between subjects or events occurring at the same time at different places; often used to create suspense. Example: Cross-cutting between a murderer threatening to kill his female victim and the detective coming to save her. Visual Effects Slow motion / slomo (Zeitlupe): Movements on the screen are slower than in real-life. Slow motion is used e.g. to increase the impact of a dramatic fight like in Matrix. The opposite is fast motion (Zeitraffer): Movements on the screen are faster than in reality, often used for comic effects. Freeze frame (Standbild): An unmoving picture, that is used e.g. to create the impression that all action has suddenly stopped. Morphing: Changing an image with the help of CGI (Computer Generated Image) software, e.g. robots changing into humans in the Terminator movies. Miscellaneous Subjective sound: “Unreal” sound, i.e. we hear something the way a character perceives (wahrnehmen) something. Voice-over (Erzählerkommentar): The voice of a narrator who speaks and comments on the story but is not shown. Flashback (Rückblende): A scene that interrupts the chronological order to show earlier events, its opposite is a flashforward (Vorausschau). Parody (Parodie): An amusing imitation of a well-known genre (Gattung) or specific movie. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a parody of horror movies. Product placement: “Placing” (= showing) products in a film so that viewers notice them. A character drinks e.g. from a Coca-Cola can and emphasizes how good it tastes. Critic (Kritiker): Somebody who publishes a review (Besprechung, Kritik) of a movie e.g. in a newspaper. Sequel (Fortsetzung): A film that shows a story that happens after the story of an earlier film. Its opposite is called prequel, a story that happened before (= “pre”) the story of an earlier film (cf. Star Wars) Screenplay (Drehbuch): The earliest version of a script, written before filming begins. The shooting script is the version of the script that is used during filming. The storyboard is a series of drawings of each shot of a planned film. Credits (Vor- und Nachspann): A list of all the people who were involved in the making of a film.

AUTEUR THEORY “The auteur theory is a way of reading and appraising films through the imprint of an auteur (author), usually meant to be the director.” Andre Bazin was the founder, in 1951, of Cahiers du cinema and is often seen as the father of auteurism because of his appreciation of the world-view and style of such artists as Charlie Chaplin and Jean Renoir. It was younger critics at the magazine who developed the idea further, drawing attention to significant directors from the Hollywood studio era as well as European directors. François Truffaut, possibly the most polemic Cahiers critic, coined the phrase ‘politique des auteurs’ (referring to the aesthetic policy of venerating directors). The French critics were responding to the belated influx of American films in France after World War Two (they had been held back by import restrictions for a number of years). Thus, directors like Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford were hailed, often extravagantly, as major artists of the cinema. Critics like Truffaut knew that American filmmakers were working within the restrictions of the Hollywood system and that the types of films and their scripts were often decided for them. But they believed that such artists could nonetheless achieve a personal style in the way they shot a film – the formal aspects of it and the themes that they might seek to emphasise (eg. Eric Rohmer and Claude Chabrol wrote a book on Hitchcock in which they highlighted recurrent themes in his films, including the transfer of guilt). With other, often European directors, the stamp of the auteur often involved them scripting and fashioning their own material. With their auteurist approach, the French critics justified their appreciation of the Hollywood films they loved and to criticise the respectable French mainstream, which they viewed as having gone stale and uncinematic. It was an idealist declaration which provided something of a blueprint for their ensuing careers as film directors in their own rights, distinctive artists with a discernable personal styles and preoccupations. The idea of the auteur gained currency in America in the 1960s through Andrew Sarris. He devised the notion of auteur theory (the French critics had never claimed the concept to be a ‘theory’). He used it to tell the history of American filmmaking through the careers and work of individuals, classifying them according to their respective talents. “Over a group of films a director must exhibit certain recurrent characteristics of style, which serve as his signature.” Andrew Sarris Sarris’s approach led to the formation of a canon of great directors. But Hollywood was wary of the idea that it produced art rather than entertainment. Biographer Donald Spoto says that Hitchcock’s book of interviews with Truffaut “hurt and disappointed just about everybody who had ever worked with Alfred Hitchcock, for the interviews reduced the writers, the designers, the photographers, the composers, and the actors to little other than elves in the master carpenter's workshop. The book is a valuable testimony to Truffaut's sensibilities, and to Hitchcock's brilliantly lean cinematic style. It is also a masterpiece of Hitchcockian self-promotion.” Many other Hollywood directors rejected the idea of themselves as serious artists: they just made movies. Many directors in the studio system would see themselves as un-self-conscious craftsmen. Others, like Hitchcock, cultivated their persona (he revelled in the guise of ‘the master of suspense’, introduced his own TV series and appeared in cameo form in many of his films. Today, the notion of the individual as auteur is less theoretically constrained, so that we might consider actors as auteurs as well as directors and producers. The key thing is that a recognisable imprint is left on a body of films, and this may involve varying levels of creative input. For example, in the Laurel and Hardy partnership, Stan Laurel made the significant decisions about their act whilst Oliver Hardy did little more than turn up and get on with his job. But on screen we are only aware of the combined and instantly recognisable effect of the two performing together. When considering an actor, the important question to address is the kind of identity he/she projects and how this identity is created through their performances. Is their persona stable, or does it vary? Sometimes, actors are cast against type or give a markedly different performance to that with which they are associated – what is the effect of this? Extract from “The Singer or the Song?” (Ellen Cheshire): Author As Production Worker Is it possible for a director to personally carry out every aspect of production? Surely, if the director is the true Auteur this is what is required. If the director does not fulfill all the production functions, how is the 'author' of a film identified and established? This is a question frequently asked, and the answer varies depending on how the film was made. For example, if the film was made independently and was written, directed, starred, produced by the same person - Woody Allen say - it is quite acceptable to claim that he is an Auteur, whose unique style can be found from one film to the next. Hence it has generally been agreed that those directors who work(ed) outside the mainstream are more prone to encompass a variety of production tasks within the role of director, and therefore it can be considered that the film's artistic vision is more likely to be their own. These directors take on the multi-task role for a number of reasons, such as to save money or maintain control. Directors within this category include: Art Cinema (Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini), American Independent (Quentin Tarrantino, Woody Allen), French New Wave (Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut), Silent Cinema (G W Griffiths, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton). However, 'Auteurs' have also emerged from the heyday of Hollywood (John Ford, William Wyler) when films were made in almost factory-like conditions, with directors being assigned projects, complete with script, cast and production crew, the completed film being a product of the combined efforts of many rather than by an individual. However, in general, the role of director comes closest to co-ordinating all stages of production which have most impact on the way a film looks and sounds. The director must have control over and responsibility for the myriad of tasks required to make a film, and combine them to fulfil one voice and one vision. The role of a director can be seen to be similar to that of a conductor of an orchestra. The conductor may not be able to play all the instruments, but he must be able to combine them to create a harmonious arrangement of music. One of the primary reasons the Auteur Theory persists and the acceptance of the 'Director as Star' continues is for marketing and promotional reasons. It is far easier to sell an established director's film to an already educated audience than to sell a film from a first time director. Marketing campaigns are planned around the logical premise that 'if you liked X's last film, you'll love their new one', thereby reaffirming that it is the Director's input alone that creates a film's individual style. Prior to the emergence of the Auteur Theory, films had previously been studied and marketed by their genre or their stars. However the Auteur theory allowed film to be discussed seriously and created a new way for films to be viewed and studied, especially in Hollywood where commercial film-makers, whose work had generally been treated as a craft rather than art, suddenly found their movies studied in universities all over the world. This helped to promote the role of the director in the public's eye, creating the phenomenon of 'The Director as Star.' Current 'stars' include Martin Scorsese, Stephen Spielberg, Woody Allen and Quentin Tarrantino. Both the desire for the Director to become the star, and the Director's need for the Auteur Theory can be found in the following quote from Roman Polanski: "To me, the director is a superstar. The best films are best because of nobody but the director. You speak of Citizen Kane or 81⁄2 or Seven Samurai it's thanks to the director who was the star of it. He makes the film, he creates it." (Roman Polanski in The Film Director As Superstar by Joseph Gelmis, Pelican Books, 1970) 'It [Auteur Theory] sure as shit isn't true in Hollywood' (William Goldman, Adventures In The Screentrade, Futura, 1983) As with all theories, there is always another point of view. Thinking about the film-making process logically, the Auteur Theory does not stand a chance. Compare the process of writing a novel - one person sitting in a room writing - to that of film. Film is a collaborative effort, which needs the input of a multitude of trained professionals to create the finished product. One only needs to sit through the end credits of any feature film to see how many people are involved in making it. Each person brings their own creative input. Some get a chance to use it, others do not. Therefore, how can it be believed that the director (any director) is the film's true author and creative genius when millions of dollars are being spent on specialist creative contributors. William Goldman states that he has never met anyone working in the Hollywood film industry who believes in the Auteur Theory, including the directors themselves. He states that it is the combined effort of trained professionals that bring the film's coherent vision to the fore and claims that the seven most important contributors are, in alphabetical order: the actor, the cameraman. the director, the editor, the producer, the production designer and the writer This confirms that film-making is a group endeavour and to elevate one person's contribution above that of another is unacceptable. However, as Peter Woollen readily admits in 'The Auteur Theory', 'the director's primary task is often one of co-ordination and rationalisation' and can be dangerous for any one person to believe that they are indispensable and can do no wrong.

Psychology of characters Hitchcock's films sometimes feature characters struggling in their relationships with their mothers. In North by Northwest (1959), Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is an innocent man ridiculed by his mother for insisting that shadowy, murderous men are after him. In The Birds(1963), the Rod Taylor character, an innocent man, finds his world under attack by vicious birds, and struggles to free himself from a clinging mother (Jessica Tandy). The killer in Frenzy (1972) has a loathing of women but idolises his mother. The villain Bruno in Strangers on a Trainhates his father, but has an incredibly close relationship with his mother (played by Marion Lorne). Sebastian (Claude Rains) in Notorious has a clearly conflictual relationship with his mother, who is (correctly) suspicious of his new bride Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman). Norman Bates has troubles with his mother in Psycho.

Hitchcock heroines tend to be blondes.[9][10] The famous victims in The Lodger are all blondes. In The 39 Steps, Hitchcock's glamorous blonde star, Madeleine Carroll, is put in handcuffs. In Marnie (1964), the title character (played by Tippi Hedren) is a thief. In To Catch a Thief(1955), Francie (Grace Kelly) offers to help a man she believes is a burglar. In Rear Window, Lisa (Grace Kelly again) risks her life by breaking into Lars Thorwald's apartment. The best-known example is in Psycho where Janet Leigh's unfortunate character steals $40,000 and is murdered by a reclusive psychopath. Hitchcock's last blonde heroine was Barbara Harris as a phony psychic turned amateur sleuth in Family Plot (1976), his final film. In the same film, the diamond smuggler played by Karen Black could also fit that role, as she wears a long blonde wig in various scenes and becomes increasingly uncomfortable about her line of work. The English 'Hitchcock blonde' was based on his preference for the heroines to have an "indirect" sex appeal of English women, ladylike in public, but whores in the bedroom, with Hitchcock stating to Truffaut: I think the most interesting women, sexually, are the English women. I feel that the English women, the Swedes, the northern Germans and Scandinavians are a great deal more exciting than the Latin, the Italian and the French women. Sex should not be advertised. An English girl, looking like a schoolteacher, is apt to get into a cab with you and, to your surprise, she'll probably pull a man's pants open. ... Without the element of surprise the scenes become meaningless. There's no possibility to discover sex.[2] Signature appearances in his films Hitchcock appears briefly in most of his own films. For example, he is seen struggling to get a double bass onto a train (Strangers on a Train), walking dogs out of a pet shop (The Birds), fixing a neighbour's clock (Rear Window), as a shadow (Family Plot), sitting at a table in a photograph (Dial M for Murder), and missing a bus (North by Northwest). Themes, plot devices and motifs Hitchcock returned several times to cinematic devices such as suspense, the audience as voyeur, and his well-known "MacGuffin," a plot device that is essential to the characters on the screen, but is irrelevant to the audience. Thus, the MacGuffin was always hazily described (in North By Northwest, Leo G. Carroll describes James Mason as an "importer-exporter.") A central theme of Hitchcock's films was murder and the psychology behind it. Inspiration for themes In a 1963 interview with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci, Hitchcock was asked how in spite of appearing to be a pleasant, innocuous man, he seemed to enjoy making films involving suspense and terrifying crime. He responded: I'm English. The English use a lot of imagination with their crimes. I don't get such a kick out of anything as much as out of imagining a crime. When I'm writing a story and I come to a crime, I think happily: now wouldn't it be nice to have him die like this? And then, even more happily, I think: at this point people will start yelling. It must be because I spent three years studying with the Jesuits. They used to terrify me to death, with everything, and now I'm getting my own back by terrifying other people Style of working Writing Hitchcock once commented, "The writer and I plan out the entire script down to the smallest detail, and when we're finished all that's left to do is to shoot the film. Actually, it's only when one enters the studio that one enters the area of compromise. Really, the novelist has the best casting since he doesn't have to cope with the actors and all the rest." In an interview with Roger Ebert in 1969, Hitchcock elaborated further: Once the screenplay is finished, I'd just as soon not make the film at all ... I have a strongly visual mind. I visualise a picture right down to the final cuts. I write all this out in the greatest detail in the script, and then I don't look at the script while I'm shooting. I know it off by heart, just as an orchestra conductor needs not look at the score ... When you finish the script, the film is perfect. But in shooting it you lose perhaps 40 percent of your original conception.[146]

In Writing with Hitchcock, a book-length study of Hitchcock's working method with his writers, author Steven DeRosa noted that, "Although he rarely did any actual 'writing', especially on his Hollywood productions, Hitchcock supervised and guided his writers through every draft, insisting on a strict attention to detail and a preference for telling the story through visual rather than verbal means. While this exasperated some writers, others admitted the director inspired them to do their very best work. Hitchcock often emphasised that he took no screen credit for the writing of his films. However, over time the work of many of his writers has been attributed solely to Hitchcock's creative genius, a misconception he rarely went out of his way to correct. Notwithstanding his technical brilliance as a director, Hitchcock relied on his writers a great deal. Storyboards and production According to the majority of commentators, Hitchcock's films were extensively storyboarded to the finest detail. He was reported to have never even bothered looking through the viewfinder, since he did not need to, though in publicity photos he was shown doing so. He also used this as an excuse to never have to change his films from his initial vision. If a studio asked him to change a film, he would claim that it was already shot in a single way, and that there were no alternate takes to consider. However, this view of Hitchcock as a director who relied more on pre-production than on the actual production itself has been challenged by the book Hitchcock at Work, written by Bill Krohn, the American correspondent of Cahiers du cinéma. Krohn, after investigating several script revisions, notes to other production personnel written by or to Hitchcock alongside inspection of storyboards, and other production material, has observed that Hitchcock's work often deviated from how the screenplay was written or how the film was originally envisioned. He noted that the myth of storyboards in relation to Hitchcock, often regurgitated by generations of commentators on his films, was to a great degree perpetuated by Hitchcock himself or the publicity arm of the studios. A great example would be the celebrated crop-spraying sequence of North by Northwest which was not storyboarded at all. After the scene was filmed, the publicity department asked Hitchcock to make storyboards to promote the film and Hitchcock in turn hired an artist to match the scenes in detail. Even when storyboards were made, scenes that were shot differed from them significantly. Krohn's extensive analysis of the production of Hitchcock classics like Notorious reveals that Hitchcock was flexible enough to change a film's conception during its production. Another example Krohn notes is the American remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much,whose shooting schedule commenced without a finished script and moreover went over schedule, something that, as Krohn notes, was not an uncommon occurrence on many of Hitchcock's films, including Strangers on a Train and Topaz. While Hitchcock did do a great deal of preparation for all his films, he was fully cognisant that the actual film- making process often deviated from the best-laid plans and was flexible to adapt to the changes and needs of production as his films were not free from the normal hassles faced and common routines utilised during many other film productions. JEAN-LUC GODARD, director of Breathless and many other motion pictures, was one of the central figures of the New Wave of French filmmaking in the 1960s.  FAMOUS FILM DIRECTORS  FAMOUS PEOPLE BORN IN PARIS  FAMOUS FRENCH PEOPLE  FAMOUS LYCÉE BUFFON ALUMNI QUOTES “The cinema is not an art which films life: the cinema is something between art and life.” —Jean-Luc Godard Synopsis Born in Paris, France, on December 3, 1930, Jean-Luc Godard is one of the central filmmakers of the French New Wave movement of the 1960s. Like his contemporaries François Truffaut and Eric Rohmer, Godard reworked the conventions of Hollywood movies and brought new energy and irreverence to film. His romance-crime movie Breathless (1959) is one of the most influential movies of its era. Early Life and Education Jean-Luc Godard was born in Paris, France, on December 3, 1930. His wealthy French-Swiss parents, Paul and Odile (née Monod) Godard, raised Jean-Luc and his three siblings primarily in Switzerland. After World War II, Godard attended the Lycée Buffon in Paris. He moved back and forth between France and Switzerland for several years before settling in Paris in 1949, when he enrolled at the Sorbonne, University of Paris to study anthropology. Paris and Film Criticism Rather than completing his studies at the Sorbonne, Godard became immersed in the film culture of Paris' Latin Quarter. He spent most of his time attending film screenings with his friends François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette and Eric Rohmer, who would also become important directors. Godard, Truffaut and their companions began publishing film criticism in such journals as La Gazette du Cinéma and Cahiers du Cinéma in the early 1950s. As writers and directors, this group would become known as the New Wave (Nouvelle Vague) of French filmmaking. Godard directed two short films, Operation Concrete and A Flirtatious Woman, in the mid- '50s. Work of 1959-67 In 1959, Godard made his most influential film, Breathless (A bout de souffle), a contemporary update of the classic gangster movie, featuring a handsome young French criminal (played by Jean-Paul Belmondo) and his pretty American girlfriend (Jean Seberg). Filmed in black-and-white on a low budget, Breathless combined romance and violence, humor and tragedy. Its dynamic camera-work, featuring Godard's signature use of jump cuts, would become as influential as its fragmented narrative and its jazzy depiction of youth culture. In a remarkable burst of creativity, Godard made 15 full-length features between 1959 and 1967. He followed Breathless with The Little Soldier, a political thriller that introduced the actress Anna Karina. Other films of this period are Pierrot le Fou, starring Karina and Belmondo as young lovers on a crime spree; Band of Outsiders, a stylish crime drama; Alphaville, which combined science fiction and film noir; Contempt, with Brigitte Bardot and American actor Jack Palance; and the darkly humorous road-movie Weekend. 1968 and Political Filmmaking Following the political and social turbulence of 1968, a year when Paris was rocked by civil unrest, strikes and student protests, Godard brought his political beliefs at the center of his work. Like many French intellectuals of the day, he was influenced by Maoism during this era. He and the journalist Jean-Pierre Gorin founded the Dziga Vertov group, a collective of politically oriented filmmakers; the group was active in the 1970s, but its work was rarely seen outside activist circles. Many of Godard's movies of the 1970s and 1980s were too ideological or too incomprehensible for audiences (or even critics) to embrace. However, he made a brief commercial comeback in the 1980s with a trilogy of films about feminine sexuality: Passion, First Name: Carmen and the controversial Hail Mary. In the 1990s he worked on Histoire(s) du Cinéma, a 10-part video study of French cinema. In 2010 Godard was given an honorary Academy award, the Governors Award, by the Hollywood establishment; however, he did not attend the awards ceremony. Personal Life Godard has been married twice, first to his leading lady Anna Karina from 1961 to 1967, and then to the actress and writer Anne Wiasemsky from 1967 to 1979. He and his partner, the filmmaker Anne-Marie Miéville, have lived together in Rolle, Switzerland since 1977.

Film Genres Most people who go to the movies never think about the genre of the film they're watching, or have just seen. They're simply trying to enjoy themselves. Having said that, screenwriters, need to know the genre they're working in before, during, and after they've completed their final draft. Genre is the category of artistic composition... In this case, “film,” characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. When it comes to film, most, if not all theories have actually been borrowed from literary genre criticism. Right off the top, there's two basic distinctions to be made about film: • Fiction • Documentary Aside from this obvious difference however, film genres can be categorized as follows... Setting Where the actual story and action of the film takes place. Theme Refers to the issues or concepts the film revolves around. Mood The emotional tone of the film. Format How the film was shot or presented. Film. Video. 16mm. 35mm. Hi-Definition. DV. Mini-DV. We can even categorize film genres by their target audiences. Film genres also extend to subgenres. A category within a category, if you will. For example, romantic comedies are actually a subgenre of the “Love Story” film. Even more important for the screenwriter to know is that these film genres and subgenres can and should be combined to create new, hybrid genres... I don't know why, but the subgenre, “Torture Porn,” comes to mind. Film Genre Definition It's generally considered that film genres are defined the following four ways: 1. The “Idealist method” which judges film by predetermined standards. 2. The “Empirical method” which compares a film to a list of other films within that genre to determine the genre of that film, itself. 3. The “Apriori method” which utilizes components identified in advance. 1 4. The “Social conventions method” which identifies a film's genre based on the accepted cultural consensus within society. The term, “genre” is very often, a vague way to identify a film because there are really no fixed boundaries and so many films today, expand into multiple genres and subgenres. Some film genres are story-based – war films, for instance – while others are developed and created from literature – like comedies or dramas -- or from other media – like musicals. There are film genres that are also performer-based... Think back to the Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger films. Budget-based film genres are those tent pole films the studios release throughout the year with the intention of becoming a blockbuster. The art film genre is based on artistic status, while race films deal with racial identity. Let's not forget the location-based film genre or sexual orientation film genre where both westerns and gay and lesbian films reside. Screenwriters need to remember many of these different film genres already have a built-in audience and fan base along with media outlets like magazines and websites that support their existence. The harder a film is to categorize into a genre, the harder it is to get made and they are often less successful than their counterparts. Be mindful of genres that work and catapult their studios and producers into the black. Study films that cross into other genres and subgenres that make money. There's a reason for that. Film genres are also used for promotion, criticism, and consumption. In today's screenplay market, a screenwriter must know how to transcend genres, in order to give their eventual audience some sense of originality and surprise. This is why it's so important to know your genres before, during, and after writing your final draft because often, it's genre that determines some of the plot and content that should ultimately, find its way into your screenplay. Start off by studying specific genre-based films... Find out what works and what doesn't. Don't just watch these films for enjoyment. Watch them to learn. When you do in fact enjoy a scene, figure out why. Make notes. Find films with similar type scenes and figure out what made them work or not work. Studying films like this, allows the screenwriter to borrow certain elements of successful movies, implement their own twist, then include it in their own spec screenplays. No doubt, you've already read screenplays and watched films that attempted to do just that... And while many of these films didn't get it done when it comes to originality, that should be considered, “good news” to the screenwriter trying to break into the business. Those films got made yet fell short... Stay away from derivation. Push yourself to be original because even when films that were produced, yet fell short when it came to originality, somebody thought it would work. Somebody in the “greenlight” loop thought it was original enough but when they fail? The bar is automatically raised the next time around. Know this up front. Stay original and you'll have a much easier time getting those in the industry to read your material. 2 More good news... Most screenwriters today – professionals and those trying to break in – simply do not twist their story enough so their final draft doesn't feel derived from some other film. In fact, a lot of screenwriters on both sides of the fence think it's actually okay to be a little derivative. Don't fall into that trap. So now that you understand film genres somewhat, let's get into the genres and subgenres used by working screenwriters today. The list may surprise you a bit but rest assured, these genres and subgenres have evolved from practice and experience. The “Love Story” film genre... The “Love Story” film is defined as a genre where the plot revolves around the love between two protagonists. The “Love Story” genre normally contains a theme exploring an issue or issues within the love itself. Some examples are “forbidden love,” “love triangles,” “sacrificial love,” and “love at first sight.” While a lot of films within the “Love Story” genre are quite similar, the tone of the “Love Story” film can vary quite a lot. The “Love Story” film's intent is to always evoke strong emotional reactions from its audience, whether the film ends happy or sad. Some examples of the “Love Story” film genre... • TITANIC • THE NOTEBOOK • FORREST GUMP • HER • GONE WITH THE WIND • BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN • GHOST Subgenres of the “Love Story” film genre include... Romantic Drama film subgenre: this subgenre explores the more complex side of love. The plot normally revolves around a seemingly insurmountable obstacle preventing the love between the two protagonists in the film. Some examples of these seemingly insurmountable obstacles include... • Family disapproval • Forbidden love • Psychological barriers of one or both of the protagonists • Bad timing Romantic dramas often end with the two protagonists in love separating because they simply cannot overcome the obstacle, realizing they are incompatible, or simply as the result of fate. 3 Some examples of the Romantic Drama film subgenre... • AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN • TITANIC • THE GREAT GATSBY • THE NOTEBOOK • TWILIGHT Romantic Comedy film subgenre: this subgenre utilizes the combination of love and humor in order to capture the heart of its audience. The Romantic Comedy is usually light-hearted fare, placing the two protagonists in love in humorous situations that test their love for one another. This subgenre usually centers itself around a romantic ideal... True love. The endings of this subgenre almost always prove the romantic ideal wins out over whatever obstacles or situations the screenwriter threw in its way. Some examples of the Romantic Comedy film subgenre... • WHEN HARRY MET SALLY • KNOCKED UP • FAILURE TO LAUNCH • HITCH • YOU'VE GOT MAIL • AS GOOD AS IT GETS Buddy Salvation film subgenre: more commonly known as the “Buddy Movie.” The Buddy Salvation subgenre replaces romantic love between the two “buddies,” with friendship. Some examples of Buddy Salvation film subgenre... • THELMA AND LOUISE • LETHAL WEAPON • 48 HOURS • ROMY AND MICHELLE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION • BAD BOYS The “Horror” film genre... The “Horror” film genre contains three subgenres... The Uncanny subgenre: where the source of horror can be be explained no matter how astonishing it seems to be. Think government or science-created monsters, aliens, etc. Some examples of The Uncanny subgenre... • THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE • PSYCHO • HALLOWEEN. The Supernatural subgenre: where the source of the horror originates from a spirit realm or world. Some examples of The Supernatural subgenre... 4 • THE EXORCIST • A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET • THE EVIL DEAD. The Super-Uncanny subgenre: where the audience keeps guessing where the source of the horror is coming from. Usually between at least two other possibilities. Some examples of the Super-Uncanny subgenre... • THE SHINING • THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT • THE THING The “Western” film genre... This genre revolves around stories set in the late 19th century in the American Old West. Most western genre films take place sometime between the American Civil War and the early 1900s. Some common themes of the western genre film are as follows... • Taming the country • Conflict between cowboys and Indians • Cultural differences between the East and the West • Outlaws and lawlessness of the Old West • Treasure and or prospecting for gold • Resistance to modern change The "Western" film genre normally centers around a detached, apathetic, and stoic protagonist yet emphasizes the significance of honor and sacrifice. Subgenres of the “Western” film genre are as follows... Contemporary Western subgenre: films set in contemporary America yet reflect the motifs and themes of the classic Westerns. These films are almost always still set somewhere in the west. Contemporary Westerns will very often explore the “Cowboy” who struggles in the new, modern, civilized world. Contemporary Westerns explore and examine the protagonist as well as how the west itself has changed since the 1800s to early 1900s. Some examples of the Contemporary Western subgenre include... • BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN • HUD • NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN • LONE STAR • DOWN IN THE VALLEY The Revisionist Western subgenre: these films were developed and created in the 1960s and often took a hard look at the travesties resulting from civilizing the west. This kind of film introduced audiences to Native Americans as more than the typical “blood-thirsty savages” they were portrayed as in the older, classic western films. Often, the use of violence is called into examination in the revisionist western... Is it moral? Is it justified? 5 Some examples of the Revisionist Western subgenre include... • DANCES WITH WOLVES • THE WILD BUNCH. UNFORGIVEN • THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE The Science-Fiction Western subgenre: this subgenre incorporates science-fiction elements into the western film. The Science-Fiction Western subgenre will often utilize some kind of future technology that transports present day characters into the Old West. This subgenre tends to contain a lighter tone and less violence than the traditional western. Some examples of the Science-Fiction Western subgenre include... • WILD WILD WEST • COWBOYS AND ALIENS • WESTWORLD • TIMERIDER • BACK TO THE FUTURE III The Spaghetti Western subgenre: also known as the Italian Western, is a broad genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international boxoffice success. Shot on location in an Italian desert, the Spaghetti Western film tended to be lower budget than their American counterpart. This subgenre of the Western was responsible for introducing more violence than audiences were used to with American-made western films. The protagonist of these films were much less noble and more mercenary than American western protagonists. Some examples of the Spaghetti Western subgenre include... • THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY • A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS • FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE The “Modern Epic” film genre... Where the protagonist is pit against the state or some overwhelming entity or institution... Some examples of the “Modern Epic” film genre include... • MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON • THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT • BRAVEHEART • SCHINDLER'S LIST The “War film” genre... The “War film” genre revolves specifically around combat. Pro-war and Antiwar subgenres: More contemporary war films usually oppose war or point out that war is senseless however, in the beginning of this genre, war was actually glorified... Even with its 6 obvious brutality being evident. The “Maturation Plot” film genre -- also known as the “Coming-of- Age” story... Some examples of the “Maturation Plot” film genre include... • RISKY BUSINESS • THE BREAKFAST CLUB • DEAD POETS SOCIETY • FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF • STAND BY ME • FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH The “Redemption Plot” film genre... This genre usually shows its protagonist arc start off bad, then arc its way to good. Some examples of the “Redemption Plot” film genre... • THE HUSTLER • DRUGSTORE COWBOY • GRAN TORINO • CRAZY HEART • THE WRESTLER • RAIN MAN The “Punitive Plot” film genre... In this film genre, the protagonist's arc often starts out with him or her being a good guy, then ending up as bad guy. The character is often unsympathetic and generally unlikable, yet they have sufficient charisma or other power we find fascinating in some way. Some examples of the “Punitive Plot” film genre... • THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE • FALLING DOWN • WALL STREET The “Testing Plot” film genre... These are films revolving around the protagonist's willpower versus their temptation to conform. Some examples of the “Testing Plot” film genre include... • COOL HAND LUKE • THE LAST CASTLE • BRUBAKER The “Education Plot” film genre... The Education Plot genre has its protagonist undergo a deep change of his or her view of self, people, 7 or life. This usually starts from a negative point of view, changing to a positive point of view. Some examples of the “Education Plot” film genre include... • GROSS POINTE BLANK • MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING • TENDER MERCIES The “Disillusionment Plot” film genre... This genre has its protagonist change his or her world view from positive to negative. Some examples of the “Disillusionment Plot” film genre include... • THE GREAT GATSBY • MACBETH • MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE The “Comedy” film genre... The “Comedy” film genre relies on humor as its driving force to push plot forward. Comedy films are made to evoke laughter from its audience through humorous action and dialogue via its characters. While it's true a comedy might contain serious material, they usually climax with happy endings. Some examples of the Comedy film genre include... • GROUNDHOG DAY • HAPPY GILMORE • THE HANGOVER The “Comedy” film genre can be used to create hybrid subgenres because humor is vastly international and can be implemented into many other film genres... Anarchic Comedy subgenre: The Anarchic-Comedy subgenre of comedy uses stream-of-consciousness humor that tends to be nonsensical. Its characters and situations are exaggerated. They often incorporate slapstick comedy, yet generally considered to be less violent physically overall. Anarchiccomedy films rarely rely on narrative to explain the context of its humor. Some examples of the Anarchic-Comedy film subgenre include... • MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL • BLAZING SADDLES • ANIMAL HOUSE Action-Comedy subgenre: this subgenre combines humor with action and relies on its characters for that humor while the action is normally less intense than traditional action films. Some examples of the Action-Comedy film subgenre include... • BEVERLY HILLS COP • HOT FUZZ 8 • RUSH HOUR • LETHAL WEAPON Black-Comedy: The Black-Comedy subgenre is a combination of both comedy and satire and revolve around subjects that are often considered taboo. These films take topics and situations normally taken for granted as serious, and explores them in a comedic way. Because of this comedic approach, this subgenre often causes its audience to not only laugh but feel uncomfortable as well. Some examples of the Black-Comedy film subgenre include... • FARGO • HAROLD AND MAUDE • DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB Horror-Comedy film subgenre: This subgenre combines its comedy with traditional horror film themes and characters. Its subject matter can often cause the Horror-Comedy to cross over into Black-Comedy territory. While these kinds of films' focus on ways of making its audience laugh at their fear, their main goal is to in fact scare their audience as well. Some examples of the Horror- Comedy film subgenre include... • BEETLEJUICE • ZOMBIELAND • SHAUN OF THE DEAD Dramedy: This subgenre of film contains and maintains both fairly equal amounts of dramatic tone and comedy. It's this balance the provides comedic relief for its audience while focusing on serious issues. Some examples of the Dramedy film subgenre include... • LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE • THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS • LOST IN TRANSLATION Parody, Spoof, or Farce film subgenre: This subgenre bases itself in reality, yet ridicule, scoff, mock, or impersonate serious issues, situations, and people. They rely very heavily on satire and thus, used as a way to create political or social commentary. Some examples of the Parody, Spoof, or Farce film subgenre include... • NAKED GUN • SCARY MOVIE • LIFE OF BRIAN Romantic-Comedy film subgenre: A subgenre of film that tries to win its audience over with a combination of both humor and love. Lighthearted in mood, the Romantic-Comedy almost always places its two protagonists in humorous situations and centers around a romantic "ideal" like true love. Some examples of the Romantic-Comedy film subgenre include... • WHEN HARRY MET SALLY 9 • KNOCKED UP • FAILURE TO LAUNCH Slapstick film subgenre: This subgenre of Comedy incorporates a lot of physical comedy into its story. Lots of visual action, harmless violence, comedic situations, etc. to evoke laughter from its audience. Relies on a lot comedic timing and controlled physical performances of a specific actor. Some examples of the Slapstick film subgenre include... • ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE • CADDYSHACK • TOMMY BOY The “Crime” film genre... This genre centers around actions of a criminal mastermind of some sort, often chronicling the criminal's rise and fall. Some films in this genre revolve around the criminal's victim, while other films focus on a protagonist that pursues the criminal. A fast-paced genre, the “Crime” film can contain a bit of mystery stemming either from plot, character, or both. Subgenres of the "Crime" film genre utilize varied points of view, regarding the crime contain within them. Some examples of the “Crime” film genre... • FARGO • SILENCE OF THE LAMBS • RESERVOIR DOGS Subgenres of the “Crime” film genre include... Mob and or Gangster film subgenre: this subgenre revolves around organized crime or the mafia. Many times, films like these, centers itself around the rise and fall of an organized crime leader. These kinds of films often attempt to explore either the destructive world of organized crime or the humanity of a specific character who lives in that world. Some examples of the Mob and or Gangster film subgenre... • THE DEPARTED • GOODFELLAS • SCARFACE Film-Noir film subgenre: known not only as a subgenre of the “Crime” genre but also known as a specific type of stylistic crime drama, made popular throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Mainly characterized by an acute black and white visual style with harsh, grim, and desolate lighting. Protagonists of this subgenre are often misanthropic. These films usually rely on a narrative voice with flashbacks that explain its plot. Some examples of the Film-Noir film subgenre... • THE MALTESE FALCON • DOUBLE INDEMNITY • SUNSET BOULEVARD 10 Neo-Noir film subgenre: refers to modern films containing characteristics of the “Film-Noir” genre film. These films contain modern elements and tend to mirror current society. Some examples of the Neo-Noir film subgenre... • CHINATOWN • L.A. CONFIDENTIAL • SIN CITY Crime-Thriller film subgenre: utilizes suspense elements of the thriller film, yet with a plot revolving around crime. These films often center themselves on a murderer, robbery, manhunt, or serial killer. Their storyline usually focuses on both the protagonist and the criminal antagonist. To build tension and suspense, this subgenre relies on both action and psychological aspects. Some examples of the Crime-Thriller film subgenre... • THE FUGITIVE • JAGGED EDGE • THE USUAL SUSPECTS Murder Mystery film subgenre: Usually told in the point of view of the master detective. Caper film subgenre: Usually told in the point of view of the master criminal. Detective film subgenre: Told in the point of view of the detective or cop. Gangster film subgenre: Told from the gangster's point of view. Thriller or Revenge Tale film subgenre: Usually told from a victim's point of view. Courtroom film subgenre: Usually told from the lawyer's point of view. Newspaper film subgenre: Told from the reporter's point of view. Espionage film subgenre: Told from the spy's point of view. Prison Drama film subgenre: Told from an inmate's point of view. The “Social-Drama” film genre... Identifies society's problems... Problems like poverty, the disadvantaged, educational system, communicable diseases, and antisocial rebellion. Once identified, their storylines push toward demonstration of a cure. Domestic Drama film subgenre: Problems that stem from within the family. Woman's Film film subgenre: Focuses on the dilemmas of the modern woman, like career versus motherhood, lover versus children. 11 Political Drama film subgenre: Focuses on political corruption. Eco-Drama film subgenre: Focuses on saving the environment. Medical Drama film subgenre: Focuses on physical illness. Psycho-Drama film subgenre: Focuses on mental illness. The “Action” film genre... These films focus on physical action in their storytelling. The action is usually continuous and includes physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. These films usually center around a protagonist going up against incredible odds in order to achieve his or her goal. Some examples of the “Action” film genre... • DIE HARD • RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Subgenres of the “Action” film genre... Action-Comedy film subgenre: combines action with humor and relies on its characters for that humor. Action in these films are little less intense than in traditional action films. Some examples of the Action-Comedy film subgenre... • RUSH HOUR • HOT FUZZ • BEVERLY HILLS COP Disaster Film film subgenre: These films are based around plots that include seemingly unavoidable and impending disasters that can either be natural or man-made and usually rely a special effects. Some examples of the Disaster Film film subgenre... • THE TOWERING INFERNO • AIRPORT • TWISTER Action-War film subgenre: While these movies certainly contain and rely on action for much of their storytelling, they can also explore war as a subject. Some examples of the Action-War Film film subgenre... • APOCALYPSE NOW • PLATOON • THE GREAT ESCAPE The “Adventure” film genre... 12 These films have a protagonist who's usually either on a conquest or exploration... If they're on a conquest, it's to find someone or some treasure but even so... The film centers around the protagonist's pursuit of the unknown. Films of this genre almost always utilize exotic locations and settings while playing on historical myths. They often incorporate intricate, suspenseful obstacles that the protagonist must conquer in order to achieve his or her goal. Some examples of the “Adventure” film genre... • INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE • NATIONAL TREASURE • PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN Subgenres of the “Adventure” film genre include... Swashbuckler film subgenre: films characterized by lavish sets and costumes... They often include pirates and their ships, castles, period weapons, and dramatic battles. These films usually center around a handsome, charming protagonist and a damsel in distress. Some examples of the Swashbuckler film subgenre include... • THE THREE MUSKETEERS • ROBIN HOOD • MASK OF ZORRO The “Historical Drama” film genre... This genre covers just about any kind of story there is. The “Historical Drama” film examines true events during a specific time in history or group of people. Having said that, most Historical Dramas are only loosely based on these two elements and tend to focus more on the glorified societies and people in whatever period the story is about. Some examples of the “Historical Drama” film genre include... • ROB ROY • THE MISSION • 300 The “Biography” film genre... This genre places its focus on a person but shouldn't simply chronicle a person's life. The screenwriter of the “Biography” film must approach the person's historical facts from a perspective of telling a story. Once a story is mapped out, this person would now be the protagonist of his or her life. Some examples of the “Biography” film genre include... • THE WOLF OF WALL STREET • 12 YEARS A SLAVE • BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID The “Docudrama” film genre... 13 This genre of film revolves more around a protagonist's recent events instead of past. The “Docudrama” attempts to adhere to known historical facts, yet allowing degrees of artistic and dramatic license when it comes to smaller details especially when there is missing information in the actual historical record. Dialogue may and should include words and speech as documented in historical facts about the person's life. Having said that, a good “Docudrama” should never abuse its artistic and dramatic license. Some examples of the “Docudrama” film genre include... • THE INSIDER • CINDERELLA MAN • ZODIAC The “Mockumentary” film genre... Films within this genre have the look and feel of an all out documentary but is purely fiction. The idea is to satirize hypocritical institutions and thinking. Some examples of the “Mocumentary” film genre include... • THIS IS SPINAL TAP • WAITING FOR GUFFMAN • I'M STILL HERE The “Musical” film genre... A descendant of the opera, this genre creates a “real world” where the characters in the story sing and dance. A lot of Musicals are love stories at their foundation but just about any genre could work as a musical. Some examples of the “Musical” film genre include... • ALL THAT JAZZ • EVITA • WEST SIDE STORY The “Science Fiction” film genre... Most Science Fiction films tend to be technological dystopias embedded in tyranny and chaos. However, just about any genre could be turned into science fiction. Some examples of the “Science Fiction” film genre include... • BLADE RUNNER • INCEPTION • LOOPER The “Sports” film genre... Character arcs are almost always the name of the game in this genre... The protagonist learns, changes, 14 matures. Some examples of the “Sports” film genre include... • BULL DURHAM • A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN • THE GAME PLAN The “Fantasy” film genre... This genre film plays with time, space, and the physical. It bends and blends the laws of nature with the supernatural. Some examples of the “Fantasy” film genre include... • THE WIZARD OF OZ • TIME BANDITS • HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE The “Animation” film genre... Films in this genre lend themselves to the law of universal metamorphism i.e., anything goes. A lot of Animation films lean toward Action or Farce. There are no rules. Some examples of the “Animation” film genre include... • BUGS BUNNY • THE SWORD AND THE STONE • THE YELLOW SUBMARINE The “Art” film genre... This has become a traditional film genre and contains two subgenres... Both forms carry their own conventions of structure. The “Art” film often embraces other genres of film. Minimalism film subgenre: no traditional story elements. Antistructure film subgenre: no traditional story structure. Some examples of the “Art” film genre include... • ERASERHEAD • DEAD MAN • SEX, LIES • AND VIDEOTAPE