Genre is the term given to organised categories of types of films depending on the themes and conventions featured within them.
Daniel Chandler (2001)
Chandler posed a theory that genres create order to simplify the mass of information which is available.
John Fiske (1989)
Fiske states that genres are categorised through common elements.
Barry Keith Grant (1995)
Grant suggests that sub-genres allow audiences to identify them specifically by their familiar and recognisable characteristics.
Fight Club (1999)
Chandler refers to genres as being a distinctive type of text. When looking at the genre of psychological thrillers, the aim of the trailer is to not reveal much of the tension within the film. especially the plot twist that is Fight Club. When looking a Barry Keith Grant's theory of hybrid genres, fight club shows elements of other genres such as features of fighting films seen in the trailer itself.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
The confusion the audience faces when watching the trailer for Requiem for a Dream is what Fiske and Chandler would support as distinctive for the genre of psychological thrillers. Barry Keith Grant's theory of hybrids and sub genres would also tie Requiem for a Dream to the genre of Drama as well as psychological thriller.
Shutter Island (2010)
The rural location pulls away from the conventional suburban or rural location which goes against Fiske's theory of genres being based on common elements as this is unconventional. Looking at Chandler and Fiskes references to media texts being distinctive, Shutter island provides the tension and mystery needed to secure an uncomfortable atmosphere within the trailer itself. Shutter Island boderlines with elements of horror which keeps the thriller comfortably in its own genre.
This is the trailer for The Machinist (2004). Within this trailer, there is an emphasis of the mystery which is carried with the genre of psychological thrillers. The trailer is successful with the feature of the game of hangman featured makes the audience curious to the answers to the questions the game itself poses. The trailer is conventional and the music featured over the trailer intensifies it and creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. I may consider the feature of music over my trailer to add to the tension the genre creates.
Themes of Identity
Identity is held as mysterious within this trailer *as Bale and his antagonist are left nameless*. The only characters that are named in the trailer are Stevie and Miller. Leaving the mystery with the audience as to who the protagonist really is, and this is emphasised by the recurring post-it note with the question "Who are you?" drawing the audience in to wanting to know the answers.
Themes of Reality
Due to the hallucinations Bale's character experiences within the trailer, it is difficult for him to decipher what is real and what is not. This then poses the same question to the audience, drawing them into wanting to watch the film to find what is reality and what is hallucination.
Themes of Perception
Themes of perception can also tie into the themes of reality proposed in the trailer, as the audience are unable to perceive what is real and what is not. The way in which the audience perceives Bale's character will be difficult for the audience due to his characters anonymity within the trailer. This will alter the way in which the audience empaphises with the character.
Low Key Lighting
The low key lighting creates suspense within the trailer. The trailer lacks any key lighting and is grey-scale throughout which is conventional to creating the mystery within the trailer and the film itself.
Urban and Suburban Locations
The Urban and Suburban locations emphasise the feeling of reality and make the film to the audience due the the "ordinary" and everyday locations people see. Making the film too realistic to believe as fiction.
Pet (2016)
This is the trailer for Pet (2016), a modern psychological thriller which borderline the horror genre. This trailer is successful due to the dramatic change of atmosphere from calm to action packed. Within the trailer there is the heightened sound of a heartbeat adds to the tension of the scene within the trailer and may be effective if used within my own trailer.
Themes of Reality
Due to the male characters obsession with Holly, he has created a false reality for himself in which he believes she is in love with him.
Themes of Perception
There may be a shared perception of fear for Holly at the point of her insanity, the moment of her repeatedly hitting her face from the bars of the cage is disturbingly uncomfortable for the audience to watch and evokes a fear of what her insanity may make her capable of.
Low Key Lighting
the low key lighting in this trailer does not only emphasise the suspense within the trailer but it also emphasises holly's loneliness and isolation in the cage
Text
The feature of this text contrasts the themes presented within the trailer as it is clearly not a love story. The way in which some of the red is shaded emphasises the mystery within the film. I will try to include a piece of text like this which appears after the title of the movie to create the contrast.
What is classed as the "best" film genre can be debated by multiple people multiple times, but to a production company; The best film genres are the ones which bring in the most money.
In terms of what brings in the most money, Action- adventure films are the most popular and preferred genre seeing as films such as Avatar resulted with record breaking ticket sales and a profit of $2.7 billion. however when looking at the graph on the-numbers, Adventure films are on the downfall from the popularity it held in 2016. Genres such as Action, Drama and Horror are now on the rise. When looking at the rise and fall of Thriller as a genre, from 2015 the genre has been on a steady downfall yet when looking at the fluctuations of previous years, Thrillers are due to rise up again in future years.
A promotion package for a new film, to include a trailer, together with two of the following three options: • a website homepage for the film • a film magazine front cover, featuring the film • a poster for the film.
