Screen Genres and Media Hybrids - Essay Example

Screen Genres and Media Hybrids Name Institution Date Screen Genres and Media Hybrids Introduction Film genres refer to a particular style or a particular subject matter in a movie. Different styles in a film are usually combined for the purpose of creating the different feature of a film (Chandler 2014, p.1). Film genres may be romantic describing a movie plot. Another one may be western representing the time of a movie or the setting. Another genre may be a drama or a comedy describing the overall tone of the film. Other types a defined through a technical process, a series, an ideology, an audience, a theme, the producer, structure, venue, purpose and style (Bordwell 1989, p.148). Stam (2000, p.14) argues that film genres can be categorized based on the story content, literature, media, performers, budget, artistic status, racial identity, location and sexual orientation. This paper describes two different film genres including; a science-fiction film as well as a horror movie. Two concrete examples of the two different film types will be used to analyze their differences and similarities and how they represent the relationship between the individual and the community. The essay will also describe the larger value systems as well as codes of behavior that are represented by each genre. In terms of differences, a science-fiction film genre is a type of a movie that is seen to incorporate hypothetical as well as themes that are science based on the plot of the movie. It involves futuristic events as well as technologies that explore social, philosophical as well as political issues (Wilson 2010, p.1). A science-fiction film is usually set in the future and can be adjusted on earth or in space. It is a film that incorporates unexplored locations, advanced technology, villains, heroes as well as fantastic quests (Dirks 2015, p.1). Generally, a science fiction is said to be a fantasy whose subject involves a strange new world with creatures that are strange as well as a new technology. It may also involve a global interpretation in the future that has unknown technology or creatures (Carl the Critic 2012, p.1). A science-fiction has various sub-genres including; apocalyptic film, dystopian film, time travel film, Alien film, monsters, and mutants. The major elements of a science-fiction film are an establishment of the world with which the story takes place. It also involves the establishment of rules of the world as well as strange technology and creatures as well as the Hero’s journey. A good science-fiction film is usually presented in a way that the audience has the capacity of relating to the central character. The science-fiction film may show horrific or non-horrific scenes or themes. This is an indication that, the main character in the films is an underdog and a nerd who begins with no unique qualities. The character later finds out later that he or she has great power in himself or herself (Carl the Critic 2012, p.2). The main character may have had a tragic past. He or she may begin by seeing them as insignificant, or may be living in the world that is apocalyptic in oppression. The possibilities of the central character are many, however; he or she must be able to relate to the audience. The main character can be one or more, such as a family member, talking animal, a robot, a friend or even anything that can add comedy relief among others. A good example of a science fiction film genre is the Star Wars IV: A New Hope by George Lucas 1997. This film is a fantasy genre that features elements of chivalry, princess, and heroism. These are factors that are related to the fantasy genre. Princess Leia is rebellion leader in possession of the stolen plans. She hides the plans within the memory of a droid R2-D2 together with a holographic recording. It is a film that presents future events that are shown in futuristic settings portrayed as dirty and grimy. Luke is introduced as having a vision for the future. His vision is set in a desert that is post-apocalyptic. His future vision is also established in a dirty city that is crumbling in the future. Luke is in war with his father every time they meet, and the two are presented in two parallel scenes. The film shows political issues with the formation of an empire known as the Death Star Galactic Empire. The technology that is used in the film is a space station with the capability of destroying the whole planet. The droid technology that was hidden by Princess Leia escaped from the ship that was captured by the desert planet. The central character of the film is Luke, who after a long struggle, he managed to destroy the Death Star with the help of Han who fired on the Imperials and sent away Vader spiraling. Han and Luke were awarded by Leia for their heroism. The Star Wars IV: A New Hope by George Lucas 1997 is a film that presents a strange world in the space where the characters in the movie were fighting (George 2004, p.1). It is a very enjoyable film that makes the viewer want to know more about what will happen next. The audience can associate with the primary character of the movie Luke who is seen to fight the battle until the end. The film is science based since the technology of droids revolves around science. It is also an advanced technology that has not been used by many countries in the world today. The film involves the use of motion controlled cameras that can be programmed using a computer. It is a process that is used in giving the static models the impression of movement hence creating the thrilling dogfights of the film (Lucas Films Limited 2014, p.5). The locations for the movie are not yet explored because the actors are fighting in the space. There are heroes in the film like Luke and Han who finally gave hope to the people. The film is full of strange missions whereby the actors are exploring new things in space. On the other hand, a Horror is a film genre that is produced for the purpose of creating fear, alarm, dread as well as panic for the audience (Soriano 2015, p.1). They are unsettling films that depend on scaring the audience by portraying their worst fears as well as nightmares. This type of film usually major on the advent of an evil force, event or a person. It is a film that includes mythical creatures like ghosts, vampires as well as zombies (Prohászková 2012, p.132). Horror films usually incorporate an enormous amount of violence as well as gore within the plot. Even though a horror film has its style, it often overlaps within fantasy, thriller as well as science-fiction genres. A horror genre has various sub-genres such as; comedy horror, teen horror, monster horror, slasher, supernatural and zombie horrors. According to Strinati (2000, p.82), horror films are usually aimed at eliciting an emotion of terror, disgust and fright from its audience. The unsettling themes like the serial killer as well as shocking scenes are usually designed for the purpose of startling viewers. Many of the characteristics of horror films often aim at achieving dark objectives. The atmosphere is generally of dark scenes that are filled with shadows as well as props that are strange and alarming. Such scenes are aimed at reflecting the eerie atmosphere that is necessary for establishing a frightening mood (Carr 2015, p.1). The scenes build up elements that are foreboding to make viewers get creeps before the arrival of the actual horror. The sound in horror films is creepy whereby a sudden bang that is loud or a falling object that crashes to the floor usually delivers a shock factor. A jittery scene that is set in dead silence may also be present to make people anticipate what is coming next as scary. Sound effects with a reflection of otherworldly beings today are also popular in horror films. The instruments, beats and pacing that are used in these types of films usually help in establishing tension for the audience. The graphic scenes in horror films are explicitly gore featuring violence that is caused by monsters, humans or other supernatural beings. Computer advancements have enabled horror filmmakers to create special effects that are convincing by making the scenes more graphic (Carr 2015, p.1). Currently, horror films are featuring murder, revenge and torture themes that are culminated by visually horrific scenes. Evil forces are usually evident in horror films. The antagonist in horror films is a person, an animal or a creature that is a representation of an evil force. Examples of evil forces used in these films are; vicious animals, zombies, vampires, ghosts, demons, cannibals, masked killers as well as deranged beings. The victims of the evil forces are characters that are weak and usually underdogs that fall prey to the evil forces. They can also gather enough courage for defeating the evil forces. The Omen film 2006 by David Seltzer is an example of a horror film genre. It is a remake of the 1976 horror classic (The Omen, 1976). It is a film that presents horrific scenes that are scary. This movie is a supernatural horror film that shows supernatural occurrences of a ghost. The central character of the film is a child of an American official known as Robert. His wife lost her baby at birth, and Robert decided to accept the priests’ suggestion of taking another child whose mother had died during birth. Katherine was the name of Robert’s wife. She never knew that was not her son. Over time, there are many happenings that make Robert believe that his son may be the devil incarnate. Damien is the name of the main boy character in the film. As a horror movie, Damien is presented as the monster (ghost) who has evil powers. The film is seen to combine elements of religion within the plot whereby, the Catholic priest Spiletto gives Robert a suggestion of adoption. Another priest Father Brennan is also seen to suspect that Damien is a devil and informs Robert about it. Religion is presented when Robert was told that Damien could only be killed on holy grounds at the church. There are dark forces that are shown in the film whereby, people who suspect the real identity of the child are eliminated. The film reveals the theme of afterlife that is a common characteristic of horror movies. People are seen to die after suspecting that Damien is a devil. The first person to die was their nanny who hanged herself during Damien’s birthday. The nanny was driven to do so by a huge black German shepherd. The second person who died was Father Brennan who delivered an eerie warning to Roberts since he seemed to know the truth about the birth of Damien. The third was the photographer known as Keith Jennings, who revealed that various photographs of Damien had mysterious signs. Keith also explained to foretell a series of deaths that were shocking. These are scary events within the plot of the film. Damien is seen to be the devil and having the powers of the devil (the evil force). The second nanny also represents the theme of the evil in the film since she told the boy that she was sent to protect him. The nanny had the power of the devil and would make decisions that were against the wish of Katherine. The sight of the devil is also presented in the film when Robert was told to look for the number 666 on Damien. 666 is a sign of the devil and Damien was the Antichrist. The film also presents the theme of demonic possession when Damien was terrified when they were approaching the church during the first nanny’s funeral until he attached Katherine. Demonic possessions are also presented when several species of primates went crazy at the sight of Damien during a field day at the city zoo. There is also a nightmare experienced in the film by Katherine when she had the first premonition about Damien. Innocent lives are seen to suffer in the hands of a monster. Many people suffered and killed in the process of knowing the truth about Damien. Based on similarities, the two film genres are fantasies. They have some force that drives the main characters. For example, in the science-fiction, Luke is driven by the strength of winning the battle, while in the Omen horror, Damien is driven by an evil force to kill people who reveal his true identity. The main characters of the film genres are presented as heroes who defeated their enemies. Luke managed to destroy the Death Star while Damien beat those who established his true identity. The two film genres represent the relationship between the individual and the community. The science-fiction is seen as a movie that presents the main character Luke as aiming at achieving hope for the people. In the horror, Damien the main character is presented as a threat to the community since his presence will lead to the suffering and death of many within the society. The larger value systems and codes of behavior that are presented by the two film genres include; a sense of unity for the people in the society and the need to combat evil in the world. The science-fiction demonstrates the need for unity among the people so as to fight the enemy. Here, after discovering a hidden message from Princess Leia, Luke to achieve victory, Luke started an adventure and worked with other people like Han, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Chewbacca to rescue the Princess. He destroyed the ultimate weapon of the Empire and finally became a Jedi (Lucas Film Limited 2014, p.1). In the horror, it presents the need for being conscious that the devil is present in the society today, and people must be ready to fight the evil. The horror also demonstrates the need for people to be careful when taking some major decisions in life like adopting children. For example, Robert took Damien without investigating his real parents. Conclusions All in all, the essay clearly describes the differences and various similarities of a science-fiction film genre and the horror film genre. The two film types are different in many perspectives like presentation, setting, characters, themes, and also structure. They are similar in terms of fantasy and use of forces that drive the main characters. The two genres present different relationships between the individual and the community. They also represent different larger value systems as well as codes of behavior in the society. References Bordwell, D, 1989, Making Meaning: Inference and Rhetoric in the Interpretation of Cinema, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press. Carl the Critic, 2012, Elements of a Movie: Science Fiction, Entertainment and Media, Available at: http://carlthecritic1291.hubpages.com/hub/Elements-of-a-Science-Fiction-Movie Carr, K, 2015, Elements of a Horror Film, Arts and Entertainment, Available at: http://www.ehow.com/info_8588722_elements-horror-film.html Chandler, D, 2014, An Introduction to Genre Theory: The problem Definition. Available at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/intgenre1.html Dirks, T, 2015, Science Fiction Films: Part 1, Science-Fiction, American Movie Classics Company, Available at: http://www.filmsite.org/sci-fifilms.html  George, L, 2004, DVD Commentary for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, 20th Century, Fox Home Entertainment. Lucas Film Limited, 2014, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Film and TV, Available at: http://lucasfilm.com/star-wars-episode-4-a-new-hope Prohászková, V, 2012, The Genre of Horror, American International Journal of Contemporary Research, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp.132-142 Soriano, R, 2015,Typical Characteristics of a Horror Movie, Film Production, Available at: http://www.ehow.com/info_8632720_typical-characteristics-horror-movie.html Stam, R, 2000, Film Theory. Oxford: Blackwell. Strinati, D, 2000, An Introduction to Studying Popular Culture, New York, Londong: Routledge, p. 82. Wilson, K, 2010, Science Fiction Definitions, Sci Fi Film History, Available at: http://www.scififilmhistory.com/index.php?pageID=definitions Read More

A good example of a science fiction film genre is the Star Wars IV: A New Hope by George Lucas 1997. This film is a fantasy genre that features elements of chivalry, princess, and heroism. These are factors that are related to the fantasy genre. Princess Leia is rebellion leader in possession of the stolen plans. She hides the plans within the memory of a droid R2-D2 together with a holographic recording. It is a film that presents future events that are shown in futuristic settings portrayed as dirty and grimy.

Luke is introduced as having a vision for the future. His vision is set in a desert that is post-apocalyptic. His future vision is also established in a dirty city that is crumbling in the future. Luke is in war with his father every time they meet, and the two are presented in two parallel scenes. The film shows political issues with the formation of an empire known as the Death Star Galactic Empire. The technology that is used in the film is a space station with the capability of destroying the whole planet.

The droid technology that was hidden by Princess Leia escaped from the ship that was captured by the desert planet. The central character of the film is Luke, who after a long struggle, he managed to destroy the Death Star with the help of Han who fired on the Imperials and sent away Vader spiraling. Han and Luke were awarded by Leia for their heroism. The Star Wars IV: A New Hope by George Lucas 1997 is a film that presents a strange world in the space where the characters in the movie were fighting (George 2004, p.1). It is a very enjoyable film that makes the viewer want to know more about what will happen next.

The audience can associate with the primary character of the movie Luke who is seen to fight the battle until the end. The film is science based since the technology of droids revolves around science. It is also an advanced technology that has not been used by many countries in the world today. The film involves the use of motion controlled cameras that can be programmed using a computer. It is a process that is used in giving the static models the impression of movement hence creating the thrilling dogfights of the film (Lucas Films Limited 2014, p.5). The locations for the movie are not yet explored because the actors are fighting in the space.

There are heroes in the film like Luke and Han who finally gave hope to the people. The film is full of strange missions whereby the actors are exploring new things in space. On the other hand, a Horror is a film genre that is produced for the purpose of creating fear, alarm, dread as well as panic for the audience (Soriano 2015, p.1). They are unsettling films that depend on scaring the audience by portraying their worst fears as well as nightmares. This type of film usually major on the advent of an evil force, event or a person.

It is a film that includes mythical creatures like ghosts, vampires as well as zombies (Prohászková 2012, p.132). Horror films usually incorporate an enormous amount of violence as well as gore within the plot. Even though a horror film has its style, it often overlaps within fantasy, thriller as well as science-fiction genres. A horror genre has various sub-genres such as; comedy horror, teen horror, monster horror, slasher, supernatural and zombie horrors. According to Strinati (2000, p.82), horror films are usually aimed at eliciting an emotion of terror, disgust and fright from its audience.

The unsettling themes like the serial killer as well as shocking scenes are usually designed for the purpose of startling viewers. Many of the characteristics of horror films often aim at achieving dark objectives. The atmosphere is generally of dark scenes that are filled with shadows as well as props that are strange and alarming. Such scenes are aimed at reflecting the eerie atmosphere that is necessary for establishing a frightening mood (Carr 2015, p.1). The scenes build up elements that are foreboding to make viewers get creeps before the arrival of the actual horror.

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