Exploring Film Paper 1 Genre Study Content: Areas of study

1
Exploring Film

• Paper 1
• Genre Study

2
Content

• Areas of study
• Study one set genre (e.g., Disaster films,
  Horror, Science Fiction, Crime) to change every
  three years (four years in the first instance).
• Gain an awareness of the contemporary film
  industry (mainly Hollywood) and of the audiences
  for film.
• Set Genre
• The set genre for first examination in Summer
  2009 and last examination in 2012 will be
  Disaster films.

3
Assessment

• Exploring Film (1 hour 30 minutes, 30)
• Four compulsory questions focusing on one film
  genre. These questions will assess knowledge and
  understanding of film language and key industry
  and audience issues. The film genre will be set
  by the Awarding Body and will change every three
  years (four years in the first instance).
• Question 1 Response to a film extract chosen
  from the genre candidates have studied (questions
  based on film language)
• Question 2 Response to genre elements of study,
  considering all aspects of film language
• Question 3 Response to aspects of the marketing
  and promotion of films
• Question 4 A series of creative tasks assessing
  the knowledge and understanding of films in
  relation to audience and industry.

4
Why Genre?

• A convenient framework
• An interesting and challenging approach
• Room for personal response
• As a way of exploring how films shape the way we
  think and feel
• As a way of exploring the relationship between
  films, audiences and producers

5
A basic theme?

• "The trouble with film as an art is
• that it's business, and the trouble
• with film as a business is that it's
• art."
• - Charlton Heston

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What is Genre?

• A simple definition of Genre a type, or
  grouping of films who share similar
  characteristics, themes or features its
  conventions.
• A way of categorising films used by film industry
  and film audiences
• A link with students existing knowledge of books,
  plays or music
• A way to use film language narrative
  conventionally or subversively
• As a marketable attraction or formula

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Conventions

• Exploration of the typical ingredients of
  specific genres what we have come to like and
  expect.
• Focus upon setting, themes, characters, props,
  narrative and plot, style
• Consider expectations, introduce need for
  variations to keep the genre fresh encourage
  students to look for patterns of variation as
  well as repetition.
• Begin to build a to more complex definition of
  genre as something that is dynamic and open to
  change.
• Focus on the ways in which films mix genres.

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Why Disaster Movies?

• Why not? The aim is to explore mainstream
  Hollywood.
• Not a obvious genre under used, some others are
  overused.
• Contains both elements of art industry
• A reasonable amount of films past present
• Definable enough

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What is a Disaster Movie?

• A Disaster Movie considers the effect on people
  of a large scale catastrophe. This event will
  typically be a natural disaster or its like
  stimulated by the actions (or inactions) of
  mankind.
• Or -
• Does it look like a disaster movie? Does it
  smell like a Disaster Movie? Does it taste like a
  Disaster Movie? Does it feel like a disaster
  movie?

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Channel 5s Greatest Ever Disaster Movies

• 1. Die Hard 11. Final Destination
• 2. Armageddon 12. The Rock
• 3. Apollo 13 13. Deep Impact
• 4. The Towering Inferno 14. Twister
• 5. The Day After Tomorrow 15. Mars Attacks
• 6. Con Air 16. Air Force One
• 7. War of the Worlds (2005) 17. King Kong (1933)
• 8. Speed 18. Touching the Void
• 9. Predator 19. Alive
• 10. The Poseidon Adventure 20. The Day the Earth
  
• Stood Still

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Approaches

• Compare the following 2 sequences
• The Poseidon Adventure (1972) Poseidon (2005)
• First pass basics, film language main/obvious
  similarities differences
• Can they tell us anything about the film industry
  / audience?

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Uses

• Practice analysis
• A jumping off point for whole film work -
• Narrative
• Representation
• Industry
• Audience
• Social issues

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What films can we use?A Chronology -

• The Last Days of Pompeii (Italy 1913)
• Deluge (USA 1930)
• San Francisco (USA 1936)
• The Hurricane In Old Chicago (USA
• 1937)
• The Rains Came (USA 1939)
• When Worlds Collide (USA 1951)
• War of the Worlds (USA 1953)
• A Night To Remember (UK 1958)
• Airport (USA 1970), Airport 1975 (USA
• 1974), Airport 77 (USA 1977), Airport
• 79 (USA 1979)
• The Poseidon Adventure (USA 1972)
• The Towering Inferno (USA 1974)
• Earthquake (USA 1974)
• The Hindenburg (USA 1975)
• Avalanche (USA 1978)

• Meteor (USA 1979)
• Airplane! (USA 1980)
• The Day After (USA 1983)
• Threads (UK 1983)
• Alive (USA 1993)
• Twister (USA 1996)
• Daylight (USA 1997)
• Dantes Peak (USA 1997)
• Volcano (USA 1997)
• Titanic (USA 1997)
• Deep Impact (USA 1998)
• Armageddon (USA 1998)
• The Core (USA 2003)
• The Day After Tomorrow (USA 2004)
• War Of The Worlds (USA 2005)
• Flight 93 (2006)
• World Trade Center (2006)

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How far can we go?

• Look at the following sequences from The Towering
  Inferno (1974) World Trade Centre (2006)
• What questions do they raise?
• Has The Towering Inferno changed meaning since
  2005?

15
Exploring Film Questions?

• davekfairclough_at_yahoo.co.uk
• Films The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon
  Adventure, Earthquake, The Core, A Night To
  Remember, The Day After Tomorrow, Twister,
  Armageddon, Titanic, Deep Impact, Poseidon, World
  Trade Centre, United 93, Threads, Airplane!