Theoretical perspectives on genre A product in a particular genre will usually use familiar conventions as well as some unexpected elements, as argued by theorist Steve Neale. This helps to make the product unique and ensures that audiences do not become bored with the same conventions. Audiences benefit from genre conventions as they know what to expect and enjoy the familiarity of consuming products in their favourite genres. Genres are also important to media industries as their appeal to specific audiences helps to guarantee the success of a product. Genres do not stay the same. They change over time for a number of reasons: • Genres need to develop in order to maintain the interest of audiences. • Technological developments allow producers to use new visual and technical codes. The Bond film posters set products, for example, demonstrate technical developments from hand-drawn imagery to layered photographic images. • Social and cultural contexts also influence genres, which might develop to reflect issues and events occurring in society at the time. Contemporary crime dramas, for example, reflect developments in forensic science when crimes are being solved. Many genre categories are quite broad, so subgenres often develop. These break a genre down into subdivisions that have their own conventions. Rock music, for example, has many subgenres, including grunge, progressive rock and alternative rock. Another way in which genres can develop is when conventions from two or more genres are used in the same product, called a hybrid. Hybridisation can breathe new life into a genre by creating something fresh and unexpected. It can also widen the audience for a product. A clear example of a hybrid film is Cowboys and Aliens (2011), which combined science fiction and western genre conventions. Narrative We are all familiar with the concept of a story. We read, hear and tell stories many times every day. All media products contain an element of storytelling or an account of events, for example a newspaper article. When we study narrative, however, we need to analyse how the story is told by considering how the events are ordered and which characters are shown to be the most important in the story. Structure Most narratives are based on some form of disruption or conflict that has to be resolved. The way in which these elements are organised and put together can vary depending on the form, genre and the individual product. Some narratives start at the beginning of a story and move chronologically through the events to the end. This ‘beginning–middle–end’ structure is called a linear narrative. It is easy to follow as everything happens in the ‘right’ order. In this type of narrative, each event usually happens as a result of another. This is called cause and effect, so the structure seems logical. Look at a range of programmes on a television listings website. Can you identify any hybrid products? Stretch and Challenge 1.3 Familiar conventions Elements that we would expect to see in a particular genre. (A convention of a television soap opera is the setting of a pub where characters regularly meet.) Unexpected elements Conventions that we would not necessarily expect to see in a genre to add an element of surprise or develop the genre. Appeal The element of a product that attracts a particular audience. Technological developments New technologies that enable media producers to create products in different ways, sometimes leading to changes in a genre. Subgenre A more specific genre within a broader genre. Hybrid A combination of two or more different genres in the same product. Disruption An event or action that interrupts the narrative. Conflict A clash between characters or groups of people. Linear narrative A narrative structure where the events happen in logical order, one after the other. Cause and effect Where one event causes another event to happen, such as a robbery causing the victim to have nightmares. Key Terms 20 WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Media Studies Revised Edition
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