Genre Research Niall Trotman, Kate Harman, Alex Dixon and James Budd

Features of a comedy

. Comedy's are designed to elicit laughter from the audience, and therefore must contain a from of humor to amuse, entertain, and provoke enjoyment.

. The comedy genre usually exaggerates the situation, the language, action, and characters.

. They usually have happy endings, although the humor may have a serious or pessimistic side

. Comedies observe the deficiencies, foibles, and frustrations of life, providing merriment and a momentary escape from day to day life.

. They are sometimes known as light hearted dramas, an example of a comedy is the film Funny People, like this film, comedies sometimes feature famous comedians.

. Different types of comedy are (sub genre): Action Comedy, Spoof comedy, Slapstick, Romantic comedy and black comedy

. The target audience is not very specific when looking at the genre comedy. Depending on the type of comedy the age rating could change, however comedy is created for everyones enjoyment.

Genre research by Alex, James, Kate and Niall

Thriller genre

The conventions of thriller are;

• To create suspense and tension
• Evil and good characters (Killers and victims)
• Twist in the plot
• Non-diegetic soundtrack to create an atmosphere
• Mysterious
• Spooky or isolated locations

The characters in a thriller are;

• Evil/bad guy/killer
• Good guy/hero
• Victim
• Police/detective
• Figure of authority

Thriller is a genre of fiction in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country or the stability of the free world. Part of the allure of thrillers derives not only from what their stories are about, but also how they are told. High stakes, non-stop action, plot twists that both surprise and excite, settings that are both vibrant and exotic, and an intense pace that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.

Target audience

The target audience for thrillers vary on preference. Many people of different age groups can enjoy thriller movies for an entertaining purpose. Whereas some people like to be scared and be excited and so they go to see thriller films in an attempt to give themselves and adrenaline rush.

Some examples of films from the thriller genre include Silence Of The Lambs, Saw, Panic Room, Jaws and many more.

Genre Research Niall Trotman, Kate Harman, Alex Dixon and James Budd

Conventions of an action genre

Narrative:

• Complex
• Suspense
• High energy
• Big budgets
• Good vs Evil
• Melodramatic Plot
• Sharp quick cut to express a sense on tension
• Various camera angles
• Music- Non diegetic soundtrack and back ground music which express the action

Characters:

• Good vs evil
• Hero
• Police/ cops or some authority figure
• Example of characters in a typical action film are; Steven Segal and Bruce Willis

Target Audience:

• Traditionally aimed at a male audiences from 13 years an above
• In the 21st century they have introduced more female heroines which have introduced a larger female audiences

Sub Genres:

• Action comedy- E.g. Rush hour, involves humor
• Sci-fi action - Terminator, they include space ships and lasers
• Die Hard scenarios- Die Hard, takes place in a limited area like an airplane or a building