Film genres: features, functions, evolution
This Interactive workshop aims at exploring the origin of genres, their functions in cinema and their evolution, with particular emphasis on the latest developments. We first ask why we need genres at all and examine the variety of classification criteria that can be used. Then we focus on the specific features of genre films, analysing their conventions and their narrative structures. We then explore how different agents (from producers to audiences, from critics to film scholars) have used and still use genres, and highlight their economic, sociocultural and communicative functions. Finally, by taking a historical perspective, we explore how genres have evolved in the course of time and how modern cinema extensively use genre mixing and hybridization, thus pointing to the future of this important but complex category of film analysis. Part of the www.cinemafocus.eu research materials.
This Interactive workshop aims at exploring the origin of genres, their functions in cinema and their evolution, with particular emphasis on the latest developments. We first ask why we need genres at all and examine the variety of classification criteria that can be used. Then we focus on the specific features of genre films, analysing their conventions and their narrative structures. We then explore how different agents (from producers to audiences, from critics to film scholars) have used and still use genres, and highlight their economic, sociocultural and communicative functions. Finally, by taking a historical perspective, we explore how genres have evolved in the course of time and how modern cinema extensively use genre mixing and hybridization, thus pointing to the future of this important but complex category of film analysis. Part of the www.cinemafocus.eu research materials.
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I generi cinematografici: caratteristiche, funzioni, evoluzione
Film genres: features, functions, evolution
apportano alla visione) e bottom-up (le
informazioni fornite attraverso il testo del film
che stanno guardando), come mostra la figura
seguente.
Il ruolo che i generi giocano in questo processo The role that genres play in this process can
difficilmente può essere sottovalutato. Mettendo hardly be underestimated. By making available
a disposizione contenuti convenzionali ben noti, well-known conventional content, they assist
aiutano il pubblico ad avvicinarsi a un film con audiences in approaching a film with the correct
l'anticipazione cognitiva e il coinvolgimento and appropriate cognitive anticipation and
emotivo corretti e appropriati, il che rende il emotional involvement, which makes the process
processo di formazione del significato più facile of meaning-formation easier and quicker. As
e veloce. Non appena guardiamo la sequenza di soon as we watch the opening sequence of any
apertura di un qualsiasi film di James Bond (si James Bond film (watch the video below) we
veda il video qui sotto) attiviamo subito una immediately activate a range of information
serie di elementi informativi, molti dei quali elements, many of which are conventions that we
sono convenzioni che abbiamo imparato have learned by watching previous 007 movies
guardando i precedenti film di 007 (dai temi ai (from themes to characters, from typical
personaggi, dalle tipiche situazioni fino ai situations to the smallest details about James
minimi dettagli della vita e dei tratti caratteristici Bond's life and characteristic features).
di James Bond).
Un collage delle sequenze di apertura dei film di James Bond (1962-2006)/A collage of James
Bond films opening sequences (1962-2006)
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