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
ripensa ai film di Bond che hai visto e che ricordi.
Chiameresti questa saga un "genere
cinematografico"? Perché sì/Perché no? Quali
criteri useresti per dare la tua risposta?
Poi leggi i miei commenti qui sotto.
can remember. Would you call this saga a "film
genre"? Why/Why not? What criteria would
you use to give your answer?
Then read my comments below.
Collage delle sequenze iniziali dei film di James Bond/A compilation of opening sequences of
James Bond films
La storia del cinema può essere vista come una The history of cinema can be viewed as an
raccolta sempre crescente di film, cioè la ever-growing collection of films, i.e. the
produzione di gruppi di film che condividono production of groups of films which share
determinate caratteristiche, senza necessariamente certain features - without necessarily turning
trasformarsi in veri e propri "generi
into proper "film genres" as we have tried to
cinematografici" come abbiamo cercato di describe them. If quite a large number of
descriverli. Se un numero abbastanza elevato di movies, which both film industries and
film, che sia le industrie cinematografiche che i consumers identify as sharing similar features,
consumatori identificano come accomunati da start to be produced, we can witness the birth
caratteristiche simili, iniziano a essere prodotti, of a "cycle", which may or may not develop into
possiamo assistere alla nascita di un "ciclo", che a recognized "genre". There are various
può o meno svilupparsi in un "genere"
reasons to explain such developments. A cycle
riconosciuto. Ci sono varie ragioni per spiegare usually develops out of previous movies, which
tali sviluppi. Un ciclo di solito si sviluppa a partire are differentiated by the inclusion of
da film precedenti, che si differenziano per (relatively) new forms and topic/themes. 007
l'inclusione di forme e argomenti/temi
movies can be described as "spy stories", part,
(relativamente) nuovi. I film di 007 possono perhaps, of the more general group "adventure
essere descritti come "storie di spionaggio", parte, stories" - and, from the very beginning, the
forse, del gruppo più generale "storie di James Bond iconography (a very special secret
avventura" - e, fin dall'inizio, l'iconografia di agent "with the license to kill", hypertechnology,
glamorous locations and even more
James Bond (un agente segreto molto speciale
"con la licenza di uccidere", ipertecnologia, glamorous groups of Bond-girls, etc.) as well
ambientazioni glamour e gruppi ancora più as the topics/themes (generally speaking, Bond
glamour di Bond-girls, ecc.) così come gli trying to save the world from the threat of
argomenti/temi (in generale, Bond che cerca di destruction by a secret power, making him a
salvare il mondo dalla minaccia di distruzione da sort of super-hero) have given shape to a
parte di un potere segreto, cos' da apparire una distinctive "cycle" which is very clearly
sorta di di supereroe) hanno dato forma ad un recognizable right from the start of each movie,
caratteristico "ciclo" ben riconoscibile fin with its opening sequence and relevant
dall'inizio di ogni film, con la sua sequenza di soundtrack (as the above video shows).
apertura e la relativa colonna sonora (come mostra
il video qui sopra).
And yet, can we speak of a "James Bond" film
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