Genre representation

  Women are strong, women are independent, and women sure know how to kick some ass. If my group decides on a horror I would love to have the lead be a female. We live in a progressive time and we, as a society, need to embrace the bigger role women have if this developing roles. Too many times women have been looked upon with pity, but not any more. We must look upon them with fear, fear of what they are capable of. I wish to represent the true power of women that is lacking in almost all films that consider themselves horror. Women are gentle, kind, but don’t disrespect because you will feel the wrath. Women are as and in many cases powerful than men and can endure much more pain that is what I hope to present.

  Women are usually the protagonist in many horror films. Unfortunately they are usually weak protagonists that are lucky to be alive or even at the conclusion of the film. In silence of the Lambs Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Is one great example of a strong female lead. Although she is consider to be strong, she isn’t in comparison to the killer. She is weak for most of the film in comparison to Hannibal Lecter. In the film Nightmare on Elm Street the character Nancy Thompson is determined to put a stop the monster that is Freddy Kruger. As many would expect she is unsuccessful and Freddy lives. Clarice and Nancy are the typical protagonist you see in horror films female, scared, and strong, but not strong enough.

  Women are often portrayed as the prey for the monster in horror films. They have small victories here and there in escaping alive, until the end where the victor is usually the killer. Women are portrayed as smart, but not smart enough they are portrayed as strong, but again not strong enough. I don’t believe these are fair representations of female characteristics. Women go through the most excruciating human experience as they are ones that create life. Many of the strongest people I know are women and read stories of tremendous strength about women, such as a mother saving her child by lifting a car. I know portraying women as the prey is easy, but it just isn’t true.

  There are very representation characteristics I would, but there are some. I would consider keeping the empathy that are prevalent in all women including characters such as Nancy. I could retain the beautiful imperfections that make women what they really are that are shown with every female character in horror films. Of course I would challenge their strength. Women should have more power in horror films because they have more power in society. I would make the women put fear into the monster while also maintaining the power of the monster by having the monster hurting the female. I would make it so that it would be a more equal fight, the woman wins and the monster wins some. This way I can keep what’s so beautiful about the genre that is horror, but show the strength of women.

Second genre database entry

  Boo! Horror will give its best attempt at doing what I just did, which is to scare. In my last post I researched what made comedy, comedy. As I researched The genre of horror I identified many similarities. Both comedy and horror look to make the audience happy. It may strange, but as I researched I saw that the genre of horror makes the audience horrified in order to then make them relieved when the film concludes. Happy and relaxed might appear as polar opposites of fear, but one cannot live without the other. There simply cannot be no good without bad and no relief without fear. Therefore both genres look to make the audience happy, however horror does it more indirectly. One more similarity between the two is that they pull you out of reality in order to tell a complete story. The genre conventions of horror are that they usually start with familiar ideas such as family, insecure characters, or perhaps a common fear to put make the audience believe this could happen and establish the setting. Most vulnerable characters are usually played by women, however most main characters are the vulnerable ones. As there is usually a character structure of the hunter and the hunted. Another convention of horror is the way the character of the hunter, the killer, or the monster is portrayed. They usually carry a uniqueness that tells a part from the common killer. 

  Horror relies on strong production techniques perhaps the most of all genres. Usually the better quality of production techniques better the quality of the film. These techniques usually a soundtrack that is slow and eerie this way the audience is always on edge. Establishing shots are crucial to horror films due to the fact horror films to create a strong sense of isolation. Dark color hues are often used to emphasize the lack of hope or to establish a strong sense of pure terror. One of the most prominent production techniques is the constant use of jump cuts. Jump cuts are applied in most horror films to make the audience literally jump, to surprise them with the next cut. The film Nightmare on elm street applied many jump cuts. Nightmare on elm street is a great embodiment of the genre that is horror because it’s monster. The monster in Nightmare on elm street is Freddy Kruger is such a great character, especially for the genre of horror. Freddy Kruger is very unique and is extremely terrifying. This character makes the audience feels as if they are powerless. 

  Silence of the Lambs who many consider perhaps the best horror movie or at least one of the most critically acclaimed horror films. Unlike Nightmare on elm street, the silence of the lambs doesn’t want you to leave reality. The monster of The silence of the lambs is a person, no powers or mythical origin story. Just a murder who has above average intelligence. The silence of the lambs attempts to get in the head of reader and make them believe that they aren’t even safe from the reach of the malicious Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Horror has so many classic stories such as the powerful Jaws. 28 Days Later is another classic horror film. A modern horror film would be, the critically acclaimed, Get Out. Another beautiful horror work would be Alien. A startling horror flick is Maniac. The Human Centipede is a horrific yet outstanding movie. The last house on the left s a great horror film as well. All the films I have mentioned proves that the genre that is horror must not to be feared, but embraced.

First genre database entry

Comedies are similar to all genres in that they tell stories. No decent comedy has a bland story this due to the fact the audience has to be grabbed in order to effectively deliver jokes. The purpose of a comedy is tell a story, but to tell a story while the audience always has a smile on their face. Most comedies are set in normal, usually happy places such as cities and suburbs they also tell normal stories that one can easily put themselves into, thus making the jokes funnier. This connection of character to viewer help the jokes be delivered because it makes the viewer sympathetic and understanding of the character’s trials and tribulations. Most modern mainstream comedies might have a less complex story to tell than other genres, but that it doesn’t mean these stories don’t need to be told. Comedies are here to make us smile and that just might be why comedy is one the most important genres out there.

                Comedy production techniques are to emphasize circumstances in the name of humor. For instance when the character Lloyd Christmas, masterfully played by Jim Carrey, falls in Dumb and Dumber, he does not simply fall. He flails on his way to the floor, his arms waving, mouth wide open, and the camera conducts a zoom. This dramatization of the fall is unique to comedy in order to make sure that a smile is on the viewer’s face. Perhaps the fall would have been funny regardless of the production technique, but perhaps not and that is why comedy often applies production techniques to dramatize the rather normal hi-jinks characters such as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne in the film Dumb and Dumber go through. The film Dumb and Dumber is a perfect embodiment of physical comedy as the production relies so heavily on hurting the characters in such comedic ways, the main characters in films of other genres getting hurt is usually a dramatic event, not in comedy, in the film Dumb and Dumber that physical comedy is what makes it iconic. Making sure any given scene has multiple camera angles is also a key production technique in producing any comedy, film or television. Even though physical comedy might not be for everyone due its simplicity, one cannot argue its effectiveness.

                Most comedies are marketed in a lighthearted manner. Producers must make sure the audience know that they will have a fun time watching an often uplifting story with jokes throughout. Most trailers for comedy films outline the story while including its best jokes. A great trailer to analyze is the trailer from the film Liar Lair where Fletcher Reed, beautifully played by Jim Carrey, is a lawyer, but must importantly a father. However the film’s trailer shows that Fletcher’s values are not where they should be as you see his son disappointed in his significant time away from him. Then something magical happened, something that could only happen in the world of film. His son wished for his compulsive liar of a father to stop lying and hilarious comedy ensues. The film Lair Lair is a great embodiment of comedies because it tells a story in a lighthearted and funny manner. It also embodies a classic structure of a comedy in the way that it is marketed because the trailer like most comedy film’s trailer is cute and hilarious. This lets the audience know they won’t have to think while eating their popcorn just relax and enjoy the great genre that is comedy. We can see that light hearted nature of comedies in this image from the Liar Liar trailer with happy color hues and the playfulness between father and son.

                Other classic comedies not mentioned are, Water boy when Adam Sandler transforms from a lowly water boy to a football star. Another classic Adam Sandler comedy is Happy Gilmore where another underdog story of a simple man with great golf skills. A more modern comedy is Ted, in this film Seth MacFarlane is a vulgar teddy bear. Another classical comedy is Step brothers when Brennan Huff played by Will Ferrell and Dale Doback played by John C. Reilly have a hilarious rivalry that turns into brotherly love. Nacho Libre is a beautiful comedy in which Jack Black plays a pro wrestler that gets into all sorts of hi jinx. A great modern comedy is 21 Jump Street where Schmidt played by Jonah Hill and Jenko played by Channing Tatum attempt to be cops in the funniest way. Then there is Superbad staring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as Seth and Evan, two best friends finding their way in the world as young teenagers in high school.

Introduction

Introduction

My name is Nicolas Pol and I will give my best attempt at defining the genre of comedy. I have chosen to research comedy because I believe it to be the best genre. I believe this way because good comedy makes people laugh and nothing is better than genuine laughter. No other genre can make you feel the way comedy does. Comedyis unique and separate from other genres due to that fact that it can draw an emotion no other genre is able. Many genres draw emotions such as excitement, sadness, or triumph and even though those are important emotions everyone enjoys being happy no other genre can make you feel happier than comedy. All though some may argue that more thorough stories could be told through other genres however, comedy can be an extremely effective manner of telling a complex story. The uniqueness that embodies the genre of comedy led me to researching the genre.