Speaker 1: When crafting a story, one of the first things a filmmaker has to decide is what genre does their story fit into.

Speaker 2: ♪ ♪

Speaker 1: Genre is an important aspect of storytelling. It's a way to let your audience know what to expect. And sometimes, surprise them.

Speaker 3: "- Okay, did not see that coming."

Speaker 1: Today, we will explore many kinds of genres. What sets them apart? And how are they similar? This is What is Genre? But before we get started, subscribe and click the bell for more filmmaking videos. Spoiler alert for the following movies. Ready? "- Teach me." In film, a genre is a category based on similarities either in the plot, aesthetics, or the intended emotional response. The word genre comes from the French, which means kind or sort. The concept of genre can be traced back to Greek philosopher Plato, who believed there to be only two genres. Poetry and drama. Since then, a multitude of genres have emerged. Including horror, thriller, romance, and comedy. In fact, most genres can be further divided into more specific categories called sub-genres. For example, sub-genres within the action genre include martial arts, adventure, and of course, superhero films. So, now that we know what genre is, let's explore the purpose of genres and why they're so important in storytelling. Genre serves two purposes. To set up audience expectations and to provide a roadmap for storytellers. First, whether they're aware or not, audiences are well-versed in genre rules. They are innately familiar with the patterns and characteristics of genre through a lifetime of watching movies. Horror movies are expected to frighten. While a comedy is expected to make the audience laugh.

Speaker 4: "- It's terrible. She has beautiful eyes and her hair smells like cinnamon."

Speaker 1: Failing to meet those expectations can create unsatisfied customers and disappointing box-office returns. The second purpose for genre is to aid storytellers by providing a roadmap through which they can tell their stories. Just like a recipe has a list of ingredients, every genre has its own set of story beats, tropes, and aesthetics. If a writer follows the basic recipe, they will create something that fulfills audience expectations. This roadmap becomes clearer as we move from basic genres into more specific sub-genres. Our only expectation from a crime film is that it will deal with criminal activity. This tells us very little about the characters, situations, themes, etc. But if we go a step down to the murder mystery sub-genre, we have a lot more information about what to expect. We can guess the basic plot. A murder takes place. The structure. A detective interviews suspects and collects clues until they solve the mystery. We can even expect a specific type of scene. The big reveal of the murderer in the end.

Speaker 5: "- Yeah, I killed Fran, but I guess I didn't. So what do you have on me? Nothing. What, attempted murder? I get arson for the building and a few other charges with a good lawyer, which I have. I'll be out in no time."

Speaker 1: Giving the audience something familiar and something new at the same time is not easy. But this is the tightrope writers must walk while working in genres. As Robert McKee points out, writers must not only fulfill audience anticipations or risk their confusion and disappointment, but they must lead their expectations to fresh unexpected moments or risk boring them. In other words, to use genre effectively, writers must know the rules inside and out. To know where and when to give the audience something unexpected. "- Detective.

Speaker 2: You're looking for me. Fran."

Speaker 1: Since genres function with repeated elements, let's run through them individually. Starting with plot. "- Mmm, the plot thickens." The plot is how the story is presented to the audience. Many genre films follow the same basic narrative structure. Major story beats and even specific scenes. For example, in romantic comedy, we begin with an introduction to the two leads. They have an awkward introduction called a meet-cute.

Speaker 6: "- Hey, sugar, you looking for a date?

Speaker 7: No, I want to find Beverly Hills. Can you give me directions?

Speaker 3: Sure. For five bucks.

Speaker 7: You can't charge me for directions.

Speaker 3: I can do anything I want to, baby. I ain't lost."

Speaker 1: They fall in love. But eventually, a big obstacle breaks them apart.

Speaker 7: "- I've never treated you like a prostitute.

Speaker 6: You just did."

Speaker 1: After some soul-searching, they are reunited, often with a grand gesture. And they live happily ever after. ♪ ♪ In slasher films, the plot often centers on a group of young people who were stalked by a killer. Picked off one by one. ♪ ♪ Until the final girl is finally able to stop them.

Speaker 2: ♪ ♪

Speaker 1: For now. ♪ ♪ These plots are certainly formulaic. But eventually, they must evolve in some way to keep the genre alive and audiences entertained. Scream written by Kevin Williamson took the slasher film formula and made it part of the story.

Speaker 3: "- You should never say who's there. Don't you watch scary movies? It's a death wish. You might as well just come out here to investigate a strange noise or something."

Speaker 1: Knowing the rules of the sub-genre means life or death for these characters.

Speaker 8: "- There are certain rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie. For instance, number one. You can never have sex.

Speaker 2: No. No. Big no-no."

Speaker 1: Williamson used our familiarity with the sub-genre to single-handedly reinvent and revive the slasher film.

Speaker 6: "- Look behind you. Turn around. Behind you. Oh, turn. Behind you. Behind you. Everybody ready?"

Speaker 1: Another common element that defines genre are recurring character types. Most genres have their own unique character tropes. Characters that we see over and over in these films. In film noir, we often see the hard-boiled detective. This is a disillusioned character with a cynical view of the world.

Speaker 7: "- You can't be a crook anymore because you used up your chances. And you can't be honest because nobody will let you."

Speaker 1: They are vulnerable, broken, and often misled into danger by another common noir character. The femme fatale. She is a mysterious, alluring, and ultimately manipulative character who draws the detective deep into a web of deception.

Speaker 7: "- I'd like that affidavit you signed."

Speaker 9: "- We can get it. It's in Neil's office safe. We can make Mita get it. We can make him do anything."

Speaker 2: "- Sure."

Speaker 1: In superhero movies, there's obviously a hero. But they can be quite variable in their characterization. They could be a refugee from another planet. A teenager gifted powers. Or a vigilante billionaire. On the other side of the coin, the antagonists are often super villains set in direct opposition to the hero. These villains may have had similar origin stories to gain their special powers. But their motives and values are quite different from their heroic counterparts. "- People will die. Starting tonight.

Speaker 8: I'm a man of my word."

Speaker 1: Just like plots, these character types need to evolve to stay interesting and relevant. When you decide which genre to write in, consider how to bring a fresh spin to familiar characters. So far, we've kept our focus on the genre elements that are put on the page. Now, let's look at how presentation creates genres on the screen. Presentation is how the formal elements of a film are put together. Cinematography. Costumes. Editing. Music. Setting. Atmosphere. Elements like these also play a major role in defining film genres. For example, from this shot alone, we automatically know the genre. Vast and expansive landscapes that evoke notions of natural beauty. Conflict. Or loneliness. In fact, westerns are one of the only genres defined by their setting. For costumes, we get cowboy hats, sheriff's badges, and spurs. Props like six shooters and horses. The shot choice and editing rhythms of the main street shootout are themselves generic tropes we all recognize. Westerns even have their type of music. ♪ ♪ Science fiction movies have wider variety in terms of presentation than westerns. But they too are dependent on distinct formal elements. Instead of the vastness of the prairie, we get the stars. Spaceships often have bold designs for the interior and exterior. Weaponry is often augmented with futuristic sound effects. Costumes range from the completely normal to otherworldly. Aliens are created with prosthetics. Classic sci-fi soundtracks used theremins. And later, synthesizers. ♪ ♪ The use of these formal elements is just as common and useful when presenting genre films to the audience. Now that we know what the basics of genre look and sound like, let's move on to creative exceptions of how filmmakers play with genre. Genre is a rulebook for both the audience and filmmaker. A tacit agreement that expectations will be met but with a new twist. In this way, genre is an ideal forum to subvert and challenge these expectations. And here are four ways this can be done.

Speaker 3: "- Okay, I'm listening. Let me get a pen."

Speaker 1: A spoof is a work of humorous fiction which focuses on specific genre conventions and exaggerates them for comic effect. Austin Powers takes on the spy sub-genre.

Speaker 7: "- Allow myself to introduce myself."

Speaker 1: Naked Gun sends up police procedural.

Speaker 6: "- Hey, look at that. The missing evidence in the Kellner case. My God, he was innocent.

Speaker 7: He went to the chair two years ago, Frank.

Speaker 4: Well, what's the use?"

Speaker 1: And Mel Brooks has made a career out of spoofs including his takes on the Western, Frankenstein, and Hitchcock movies. Subversion is when a filmmaker uses the opposite of genre conventions. It may be with atmosphere. Characters. Plot. Or any other element that is within a genre. Like when Sofia Coppola soundtracked Marie Antoinette with modern music.

Speaker 6: A simple subversion like this

Speaker 1: can breathe new life into any genre. This can breathe new life into a well-worn genre. In Ari Aster's Midsommar, the film begins in a dark and somber manner consistent with our expectations from a horror film. But then the characters travel to the beautiful and pastoral setting of Sweden which shockingly contrasts the gruesome horrors they encounter. By subverting the common tropes of the horror genre Aster undermines our association of daylight with safety to create a unique experience of dread and horror in plain sight. "- What's going on?" Some films undergo a complete genre switch at a certain point in the story. In From Dusk Till Dawn, screenwriter Quentin Tarantino and director Robert Rodriguez set up the story as a crime film.

Speaker 10: "- You get us into Mexico and you don't try to escape. And your daughter will be safe and in the morning, I will let you go. I give you my word, Jacob."

Speaker 1: Instead, midway through the movie, the genre shifts completely with the two finding themselves in a nest of vampires. "- Richie, look out." By switching, a filmmaker can avoid cliches and tropes that the audience may expect from a given genre.

Speaker 4: "- Dibba-dibba-dibba-dibba-dibba-dibba."

Speaker 1: Hybrid genres don't switch. They are comprised of elements from two or more genres from beginning to end. A prime example of a hybrid genre film is Blade Runner. Blending film noir and science fiction.

Speaker 7: "- You're reading a magazine. You come across a full page nude photo of a girl.

Speaker 3: "- Is this testing whether I'm a replicant or a lesbian, Mr. Deckard?

Speaker 10: "- Just answer the questions, please."

Speaker 1: Cowboys & Aliens is a sci-fi western. Alien is a sci-fi horror film. Men in Black is a sci-fi comedy.

Speaker 2: "- Hey, what's this? Oh. Oh.

Speaker 1: Okay, get in the car. Relax." Hybrid films are becoming more and more common as filmmakers explore and experiment with what is possible within and between different movie genres.

Speaker 4: "- Okay, I'm waiting for the punchline.

Speaker 1: There's no punchline. It's not a joke." Film genres are constantly evolving. And the most successful filmmakers bend or break the rules. But this can only be done with a firm understanding of how genres work. When you sit down to write your next genre screenplay, try asking yourself what elements does it need to fulfill and what elements you can make your own. Start your journey into genre filmmaking using StudioBinder screenwriting and storyboard software. For a complete guide to nearly 100 genres and sub-genres, check out our post on the StudioBinder blog linked below. Following the StudioBinder video essay rulebook, this is the part where we bid farewell and promise to see you in the next one.

Speaker 10: "- I guess I'll see ya. See ya. Bye. One more week."

Speaker 3: ♪ ♪