Seminar Two: Genre

In today's seminar we discussed the topic of genre within animation. We defined genre as many different things but the the simplest would be that genre is the categorisation of film in recognisable ways (e.g. horror, western, musical, comedy, etc), that can often become deficient and contradictory. As the discussion went on we were asked the question, is genre useful?

Well my answer is yes and no. On the one hand I feel that it helps you to understand the narrative and what to expect of that narrative however, having said that last point, this leads us to expect a certain plot to take place and can make us judge the film before we even consider watching it and determine whether we watch it or not. So from that I'm unsure whether genre is useful or not. From a production side of view it can help to guide a story along although I feel that sometimes the genre of a film is taken too seriously and I feel that just because the film is of a certain genre it doesn't necessarily mean that the film should follow a stereotypical plot. However, it is going to make some films unpopular despite the content due to people's prejudices towards certain genres.

Alongside answering this question we were also told about Paul Wells' seven genres for animated films.   I didn't quite understand all seven of the genres fully, but I did gleam a basic understanding of most. These genres included:

Formal
This is conditional to the narrative or thematic concerns, in order to text and explore the aesthetic and technical para metres of the animated form. In other words form is somewhat more important that the actual storyline within this genre.

Deconstructive
This reveals its own construction for comical or critical effect. A good example of this is "The Happy Moose" by Walter Santucci.

Political
This aspires to use the medium to make moral, ethical or political statements. For example, Disney's "Victory Through Airpower".

Abstract
This genre explores new techniques and approaches to facilitate non-objective, non-linear works, or works that resist traditional constructions of understanding and interpretation.

Re-narration
The re-interpretation of established stories, myths and fairy tales.
Paradigmatic
A good example is, "When the Wind Blows", by Raymond Briggs.

Primal
This defines and explores a specific emotion, feeling or state of consciousness. For example, "The Black Dog", by Alison De Vere.

Overall, this discussion has made me think about the importance of genre within my work and how I choose the correct genre for my work and how it will be interpreted by an audience.