{"id":93434,"date":"2021-12-29T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=93434"},"modified":"2022-08-30T10:17:38","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T15:17:38","slug":"break-genre-rules-master-filmmaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/break-genre-rules-master-filmmaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Break Genre Rules Like a Master Filmmaker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Genre conventions help audiences know what to expect, but there’s a fine line between expectations and making something truly innovative.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Swinging saloon doors, grizzled men drinking whiskey, a lone stranger wandering into town on horseback seeking redemption accompanied by a haunting harmonica solo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, maybe . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galaxies near and far, alien races, floating cities of neon lights, laser gun battles, a cocky space pilot, and a hero with self-doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
A scene from <\/em>Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope<\/a>. Image via Twentieth Century Fox<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Despite the differences between these two sentences, it’s a safe bet to assume that both of them shaped well-known films\u2014in this instance, a western<\/a> and a sci-fi movie<\/a>. But, did you picture Star Wars<\/em> or Guardians of the Galaxy<\/a><\/em> for the second sentence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These descriptions, when combined, represent fundamental generic conventions. These are elements of a film that have been in rotation for decades to help signify to the audience what sort of film they’re watching. Further, genre conventions<\/a> go beyond props<\/a> and locations<\/a>. They also include stock characters and plot elements<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in a fantasy film<\/a>, it would be a genre convention to see the hero initially refuse the call-to-action, then later embark on the journey after receiving advice from a mentor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a romantic comedy<\/a>, it would be a genre convention for the main female character to have a quirky best friend who is somewhat more stable in her career and love life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, genre conventions are a set of expectations the audience brings to a particular type of movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
The cast of the brilliantly hilarious <\/em>Bridesmaids<\/a>. Image via Universal<\/a>. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, does a genre have to include its conventional elements to be accessible? Is a western a western without a gun-slinging cowboy? Is a fantasy a fantasy film without the hero embarking on The Hero’s Journey<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conventions offer reassurance, but they can also become predictable and boring; therefore, sometimes, we must get rid of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Flipping Genre Conventions to Make a Better Genre Film <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Genre films grew from the early factory-style Hollywood production system that demanded new and exciting films. Using the western genre<\/a> as an example, with the landmark success of John Ford<\/a>‘s Stagecoach<\/a><\/em>,<\/a> Hollywood saw the opportunity and seized it\u2014they created more westerns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1950s alone saw more than 500 western films. With studios hungry for a few more dollars, films were largely repetitive, but with variants of the tried-and-true conventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
A classic scene from John Ford’s <\/em>Stagecoach. Image via United Artists<\/a>. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Audiences were happy to pay money for a film they were almost guaranteed to enjoy. The conventions in movie posters and promotional material ensured this. However, only so many times can one watch the lone stranger and damsel ride off into the sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As noted in this video<\/a> by NerdWriter1,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All big movie genres have life cycles. They are born, they become popular, they exhaust themselves, and then, if they are important enough, they transform.<\/p>– NerdWriter1<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Genres ultimately become victims of their own conventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, why is it that audiences respond to generic conventions so well? Surely a convention can spoil a film if an element signifies something is about to happen. Well, actually, one of the most innovative ways to use genre conventions is to make the audience think they’re going to receive X but instead, they get Y.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video essay below by Lessons from the Screenplay<\/a>, host Michael explains how Nora Ephron<\/a> took the genre conventions of a romantic comedy and flipped them to make a film that’s lasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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