Reading film genres

 using media language it is easy to decipher or read a films genre or analyze the content. there r many conventional ways to display a film genre in a movie through 4 elements

CAMERA

cinematography, which covers camera angles and shots, is very important in determining a genre.

Camera shots are the amount of room that the viewer can see in a particular frame. To convey information to the audience about a character, place, or topic, cinematographers select particular camera views. for example a conversation between two people can be filled with multiple angles e.g. master shots or over the angle shots.

Similar to that, there are several camera positions that can be used to emphasize relationships and emotions in a scene. for example an extreme close up to the characters face to display his emotions or to focus on a specific detail.

There are numerous camera positions and angles available, and each one contributes in a different manner to the story's telling. for example a camera positioned above the character called the high angle shot gives the audience a sense of inferiority related to the subject however if the camera is positioned  below or low angled it would be the opposite i.e. superiority thus story telling or a characters aura can be changed drastically by the positioning of the camera.

MIS-EN-SCENE

Mise-en-scene is a french word that means 'to put into action'. Basically the placement of scenery, props, and other items on a movie set or stage during a theatrical performance.

it focuses on the theatrical or dramatic design aspects rather than the plot itself, The use of mise-en-scène is significant as it allows the director to convey messages to the viewer through what is placed in the scene, not just the content of the scene.

The following elements are considered to be a part of mise-en-scene:

• costume: the clothes that characters wear are referred to as their costume. Costumes in narrative film are used to denote characters or to make it apparent who they are by using certain colors or designs. eg to determine time period or status.

•  props: are the objects used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. these props are used to decorate the stage or set by adding more realism and enhances characterization.

• lighting (intensity, colour, direct): may influence how a viewer interprets characters, actions, themes, and mood. Light (and shade) can draw attention to certain parts of the composition by emphasizing texture, shape, distance, mood, time of day or night, season, and glamour. It also impacts how colors are represented in terms of hue and depth. For instance, highlights draw attention to features and textures, whereas shadows frequently hide things and create either fear or mystery.

dark lighting and shadows used for horror genre

brighter light and color for adventure genre

• acting/ performance and expressions: The performing styles in movies vary greatly in terms of history and culture. Konstantin Stanislavski's concept of method acting, which calls for the actor to totally immerse themselves in their character, has had a significant influence on this more naturalistic form of acting. it was very important as good acting leads to the viewers feeling the emotions of the character properly

• actors: good actors are important to express the character to its potential

•  positioning in a shot: positioning of the character is also very important to add cinematography. for example in a horror movie the villain is typically either hidden or shown enough for the audience to fear them, a wide angle shot of the character alone in the woods to establish fear, a character positioned above the stairs filmed from below to show power. 

• setting of scene/set design: The setting of a scene plus the visible props make up the set design. Set design has a physical, sociological, psychological, emotional, economic, and cultural relevance in film that can be employed to emphasize character emotion or the overall atmosphere.

EDITING

The connection between shots and the method by which they are combined are known as editing. It is important for the establishment of both narrative time (how long it takes for the story to unfold) and narrative space (the space of the story world, or the spaces and places that make up the physical environment in which the characters of a narrative live and move.). 

Shots may be related to one another either visually, musically, regionally, or chronologically.

SOUND

Film sound immerses viewers in an imaginary world but also influences their reactions to it as sound references to events and emotions which widens the universe that is visible in the frame. sound is very important in creating emotions for example, sad music in a death scene and fast paced orchestra in a dramatic chase scene thus the sound also determines the genre

there are different types of sound design:

• Diegetic sounds: sound from within the diegesis (film world) for example the sound of crickets from inside a jungle. there are two types:

1. Synchronous sound: is a sound which is synced with some event on the screen for example clip of a gun with a gun shot.
2. Asynchronous sound: is a sound related to some event that is occurring around the character which is not shown on the screen i.e. the source of the diegetic sound is missing for example the sound of someone walking up the stairs without showing the character. 

• Non diegetic sounds: background audio added later to the film for example suspenseful or sad music for a scene.