Film GenresFILM GENRES

Elements, Examples and Ideas

Action

ELEMENTS• Cars, weapons,

fight scenes• Stunts, chase

scenes• High tempo• Extreme

locations• Escape,

revenge, assassin, kidnap

EXAMPLES• 2012• Back to the

future• Batman• Big Fish• 127 hours

POSSIBLE IDEAS• High speed chase scene, pause action shots

to show titles and actors names• Car racing- driver gets out of car to introduce

main character and dialogue begins

ELEMENTS• Sensitive

content• No bad language

or upsetting scenes

• Colourful• Upbeat music• Friendly

storylines• Good morals

EXAMPLES• Avatar• Bambi• 101 Dalmatians• Shrek• Toy Story

POSSIBLE IDEASBecause of limitations in school, animation isn’t a practical idea because we have to display our filming abilities and have limited editing facilities

Children’s Animation

Possible Ideas• Girl cycles along beach- music in headphones

stops when she hits man and earplugs fall out• Old man at home alone- pans across the room

showing old pictures of a happy couple

Elements• Relationships• Dreamlike

lifestyle• Softer music• Heart ache• Elements of

other genres e.g. comedy or tragedy

Examples• Dear John• Titanic• The Notebook• The Last Song• The Lucky One

Romance

ELEMENTS• Light hearted

humour• Exaggerated

stereotypes• Upbeat

storyline• Easy to follow

storyline• Puns/

innuendos

EXAMPLES• 21 Jump Street• The Hangover• The Interview• American Pie• Dumb&Dumber

POSSIBLE IDEAS• Male main characters going on a surf

weekend- learning to surf together• Scrawny boys fail their a levels and sign up

for the army- go through physical training program

Comedy

Elements• Investigation• Detective• Problematic

storyline• Clues and

mystery• Law breaking-

burglary, murder etc

Examples• Fast and Furious• Goodfellas• The Dark Knight• The Godfather• Jack Reacher

Possible Ideas• Panning camera across murder scene then

begin the film with the investigation• Police chase scene then the film gives the

background to why they are being chased

Crime

ELEMENTS• Adrenaline• Suspense• Paranormal• Eerie music

with changing tempo to build tension

• Aspects of gore and violence

EXAMPLES• HumanCentipede• The Awakening• The Quiet Ones• Woman In Black• Storage24

POSSIBLE IDEAS• Haunted house with bottles of body parts

lined up on shelves- new family moves in• Introduces main characters in the forest- its

getting dark and have to survive the night

Horror