Genre

Having done my theoretical and conventional research, understanding the different genres is now what I want to look at. Before I even begin to consider the plot or the characters of my short film, the first pivotal step is to determine a genre because it will give me a fixed point from which I can expand upon when doing my planning. The way I intend to do this is to provide a concise description of each genre as well as the possible benefits/setbacks that I would encounter if I were to make a product from that genre. After doing this I will conclude by narrowing down my list of genres to a potential 3 or four, and analyse some examples of short films in each of these genres to improve my understanding of their traits. 

1. Sci-Fi 

Science Fiction is concerned mainly with futuristic concepts or extraterrestrial life. It can vary considerably from space opera films like Star Wars, post-apocalyptic films like Oblivion, all the way to dystopians like Minority Report, Equilibrium and I, Robot. 

Advantages:

• Visually appealing
• Thought-provoking from a societal and capitalist viewpoint
• Imaginative/Not necessarily limited by realism

Disadvantages:

• Hard to visually create on a small budget
• Not enough time to establish an immersive futuristic world in a short film
• Difficult to come up with an original idea

2. Romance

A romance centers around two separate characters who eventually become romantically involved with one another. Typically it explores love, passion and emotion or the search to find these attributes. More often than not the characters have two very different lifestyles or have two very different personalities that at first repulses them, but is later what makes them compatible. 

Advantages:

• Simple premise
• Focuses on realism 
• Fairly stereotypical stories

Disadvantages:

• Again, not enough time to build an engaging love story for a short film
• Predictable

3. Action
Action films are another very broad genre. They can refer to the loud blockbusters like The Expendables, the slickly choreographed John Wick, or the international market with films like The Raid. Narratively, action films tend to be fairly basic, with their standout sequences being the action sets, typically involving shootouts, chases, fights etc. Even the most narratively simple plot like John Wick can gain critical success through it's action choreography or fluid editing.

Advantages:

• Basic narrative (most of the time)
• Focuses on visual feats
• Instantly engages viewer with excitement
• Offers the chance to improve my editing skills by creating a consistent action sequence

Disadvantages:

• Basic narrative, too reliant on action to carry the films
• Not enough available resources to choreograph a realistic fight
• Again, hard to come up with an original proposition

4. Thriller
Thriller films are sometimes interchangeable with action, however they are far more concerned with the structural build up and the consequent suspense rather than just the action. The tone and emotions they evoke are often anxiety and anticipation instead of excitement, as would be found with action. I have also found that thrillers appear far more realistic than action films, which is why they are successful in eliciting suspense. Some examples include Sicario, Prisoners and Black Mass. 

Advantages:

• Lots of ambiguity in story
• More opportunity to be creative
• Often a combination of character drama as well as action
• Can be psychological, mystery, conspiracy (lots of experimental sub-genres)

Disadvantages:

• Time constraints to build up anticipation
• Possible confusion with action or horror genres (too much variety)

5. Comedy

Comedy, when done right, can be hugely successful. They have the intention of being funny and humorous, though more often than not they fall short, which makes comedy probably the riskiest genre on the list. Some rely on practical humour like slapstick, whereas the memorable comedy movies prefer to find humour through witty dialogue, or even making fun of controversial topics. Some of my favourites include The Guard, What We Do in the Shadows, In Bruges and The World's End. 

Advantages:

• Allows me to have a clear aim in my script, tests my screenwriting ability

Disadvantages:

• Very difficult to master humour
• Do not have the locations or the resources to produce practical humour without someone getting badly injured

6. Horror

Horror is quickly becoming one of the most popular genres among the younger generations. The idea of a film being fear-inducing is an appealing prospect to many. Some horrors aim to shock the audience with their excessive gore, others maintain psychological tension, while the most popular theme in contemporary films seems to explore the supernatural. The Human Centipede aims to visually repulse viewers, The Gift and Don't Breathe are more psychological horror, and films like The Blair Witch focus on supernatural fears. 

Advantages:

• Can get substantial success on a small budget (The Blair Witch Project)
• Tension is evoked through camera angle, editing, sound, all of which would improve my skills in the production process
• Simple focus

Disadvantages:

• Overused
• Rarely have an engaging story
• Not memorable

7. Fantasy

It's probably relatively easy to predict that I will not be opting to make a fantasy short film, since I do not have the budget or the special effects knowledge to create something mythological and fantastical. World building is often essential to fantasy films, with Narnia, The Hobbit and Sorcerer's Apprentice all introducing protagonists to a new and unfamiliar world within their own.

Advantages: 

• Some successful fantasy films focus on mystical locations, I have access to many idyllic landscapes for filming
• Simple plots often involving quests and adventure

Disadvantages:

• Require budget
• Need longer running time to build a mystical setting, five minutes won't be enough
• Inhibits the capacity for character development through its focus on mythology

8. Drama

Deceptively simple, drama revolves around human interaction, character development. It is a realistic genre that is often slow paced and tells its story by establishing relatable or plausible situations. Creed, Beasts of No Nation and Calvary explore very different contemporary issues but all of them adopt a dramatic tone. 

Advantages:

• No special effects 
• Grounded, realistic locations and characters
• Can combine it with many other genres to make story more sympathisable
• Most variety

Disadvantages:

• Could be seen as too unambitious

Although I admit that there are many more genres out there, I feel as though these are the most prominent. Some sub-genres derived from these often include crime, adventure, historical and the recent popularity of superheroes. The reason that they have not been mentioned with their own headline is because I believe that they come under the brackets already highlighted. A historical film merely highlights a particular era, but it can still be an action or a drama. Just like a superhero film only alerts us to the topic, but it can still be an action, adventure, a thriller or even a comedy like Deadpool and Kickass. So the classifications are really only guidelines that help us to distinguish between the general topic of the films. 

Now that I have researched the types of genres on offer and analysed whether they would be suitable, I will select the few that are most appealing to this project. These are:

1. Drama
2. Thriller
3. Action

This is because at the core of all these genres is a human element that grounds the narrative. It will test my ability to write and structure a plausible plot as well as create engaging characters with memorable personality traits.

With these 3 genres as my area of focus, I want to start breaking down some actual short films and analysing them critically and technically. Hopefully at the end of my analysis I will have an awareness of the specific conventional traits identifiable with each genre as well as what works or needs improving.