LoOnGgG...EsSaY PlAn...1

“The audience may know what to expect, but are still excited by genre texts” To what extent is this true?

A set of conventions usually through familiar narrative, mise-en-scene, actors and representations; defines genre. Genre creates familiarity for audiences and gives them a sense of reassurance. However genre is often described as “flexible”; at the same time as creating expectancy and familiarity it is constantly changing and developing. This creates something slightly new every time an audience watches something of the same genre, which is arguably the reason why “they are still excited by genre texts”. However, this is only one side of the argument to determine whether or not this statement is true.

Theories…
Reception theory- an audience having their own interpretations of a text (genre text), with their own responses.

Uses and gratifications theory- Audiences decision as to why they wish to watch a certain text…

Postmodernism..

Things to include…
Include Slasher genre for references/examples.
Discuss repertoire of elements for slasher texts, typical conventions and also what has changed. ---> What have these changes affected if anything?
Talk about the history of the slasher genre…psycho --->developed---> how texts began to differentiate? (post-modernism introduced…parodies etc.)

Discuss the zeitgeist...how does this effect genres ---> is this part of the reason they are constantly changing as they have to adapt to the change in society and does this keep audeinces interested? "excited by genre texts". --->linked to wider contexts..

Useful Quotes...

"difference is absolutly essential to the economy of genre."- Steave Neale (1980)
" films repeat themselves in different ways"- "
"genres are felxible" - Richard Maltby (1995)
" the pleasure for the audeince is as much in the conventional base as in the suprise twist"- Patrick Phillips (2000)