Does anyone know of a book or website to find this basic information? Does anyone have the time or patience to provide it for us here? I know how the video store is classified, but it seems that there are still various descriptions within those categories. Is TV different from Big Screen? I just can't push myself into an R rating with my work. It touches many genres by being dramatic, romantic, funny, ethnic, supernatural and ultimately feel good. But not Chick Flick! TonyRob, CRASH, where are you?????? Shanti
daaah...please list the official genres and their rules
Collapse
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
-
Many things being confused here
First, I just explained something about genre in the thread about a question of genre.
Second, television and movies are different in many ways. I won't get into that now.
Third, ratings are about how much sex, cursing and violence you put into a movie regardless of genre. The only genre that requires you to have a lot of sex is the Porno. Otherwise, you can chose to be relatively chaste.
The most important thing I can tell you is that you will do better if you make your movies conform to the conventions of one particular genre rather than making them a mish-mosh. You know that all the movies in the comedy section are supposed to be funny from page one on, and all the movies in the horror section are designed to give you the creeps. Movies are arranged that way in the video store because some people want to laugh and don't want to get the creeps, while others are looking for a good scare. People who buy scripts realize this, too, and they want movies that do one thing or the other.
You can learn the rules of a particular genre (comedy, action/adventure, romantic comedy, thriller, horror...) by reading a book on how to write that genre, or by watching a bunch of horror movies, if that's a genre you like, and seeing what they all have in common. How do they all start? Then what kind of thing happens? Then what? What kinds of characters do they use? How do the characters act? What kind of endings do they use?
If you pay attention and take notes while you watch about everything that happens in the movie, you will see that there are predictable kinds of beats in all horror movies, and different predictable kinds of beats in all action-adventures, and different ones still in all romantic comedies. You need to know this stuff if you are going to write professionally.
Comment
-
Re: Many things being confused here
I'm with you Naudikom. Joan Easley, you write so well. Good advise too. Trying to keep things light on a serious subject. Don't know if you took the time to read my background info. ? I always check there first to see who I might be chatting with. Don't know if I will become a career writer. It is a pleasure to play with that idea now that I have written a screenplay that probably wouldn't make it to the big screen unless it had more of the R elements. Confidence rides high that it will do well on TV. So far I would have say to that mine is a supernatural drama. Since the story speaks for itself perhaps I should enter the contest just under drama. Other threads have brought up the film, GHOST or I think of GHOSTBUSTERS, maybe SIXTH SENSE. My story is not like these but it helped me consider genre. Shanti
Comment
-
Shanti,
Here's a bunch off the top of my head with an example of a film or two in each (opinions may and will vary on this, btw):
Adventure - Raiders of the Lost Ark
Action - Die Hard, Lethal Weapon
Sci-Fi - 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, THX-1138, LOGAN'S RUN, SOYLENT GREEN
Sci-Fi/Horror and Sci-Fi/Thriller - The Thing, The Fly (remakes and originals), Alien, Invasion of The Body Snatchers
Fantasy - Lord of The Rings, Excalibur, Dragonheart
Film Noir - Chinatown, Double Indemnity
Martial Arts - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Bruce Lee's films (plus there's various martial arts hybrids with other genres)
Mystery - Murder on the Orient Express, Half Moon Street
Thriller - The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The Conversation, Marathon Man
Psychic Thriller - The Gift, The Eyes Of Laura Mars
Supernatural Thriller - Fallen, Jacob's Ladder (to a point), Devil's Advocate
Psychological Thriller - Dead Ringers, Heavenly Creatures
Slasher - Scream films, Friday the 13th, etc.
Horror - The Exorcist, The Shining, Poltergeist, The Amityville Horror, House on Haunted Hill, The Changeling
Drama - The Deer Hunter, The English Patient, Terms of Endearment, Kramer vs Kramer, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ordinary People (wide range)
Supernatural Drama - Ghost, The 6th Sense
Comedy - Office Space, The Monty Python stuff, Mel Brook's stuff, Woody Allen (this genre has a WIDE range)
Dark Comedy/Satire - Eating Raoul, Happiness
Romantic Comedy - Sleepless in Seattle, The Wedding Planner, Runaway Bride, etc.
Experimental/Abstract/Avant-Garde/Surreal - Eraserhead, Persona, 8 1/2, Luis Bunel's films, Andy Warhol's stuff
Documentary - The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, Hoop Dreams
Coming of Age - Stand By Me, October Sky, etc.
Crime Drama - Heat, The Heist, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction
Police/Crime Drama or Action - The French Connection, Dirty Harry films
Mob/Mafia - The Godfather movies, Goodfellas
Western - Unforgiven, The Searchers, Once Upon A Time in the West
War - All Quiet on the Western Front, Platoon, Saving Private Ryan
There's more, but I hope this gives you an idea of how extensive and complicated this can get. (What's Taxi Driver? Psycholigical Thriller, Drama?)
Anybody else? Please feel free to add to or amend my list. These are just what sprung to mind.
Tony
Comment
-
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a genre-crossing:
Martial Arts/Romance/Mystery
Gypsy, when it all comes down to it, you don't really need to have just one genre to get someone to read it, such as an agent...for example -
CRIMSON TIDE
Logline: Executive Officer Hunter commits mutiny aboard a submarine after a disagreement with the captain, and is forced to engage in wit-wit combat to keep from sending the world into nuclear war.
Genre: War/Drama/Thriller
Comment
-
That's why it's so difficult sometimes to boil it down to one genre or at the most a hybrid, but I think it's necessary to keep it as simple as possible when trying to get someone to read your script. What is the DOMINANT tone or feel of your script? That's what you have to ask yourself. (it CAN be a hybrid, but I'd be leery of naming three or more genres, or else you might get the infamous "Do you even know what your story's about?" line thrown back at you, unfair as it may be)
I forgot about Sci-Fi Western in my list (among others) - Outland (High Noon in space), Star Wars (actually, it's more Space Opera)
Tony
Comment
-
Praise the lord and pass the snakes!
(that's from an old song)
So, Supernatural Drama exists. Geez Tony, you like to type! CRASH into me. (that's from a newer song)
A bow down to your greatness and hope to see our names in some credits one day! Kisses
PS e-mail me and Ill tell you what it's all about
Comment
Comment