Types of Movies

A narrative is a storyNarrative is a type of movieA narrative is a way of structuring fictional or fictionalized stories presented in narrative filmsTypes of MoviesFour Basic Types of MoviesNarrativeDocumentaryExperimentalHybrid

NarrativeMostly fiction, purpose is to engage and entertainMany genres/subgenres will discuss

Documentarymore concerned with recording reality, education, presentation of political/social analysisthe unavoidable act of making a movie removes the possibility of a purely objective truthcreative treatment of actual reality John Grierson (coined the term, 1926)even documentary filmmakers who strive to avoid influencing the events they record still exert a great deal of narrative influence in the editing process

Documentaryfour basic approaches: factual (Hoop Dreams, Touching the Void)instructionalpersuasive (An Inconvenient Truth, Bowling for Columbine)propaganda (Battleship Potemkin, Triumph of the Will)

Experimental Moviesactively seek to defy categorization and conventionBegan withExamples

Hybrid Moviespart of cinematic evolution, mixing documentary, experimental, and narrative films

Genrefew movies are strictly one genre todaygenre has a significant effect on how audiences choose the movies they go to/buy/rentAnd people who finance movies often choose them by genregive people what they want (and expect), and they will buy itcultural conditions contribute to genre changes (ie: a western made during WWII v. one made during the Vietnam War)

Genre ConventionsStory Formulas: the way a movies story is structured (the plot) helps viewers determine what genre it belongsTheme (or topic): A movies theme is a unifying idea that the film expresses through its narrative or imagery (Western: man v wilderness)Character Types: genre films are often have specific character typesSetting: where the action is or the environment is common among genresPresentation/Mood: certain elements of cinematic language that communicate tone and atmosphereStars: actors factor into how a genre is classified, analyzed and received