✍️Intro to Screenwriting Unit 8 – Genre and Style

What's Genre and Style All About?

• Genre refers to the category or type of story being told, each with its own set of conventions, themes, and tropes
• Style encompasses the unique voice, tone, and techniques a writer employs to tell their story and convey their message
• Understanding genre helps writers meet audience expectations while subverting them in fresh, engaging ways
• Mastering style allows writers to infuse their scripts with personality, making them stand out in a competitive industry
  • Develops a distinct authorial voice that can become a calling card for future projects
• Genres evolve over time, reflecting changes in society, culture, and audience preferences (superhero films, found footage horror)
• Styles can be influenced by artistic movements, cultural trends, and technological advancements (film noir, French New Wave)
• Effective use of genre and style can make a screenplay more marketable to producers and studios seeking specific types of content

Key Elements of Genre

• Genre conventions are the familiar elements, themes, and tropes associated with a particular genre that audiences have come to expect
  • Romantic comedies often feature meet-cutes, misunderstandings, and grand gestures of love
  • Horror films frequently include jump scares, isolated settings, and a menacing antagonist
• Subgenres are more specific categories within a larger genre that share certain characteristics (sci-fi thriller, slapstick comedy)
• Genre hybrids combine elements from multiple genres to create a unique story that appeals to diverse audiences (horror-comedy, action-romance)
• Character archetypes are recurring character types that appear across different genres, often fulfilling specific roles (wise mentor, reluctant hero)
• Narrative structure can vary depending on the genre, with some following traditional three-act structures and others experimenting with non-linear storytelling
• Visual and auditory cues help establish and reinforce genre, such as specific color palettes, lighting techniques, and musical scores (film noir's high-contrast lighting, sci-fi's futuristic sound effects)
• Genre-specific themes explore the central ideas and messages commonly associated with a genre (coming-of-age stories, man vs. nature in survival films)

Popular Film Genres Explained

• Action: Fast-paced, high-stakes stories featuring physical combat, daring stunts, and thrilling chases (Die Hard, John Wick)
• Comedy: Films designed to elicit laughter through humorous situations, witty dialogue, and comedic performances (Bridesmaids, Anchorman)
  • Subgenres include romantic comedy, slapstick, and dark comedy
• Drama: Serious stories that explore the human condition, often dealing with complex emotions and relationships (The Shawshank Redemption, Moonlight)
• Horror: Films that aim to frighten, shock, and unsettle audiences through suspense, gore, and psychological terror (The Shining, Get Out)
• Science Fiction: Stories set in the future or alternate realities, often exploring the impact of advanced technology and scientific concepts (Blade Runner, Inception)
• Fantasy: Films that take place in imaginary worlds or feature magical elements, mythical creatures, and supernatural powers (The Lord of the Rings, Pan's Labyrinth)
• Thriller: Suspenseful stories that keep audiences on the edge of their seats, often involving crime, mystery, or espionage (Gone Girl, The Silence of the Lambs)
• Western: Films set in the American Old West, typically featuring cowboys, gunslingers, and themes of frontier justice (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Unforgiven)

Understanding Style in Screenwriting

• Voice refers to a writer's unique way of expressing themselves through their word choice, sentence structure, and overall tone
• Tone is the emotional atmosphere or attitude that pervades a script, which can range from lighthearted and comedic to dark and serious
  • The Coen Brothers are known for their distinctive blend of humor and violence in films like Fargo and No Country for Old Men
• Pacing is the speed at which a story unfolds, which can be influenced by factors such as scene length, dialogue, and action sequences
• Visual storytelling techniques, such as the use of imagery, symbolism, and metaphor, can enhance a script's style and convey deeper meaning
• Dialogue style can vary greatly depending on the genre, time period, and characters, from the rapid-fire banter of screwball comedies to the poetic monologues of Shakespearean dramas
• Formatting choices, such as the use of montages, flashbacks, or unconventional scene headings, can contribute to a script's overall style
• Cultural influences, including a writer's background, experiences, and artistic inspirations, can shape their unique style and perspective

How Genre and Style Work Together

• Genre provides a framework for the story, while style determines how that story is told and what makes it unique
• A writer's style can help subvert or reinvent genre conventions, creating fresh and unexpected takes on familiar stories (Scream's meta-commentary on horror tropes)
• Consistency in style helps maintain a cohesive tone throughout the script, ensuring that the genre elements feel organic and purposeful
• Genre can influence the choice of stylistic techniques, such as the use of jump scares in horror or rapid-fire editing in action sequences
• A strong sense of style can elevate a genre film, making it more memorable and distinctive in a crowded marketplace (Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction)
• Clashing genres and styles can create a sense of cognitive dissonance, which can be used for comedic or unsettling effect (Shaun of the Dead's blend of horror and comedy)
• Understanding the interplay between genre and style can help writers make informed choices about how to tell their stories most effectively

Analyzing Genre and Style in Famous Films

• The Godfather (1972): A crime drama that elevated the gangster genre through its operatic style, lush cinematography, and complex themes of family, power, and loyalty
• Alien (1979): A sci-fi horror hybrid that combined the claustrophobic tension of a haunted house story with the visual grandeur of a space epic
• Pulp Fiction (1994): A crime film that subverted genre expectations through its non-linear structure, pop culture references, and darkly comedic tone
• The Matrix (1999): A sci-fi action film that popularized the "bullet time" visual effect and blended philosophical themes with groundbreaking stunt work
• Memento (2000): A neo-noir thriller that employed a reverse-chronological structure and unreliable narrator to explore themes of memory, identity, and revenge
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004): A romantic drama with sci-fi elements that used inventive visual transitions and non-linear storytelling to depict the complexity of relationships and memory
• Get Out (2017): A horror film that used the genre's conventions to explore themes of racism, cultural appropriation, and the Black experience in America

Writing Exercises: Playing with Genre and Style

• Take a classic fairy tale and reimagine it in a different genre, such as a sci-fi retelling of Cinderella or a film noir version of Little Red Riding Hood
• Write a scene that blends two seemingly incompatible genres, like a romantic comedy set during a zombie apocalypse, and find ways to make the combination work
• Experiment with different styles for the same scene, such as writing it as a tense thriller, a slapstick comedy, and a heartfelt drama, to explore how style affects tone and meaning
• Analyze a scene from a favorite film and identify the genre conventions and stylistic techniques used, then try to incorporate those elements into an original scene
• Choose a genre you're less familiar with and research its key tropes, themes, and conventions, then write a short script that adheres to those expectations while adding your own unique twist
• Rewrite a scene from a well-known film in a completely different style, like adapting a action scene from Die Hard as a Shakespearean soliloquy, to stretch your creative muscles
• Collaborate with a writing partner to create a genre hybrid, with each writer focusing on one genre's elements and working together to blend them seamlessly

Why It Matters: Impact on Your Screenplay

• Understanding genre helps you meet audience expectations and market your script effectively to producers and studios
• Developing a strong sense of style makes your writing more engaging, memorable, and distinctive in a competitive industry
• Mastering the interplay between genre and style allows you to subvert tropes, explore fresh perspectives, and create truly original stories
• Consistency in genre and style throughout your script helps maintain a cohesive tone and immerses readers in your story world
• Demonstrating a command of genre conventions and stylistic techniques showcases your skill as a writer and can open doors to future opportunities
• Analyzing successful films in your chosen genre can provide valuable insights into what works and inspire new approaches to familiar stories
• Experimenting with genre and style through writing exercises can expand your creative range and help you discover your unique voice as a screenwriter