Genre Theory And Auteur Comparison
Genre Theory- The idea of having a genre for a film with the same conventions, e.g. location, character types, structure or style although this is adapted to make their own personal movie more creative and different.
Auteur theory- The idea that the person who is the author of the film created the idea but has been adapted by other people the idea of Astrucs of the camera-stylo or camera pen the cretor is the real auteur.
History of genre theory- it was first thought of by the Greeks as they thought that poetry belonged in different categories.
Aristotle was one of the main people to think about Genre theory and the idea that different types of art can be grouped together if they have the same conventions.
We have, then, a natural instinct for representation and for tune and rhythm—and starting with these instincts men very gradually developed them until they produced poetry out of their improvisations. Poetry then split into two kinds according to the poet's nature. For the more serious poets represented the noble deeds of noble men, while those of a less exalted nature represented the actions of inferior men, at first writing satire just as the others wrote hymns and eulogies.
-Aristotle
(Help From Wikipedia)
History of Auteur theory- The idea of auteur theory came from France in the 1940s these cinematic theories were created by
Andre Bazin and Alexandre Astruc who were solid on the idea that the director was the author. This started the era of the New wave which gave us two major directors of the new wave Francois Truffaot and Jean-Luc Godard who uses a lot of different techniques.
Auteur theory- The idea that the person who is the author of the film created the idea but has been adapted by other people the idea of Astrucs of the camera-stylo or camera pen the cretor is the real auteur.
History of genre theory- it was first thought of by the Greeks as they thought that poetry belonged in different categories.
Aristotle was one of the main people to think about Genre theory and the idea that different types of art can be grouped together if they have the same conventions.
We have, then, a natural instinct for representation and for tune and rhythm—and starting with these instincts men very gradually developed them until they produced poetry out of their improvisations. Poetry then split into two kinds according to the poet's nature. For the more serious poets represented the noble deeds of noble men, while those of a less exalted nature represented the actions of inferior men, at first writing satire just as the others wrote hymns and eulogies.
-Aristotle
(Help From Wikipedia)
History of Auteur theory- The idea of auteur theory came from France in the 1940s these cinematic theories were created by
Andre Bazin and Alexandre Astruc who were solid on the idea that the director was the author. This started the era of the New wave which gave us two major directors of the new wave Francois Truffaot and Jean-Luc Godard who uses a lot of different techniques.
Examples of Genre-
Comedy:Modern setting, dynamic duo, drug and sex references, one liners
Horror- Dark Isolated settings, stings and rumbling noises, tension, a scary antagonist
Sci-Fi- Futuristic setting, bright lighting, special effects, mythical creatures
Action- Modern setting Modern Music, Conflict, Teams black or white
Examples of auteurs-
Woody Allen: he was the auteur of movies such as Sleeper,manhattan and crimes and misdemeanors
Wes Anderson: was the auteur of the movies the grand budapest hotel, Rushmore and the bottle Rocket.
Strengths of Genre:
It makes it easy for the audience to find their preffered genre and stick with it
It makes it easier to plan when sticking to conventions
Weaknesses of Genre:
It can be hard to differentiate your film from other genre theories
It can be a bit wooly when you wanted to try something a bit more artistic
Strengths or Auteur:
You can try something crazy since youre the auteur and can put your own stamp on it
You can borrow other ideas and adapt it or make a homage
Weaknesses of Auteur:
Other people may have different opinions on set
You may not be portraying something that people understand more what only you understand.
Similarities between genre and auteur is that they stay in certain categories, differences are that you have more room to breath with auteur theory if you are the author as you can do what you want and not have to be cliche and stick to conventions like genre.
Comedy:Modern setting, dynamic duo, drug and sex references, one liners
Horror- Dark Isolated settings, stings and rumbling noises, tension, a scary antagonist
Sci-Fi- Futuristic setting, bright lighting, special effects, mythical creatures
Action- Modern setting Modern Music, Conflict, Teams black or white
Examples of auteurs-
Woody Allen: he was the auteur of movies such as Sleeper,manhattan and crimes and misdemeanors
Wes Anderson: was the auteur of the movies the grand budapest hotel, Rushmore and the bottle Rocket.
Strengths of Genre:
It makes it easy for the audience to find their preffered genre and stick with it
It makes it easier to plan when sticking to conventions
Weaknesses of Genre:
It can be hard to differentiate your film from other genre theories
It can be a bit wooly when you wanted to try something a bit more artistic
Strengths or Auteur:
You can try something crazy since youre the auteur and can put your own stamp on it
You can borrow other ideas and adapt it or make a homage
Weaknesses of Auteur:
Other people may have different opinions on set
You may not be portraying something that people understand more what only you understand.
Similarities between genre and auteur is that they stay in certain categories, differences are that you have more room to breath with auteur theory if you are the author as you can do what you want and not have to be cliche and stick to conventions like genre.
Applying Genre Theory
E.T
E.T is in the Sci-Fi genre as it follows the genre conventions of bright lights, stings and whirring noises, dark night skies and really good special effects and CGI for the actual character of E.T. and has a lot of hiding.
The codes and conventions it follows is that it is set in an ordinary town but has lots of fleeting shots of the sky also the alien doesn't speak English but more makes sounds to communicate with the children.
Ways in which the film deviates from the Genre is that it is centred around kids this is strange because the kids act and talk like adults and swear making it really different. Its also different that they are on the aliens side rather than trying to kill it but bringing it into their home unlike other Sci-Fi movies set in space this is set on earth. This is still about aliens but is different to the film aliens as they are with instead of against on home turf instead of away and they are just kids.
E.T is in the Sci-Fi genre as it follows the genre conventions of bright lights, stings and whirring noises, dark night skies and really good special effects and CGI for the actual character of E.T. and has a lot of hiding.
The codes and conventions it follows is that it is set in an ordinary town but has lots of fleeting shots of the sky also the alien doesn't speak English but more makes sounds to communicate with the children.
Ways in which the film deviates from the Genre is that it is centred around kids this is strange because the kids act and talk like adults and swear making it really different. Its also different that they are on the aliens side rather than trying to kill it but bringing it into their home unlike other Sci-Fi movies set in space this is set on earth. This is still about aliens but is different to the film aliens as they are with instead of against on home turf instead of away and they are just kids.
The cast effect the genre as it deviates having kids as the main characters with a mother who doesn't pay any attention to her children and how adults are the last result to save E.T from dying. The crew must help with the genre a lot as they will be in charge of the lighting and sound which can make or break any film bad sound effects or harsh lighting can make a film look terrible. E.T didn't have a sound track or music that was already made they have had a score made just for the film which fits in perfectly with the scenes so finishes seamlessly at the end of certain acts. The editing must have taken ages as it is complicated to use CCI characters and edit them as they do exactly what you want them to do so you don't have as much variations of the scene especially if you're on a time crunch, so it impacts the film big time.
Applying Auteur Theory
THE WIZARD OF OZ
The auteur for the wizard of Oz could be Al. Frank Baum who wrote the book because without the book the film may have never been created, another one that the author could be is Viktor Fleming the director because without him the film would never have been made he directed it and told everyone what to do other things that he was the Author of was gone with the wind, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Joan of arc.
Judy Garland was also the main star of the film and the film would be nowhere near as good without her.
The Auteur was one of the first to use talking in this era since it is the golden age of Hollywood and before that they wee still silent movies and the reason it was so popular at the time was that it used aspects of the past e.g. black and white at the beginning and technicolour after which was a whole new idea in film at the time using different filters in film. So I think that the Auteur is Victor Fleming.
The auteur for the wizard of Oz could be Al. Frank Baum who wrote the book because without the book the film may have never been created, another one that the author could be is Viktor Fleming the director because without him the film would never have been made he directed it and told everyone what to do other things that he was the Author of was gone with the wind, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Joan of arc.
Judy Garland was also the main star of the film and the film would be nowhere near as good without her.
The Auteur was one of the first to use talking in this era since it is the golden age of Hollywood and before that they wee still silent movies and the reason it was so popular at the time was that it used aspects of the past e.g. black and white at the beginning and technicolour after which was a whole new idea in film at the time using different filters in film. So I think that the Auteur is Victor Fleming.
Don't get excited Obstacles make a better picture- Victor Fleming
Genre And Auteur theory
In the recreation scene genre theory was used as we tried to look closely at the horror attributes in the birds we tried to make it dark and isolated and scary like the attic scene even though our scary location fell through we still tried to look into the horror aspect of the birds. I did look up auteur theory without realising it for the birds as I looked at Alfred Hitchcock's other work such as psycho specifically looking at the drain to eye scene as Alfred Hitchcock was the auteur as well as the director.
Top Films of the 70s
Star Wars (1977)
Jaws (1975)
Grease (1978)
The Sting (1973)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Animal House (1978)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Godfather (1972)
Superman (1978)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Smokey And The Bandit (1977)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Rocky (1976)
The Towering Inferno (1974)
American Graffiti (1973)
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975)
Love Story (1970)
Kramer Vs Kramer (1979)
Jaws (1975)
Grease (1978)
The Sting (1973)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Animal House (1978)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Godfather (1972)
Superman (1978)
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Smokey And The Bandit (1977)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Rocky (1976)
The Towering Inferno (1974)
American Graffiti (1973)
One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975)
Love Story (1970)
Kramer Vs Kramer (1979)
Stranger Things Analysis
Stranger Things is a new film series on Netflix that pays homage to certain films such as E.T. (1982) and Star wars (1977), it uses the idea of kids being adults as they are really young but talk and swear like adults.
Stranger Things uses different Genres for different Characters I found this really interesting because Sheriff Hopper and Joyce Byers both try to figure out what has happened to Will as if they are in a Crime Movie, they try to find out what is happening in Hawkins Lab as they believe that something shady is going down which it is as they have a tear where they can get to the upside down having Hopper and Joyce treat it like a Crime thriller suits them as it is a much more grown up genre as younger audiences won't know as much about the politics and laws they are talking about.
On the Other hand Jonathan Byers, Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler take on the situation as if it's a horror movie, they take on the horror genre by believing Will has been taken by a Killer or a paranormal force, they soon get their weapons together and team up like they do in horror movies just like they have Steve the Jock, Jonathan the Outcast and Nancy the Prep and as it does in most horror movies the jock gets scared and runs off.
Mike, Dustin and Lucas take on saving their friend as if he's been abducted by aliens this uses the genre conventions of little kids saving the day like in E.T. and Star Wars. But the kids are also really smart understanding about the upside down and act really mature for their age, they also take on the convention of the geeky kids surviving and knowing what's going on first and taking it into their own hands.
Stranger Things uses different Genres for different Characters I found this really interesting because Sheriff Hopper and Joyce Byers both try to figure out what has happened to Will as if they are in a Crime Movie, they try to find out what is happening in Hawkins Lab as they believe that something shady is going down which it is as they have a tear where they can get to the upside down having Hopper and Joyce treat it like a Crime thriller suits them as it is a much more grown up genre as younger audiences won't know as much about the politics and laws they are talking about.
On the Other hand Jonathan Byers, Steve Harrington and Nancy Wheeler take on the situation as if it's a horror movie, they take on the horror genre by believing Will has been taken by a Killer or a paranormal force, they soon get their weapons together and team up like they do in horror movies just like they have Steve the Jock, Jonathan the Outcast and Nancy the Prep and as it does in most horror movies the jock gets scared and runs off.
Mike, Dustin and Lucas take on saving their friend as if he's been abducted by aliens this uses the genre conventions of little kids saving the day like in E.T. and Star Wars. But the kids are also really smart understanding about the upside down and act really mature for their age, they also take on the convention of the geeky kids surviving and knowing what's going on first and taking it into their own hands.