Genre is a french word that defines the type of film or underlying tone a film has. When choosing a film to view in the theatre or to rent, research has shown that Genre plays a huge role in this choice. A few different types of genres include: drama, comedy, sci-fi, action, adventure, horror, thriller, children's, and family. The two major types of genres are drama and comedy. A large portion of films fall into these categories, making these two the most viewed genres. When a genre is more familiar to the viewer, they are more likely to watch a film because of the level of comfort they feel about it. Sometimes, a film's main actors and actresses may not be well known, but because it falls in a certain genre that the film viewer enjoys, the viewer may choose to see it regardless of who is starring in it. On the other hand, viewers may also be steered away from a film due to its genre. This also plays into research done in the difference in film choice between males and females. Generally speaking, research has shown that men are typically high sensation seekers. This means that men tend to enjoy watching action, suspense, thrillers, or films with violence. Men also tend to enjoy media that displays competition, usually with combat. Men typically need a higher level of excitement to attract and hold their attention. On the other hand, women tend to have more nurturing souls and gentler mindsets, causing them to be less attracted to violence and action and more attracted to the lighter genres. Research shows that women are on the opposite side of as men, being low sensation seekers. Women tend to enjoy films that are sad or have a life lesson hidden in the film. They really enjoy light hearted comedies or dramas, especially those involving relational situations and family relationships, hence the term "chick flicks". While the well known "chick flick" is not an actual genre, many have come to know the types of films geared towards women by this term, aiding in choosing a film. Men will often scoff at the idea of going to see a chick flick, whereas women will gather in groups to see the latest wedding comedy or heartbreaking drama.
Genre also makes movie choices easier when it comes to renting a film. Whenever you walk into a video rental store (i.e. Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc.) they always have the different films available to rent in their respective genres or categories. This makes it easy for the viewer to make their film choice. If the viewer enjoys horror movies, they can look at the section with thrillers or horrors instead of glancing through the whole building. Because most viewers do not have extensive experience in the production and the companies producing each film, they tend to rely on factors they know and can trust. A comedy is intended to make you laugh, this is a known and trusted thing. Viewers will generally rely on genres rather than directors, cinematographers, or producing companies. The study genres affecting film choices has already proven that viewers will be more lenient to see a film in a genre they already know that they enjoy, however, I would like to do more research in this field. I would like to expand on the research already gathered by doing further student and professor interviews to find out how many film viewers watch a film based on its genre versus other means of selecting a film. I would also like to do further research into the gender differences in genre selections. My research and interviews will encompass ideas that will further prove or disprove the idea that certain genres are in viewers memory due to films already viewed and therefore affecting further viewing choices. Genres have and will continue to play a huge role in selecting motion pictures.
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