Genre Essay Question Practice

8)

'The genre of a product does not contribute to its success'. Discuss the statement with reference to a digital media product you have studied. Use examples to support your answer.

I will be discussing the family musical/adventure film Frozen 2 while referring to the many theories which understand how genre affects the audiences reaction and the success of the product. Specifically, I will be referring to the scene in which Elsa battles the wind spirit, Gale, when she separates Elsa from Anna, Olaf and Kristoff.

Steve Neale (1980) created the theory of Repetition and Difference. this states that while some elements change, others must remain the same to ensure that it is recognisable to the genre whilst also making sure that it isn't predictable to allow it to remain interesting for that audience. the production technique used is the mise en scene element of costume. Elsa and Anna are both wearing dresses which repeats aspects of previous Disney Princess films however their dresses are blue and black which are seen stereotypically as boys colours in contrast to the typical pink dresses seen on many other Disney Princesses. This allows the audience to easily recognise the genre as a Disney princess movie which guarantees the success of the product. 

 

Rick Altman (1999) created the theory of generic pleasures which states how the movie gives the audience emotional, intellectual and visceral pleasure. Frozen 2 would give the audience emotional pleasure due to the target audience's age being younger generations who would process the movie more through their emotions rather than their thoughts. The production techniques to show this would be the camera work of the scene, how quickly it transitions from a low angle shot of gale to a high angle shot of Elsa. This shows how gale currently has more power than Elsa, which makes the audience scared and worried for Elsa giving them emotional pleasure. This allows the audience to recognise the genre of adventure which could potentially attract a different audience making it more successful.

Jason Mittell (1999) created the theory stating how industry uses genre commercially.this states that genres are the blueprints for success and that they are exploited by media producers so products are financially successful. As Frozen 2 is a sequel, this shows how much of a success the first one was. The production technique used to show this is the mise en scene element of location, in this scene we can see Elsa and Anna are in the Enchanted Forest. This location has been used previously in other successful Disney movies such as Snow White and Pocahontas so the producers know that this will be appealing to the audience. This allows the audience to gain a sense of familiarity if they are an older audience either returning to the franchise or bringing their children making the movie more successful.

David Buckingham (1993) created the theory that genres are in a constant process of negotiation and change according to society's change in values. In Frozen 2, Elsa doesn't have a love interest unlike most other Disney Princesses before her instead the movie focuses on on her love for her sister Anna. This can be seen in the production technique of sound, specifically dialogue when Anna shouts 'Thats my sister!' when Elsa is in trouble. This allows the audience to understand that it is a family film as it focuses on family values and sisterly love. This also suits modern times as society is becoming more independent without the need for a man.

In conclusion, genre of a product does contribute to the success of a product and this is shown in Frozen 2 and is supported by the genre theories.