How genre theory and the Auteur theory could affect my work:

Genre:

It is well known that within the genre theory there are codes and conventions which help audiences determine where films are placed within the system. With horror we have conventions such as danger and the use of darkness to relate to the genre. With Romance we have the use of colour and often the use of musical compositions which create the correct mood and atmosphere for the genre.

In relation to my own projects, genre theory has an impact on the visual aspects; I may choose to shoot a film based on the Thriller genre and so I would have to consider the use of lighting and of location. If there were two characters meeting late at night to investigate a crime scene I would have to understand where I want the central light source to be and maybe have the characters both walk into shot out of the dark and into the light. This is often used in thrillers as it gives as sense of enlightenment or a change in events or the overall mood. Since it is effective in visually representing emotions and thoughts it would probably be heavily influential upon my work.

With location, I would use a secluded area of land with only one or two buildings. This is often used in the Thriller genre to give a sense of danger; the fact that a character or characters are out of reach and if danger would happen to occur they would struggle to find a way out. Sometimes it could be mistaken for a horror genre convention however when applied to the overall plot of the movie it would be taken back towards focusing on the correct genre which, in this case, is Thriller. It might even be that the movie was a mix up of a Horror and a Thriller.

Auteur: 

With the Auteur theory it is more about recognizing individual styles and being able to match them to a certain director. This can become complicated for audiences as you have to rely largely on your own instincts rater than a set of codes and conventions to be able to determine if a film belongs to a certain artist or not. In relation to my work, the Auteur theory is also very much an influence, perhaps even more so than the genre theory. With directors such as James Wan you instantly recognize their work through reoccurring themes such as the use of faded colours and the scores composed by Joseph Bishara.

Often, Wan adopts the classic horror movie style when approaching his films which is not often used anymore however what Wan does is bring it into a modern context of cinema and uses many of the new conventions as well as the old. In doing so he creates his own style of film making and thus four films later becomes an auteur. In relation to my projects I believe this could affect my creativity in a positive sense; often when approached with a simple project I will assume it has to be made as accordingly however with the Auteur theory it is largely about adopting your own style so I would be influenced to bring a lot of my own creative ideas into practice and make the most of a small task.

 

How genre theory and the Auteur theory has affected my work:

Genre: 

Recently, we were asked to shoot a short video containing a game of naughts and crosses. When confronted with the task I instantly decided it would fall under the horror genre. When considering the genre theory I decided to make the entirety of the shots in the film somewhat starved of saturation to establish a very negative, sinister atmosphere. I also introduced a supernatural antagonist who would count as ‘player 2’ into the video. This is typical for horror movies; having an enemy who is not necessarily of human origin. It was interesting to take an alternative path to others in making the video and, in many ways, proved that genre theory does have a positive influence in the art of being creative and testing out new ideas.

Auteur:

Again, relating back to the Naughts and Crosses project, the Auteur theory was a great influence as it is about individual styles and seeing how artists can construct a scene based on their own creative ideas and direction. When actually shooting the scene I was very precise when describing to my group the way I wanted each shot to look; I would often bring them into the scene and allow them to adapt to my way of thinking. I would give examples of what  I wanted to see and I would also say where I wanted each person to be and when. In considering the Auteur theory I tried to make sure my style was somewhat established.

However, I believe that for me to be labelled an Auteur I would have to produce a greater number of film-based products first therefore there can be comparisons drawn and people would find it easier to spot my reoccurring themes. Also, I used a lot of movement in each shot; I made sure that there were very few shots which did not consist of much, if not any, movement. In doing so I was able to create a sense of not being able to stop and having to carry on to escape. I believe this is a method not used as often as it should be and so for me to use this method shows that I have taken on board the Auteur theory and how the director’s decisions can determine their individual style.