Genre and Sub-genre Task (2)

Genre and Sub-genre Task
Mainly focused on Sub-genres in Teen films

A teen film is conventionally targeted towards the teenage target market, sometimes including young adults, varying from the ages of 12 to 25. Teen films attract teenagers by basing the plot around the special interests and experiences of teenagers. For example, first love, teen angst, family problems, drugs, violence, rebellion, etc. This method lures teenagers in as they can relate to the characters' situations in a film.



In order for a teen film to attract and gain a wider target audience, they have to include styles and genres in the film that appeal to others, other than the primary audience. Sub genres are changed and developed in order to meet the target audience's expectations.

Sub-genres are generally initiated through stereotypical characters which are created to represent the theme or as an effective short cut to character introduction with the audience. Stereotypical characters were established in the 1980's in a film called 'The Breakfast Club.' The film was narrated by the main character who very directly and bluntly introduced the most popular stereotypes: The princess, The brain,The basket case, The criminal and The athlete.

The common Teen film sub-genres consist of:

• Comedy - This sub-genre is usually identified through the character who brings the jokes into the film. This stereotypical character is usually not the best looking and is somewhat an outside who struggles to socialise comfortably and isn't popular but uses his funny and sarcastic personality as a defence mechanism and as a method to attract the 'popular' girls who do not acknowledge him.

• Romance - This sub-genre is usually represented through a character who lacks popularity and confidence and conventionally, tends to be very anti-social. What usually happens in a Romance Teen film is their personality is very guarded and their walls are very highly built but someone who is a potential love interest gradually wins them over and make the other open up and become a better person.

• Sports - This sub-genre is usually represented through male character who is extremely popular, amazing at sports (usually American football), bullies the nerds, lacks intelligence and uses his whit as a way to attract the females. This stereotypical character is called the Jock.

• Science Fiction - This sub-genre is usually represented within a character who is conventionally the nerd. His qualities consist of an obsession and expertise in technology, extremely antisocial, lacks popularity, is bullied and picked on, has never had a girlfriend, and is miraculously in love with one of the most popular girls in his school.