Genre Conventions

 Genre conventions are the features the define the film genre, such as setting, character types, themes, and presentation. I don’t believe every single convention is considered when making a film of a particular genre. Instead, when one convention is decided upon, the rest might fall into place, or be only natural to include. For example, if someone were to create a fantasy film where the main character was a mythical creature such a fairy, it would make the most sense for that movie to take place in an enchanted forest. The cases where typical conventions of a genre are considered by the individuals making the movie are most likely the ones where those conventions are purposefully broken. 

Of the genre conventions we learned about, film noir interested me the most, mainly because I was unfamiliar with it. I also enjoy films where protagonists are anti-heroes, are difficult to relate to, or make questionable decisions. I might consider incorporating some these features into my own film, such as making the main character unlikable, cynical, or slightly odd at the very least. The elements that particularly go with horror, which is the genre I plan on making my film, is the heavy use of shadows/dim lighting, but I can also see myself featuring the oblique camera angles as well. Another common characteristic of film noir is being in black and white, which is a visual style I already planned on using for my film. I might, however, make my film have a less dark meaning behind it, which would not align with the pessimistic themes of film noir.