1. GENRE<br />STAIGER’S DEFINITIONS<br />Film theorist Janet Staiger argues that Hollywood films are never pure genres, because most Hollywood movies blend the plot of the romance genre with other genres. Staiger claims that the genre of a film can be defined in four ways. <br />VAGUENESS OF GENRE<br />A genre is always a vague term with no fixed boundaries. Many works also cross into multiple genres. In this respect film theorist Robert Stam has noted whether genres really exist, or whether they are merely made up by critics. Stam has questioned whether quot;
genres are really 'out there' in the world, or are they merely the constructions of analysts?quot;
. <br />RELATIONSHIP TO AUDIENCE<br />Many genres have built-in audiences and corresponding publications that support them, such as magazines and websites. Films that are difficult to categorize into a genre are often less successful. <br />As such, film genres are also useful in areas of marketing, criticism and consumption. Hollywood story consultant John Truby states that quot;
...you have to know how to transcend the forms [genres] so you can give the audience a sense of originality and surprise.” <br />GENERIC HYBRIDITY<br />Theorist Rick Altman argues that such a single-minded approach to genres ignores the considerable cross-pollination that occurs across genres. <br />Almost all classical Hollywood studio directors worked in more than one genre. Altman points out that genres are usually defined in terms of either certain signs (taking the western as an example, the guns, horses, wagons, towns, landscapes, or even the western stars such as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood) or certain plots and themes (such as Wright's notions of the western's classic stories). <br />GENRE DEVELOPMENT<br />Classical, or near classical, forms of genres still exist. In the early nineties we saw the western re-emerge after years of hiding. Yet it is a more knowing form we see return. <br />We also see the emergence of a new post-modern cinema that strikes new effects from interesting combinations of disparate elements.<br />