IDEOLOGICAL APPROACH

An  ideological  approach  is  designed  to  identify  the  prevailing  belief system of a genre. Ideologyis defined as the system of beliefs or ideas that help determine the thinking and behavior of a culture. Genres such as Westerns, quiz shows, news programs, tabloid talk shows, spy programs, and sports programming send messages about what life is and what life ought to be. Examining the ideological underpinnings of genres can provide insight into ways in which a genre shapes the audience’s expectations and understanding of content. An ideology may be political in nature. Genres may contain assumptions about how the world should operate, who should oversee the world, and the proper and appropriate relationships among its inhabitants. A genre can also present a religious ideology—sacred tenets that believers are expected to follow. Finally, an ideology can be cultural, establishing standards of success as well as laying out a roadmap that defines how to get there.

PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

Production elements refer to the styleand qualityof a media presentation. Production elements are roughly analogous to grammar in print in that they influence:
•  The way in which the audience receives the information
•  The emphasis, or interpretation placed on the information by the media communicator
• The reaction of the audience to the information
Production elements can generate affective responses,or emotional reactions, in the audience. Although production elements generally escape our conscious attention, media communicators use production elements such as editing, color, lighting, and camera angle for dramatic purposes, so that the audience will experience the emotions of the characters on the screen. For instance, horror films are often characterized by abrupt cuts from one image to another, startling the audience and reinforcing the feelings of terror and disorientation in the audience.

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

An industry approach to genre analysis focuses on the commercial considerations that go into the conceptualization, planning, scheduling, and presentation of genric programming. The ownership patterns of the media play a significant role in the production and distribution of the content conveyed  through  the  channels  of  mass  communication.  In Western countries such as the United States, newspapers, magazines, radio stations, film studios, and television stations are privately owned—either by  individuals  or,  increasingly,  by  large,  multinational  corporations. Under this market-driven system, the primary purpose, or function, is to generate the maximum possible profit.

MYTHIC APPROACH

Myths are stories that attempt to provide explanations about some of the enduring mysteries of human existence. Classics scholar Gilbert Highet explains:

The central answer is that myths are permanent. [Myths] deal with the
greatest of all problems, the problems which do not change because men
and women do not change. They deal with love; with war; with sin; with
tyranny; with courage; with fate; and all in some way or other deal with
the relation of man to those divine powers which are sometimes to be
cruel, and sometimes, alas, to be just.

Myths touch on timeless dilemmas or temptations facing human beings. Consequently, similar mythic tales recur throughout many cultures. Thus, Native American myths address the same essential issues of life as are found in Greek mythology.

HORROR PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

 

THE CONCEPT OF IDEOLOGY 1

 

THE CONCEPT OF IDEOLOGY 2

 

MEANINGS AND SUBTEXT IN FILM