Burney Young 

Movie Previews and Genre

Summary/explanation:

            Movie previews give the viewing audience a mini-preview of upcoming movies or events.  Movie previews intend to attract viewers to spend money on a particular type of movie that may appeal to them.  Consequently, movie previews imply a certain type of narrative or subject genre that may appeal to the viewer which, in turn, heightens movie sales.  WWW.pccmovies.com

Example: Various movie previews shown at the beginning of the movie

Armageddon.

Representational genre: Narrator and Dialogue.

Narrative genre: Comedy and Romance

Subject genre: Action or suspense, Science Fiction, Romance, and others.

 Identifiable Highlights: Movie previews revealing various aspects of genre.

Additional examples of genre: Most movie rentals and theater movies have previews before the feature presentation of the movie.

Discussion questions:

Do you think movie previews have accurately depicted the movies you have seen?

Do you have a good idea what type of movies are being promoted in movie previews?  Can you identify what narrative and subject genres are being promoted when you see movie previews?

Recorder notes not available

Students' comments varied.  Most students felt that movie previews did not accurately depict the type of movie they expected and paid to view.  A closer look at the movie previews revealed that movie previews were a stage for certain actors, playing certain types of roles.  In other words, movie previews were selling the actors or actresses and not necessarily giving the viewing movie preview audience the accurate depiction of the movie they want to see.

For some students, movie previews were an excellent source for when actors and actresses were coming out in a movie again.  Some students enjoy seeing their favorite actors and actresses in movies and want to know when the next time they can view their favorite actor or. actress again in the movie theater regardless of the character they were playing.

Nonetheless, a closer look at movie previews in terms of genre does reveal what type of movie the audience could view regardless of the actor or actress being sold.  Most movie previews reveal their characteristics (comedy, romance, satire, tragedy or combination of all) through different clips from the movie.

Students discussed different actors, movie previews, what they expected to see from movie previews. Their disappointment in spending time and money viewing a movie that did not accurately show what they felt was promised them in the movie preview.