Introduction
Despite having a remarkably recent history when compared with other genres of mass communication, particularly, written ones, movies have become a powerful method of expressing ideas and conversing with a broad range of audiences. This paper will examine the effect that movies have been producing on their viewers, the range of film genres, and the possible avenues for their further evolution. Although it might seem that the era of movies may have come to an end with the advent of the digital epoch, innovative technology has only introduced additional opportunities for making movie watching an all the more captivating experience.
Definition
Over the decades of its development, the phenomenon of a movie has changed significantly, especially with the introduction of new genres and the discovery of new ways of conveying a particular idea visually. However, at its core, the concept of a movie has remained unchanged. Presently, a movie is defined as a “composition recorded by the camera,” or a series of images projected in a rapid succession to create an illusion of an animated narrative (Stevens 17). The specified definition might seem exceptionally narrow since it focuses primarily on the technical aspect of movie development; however, it also provides an opportunity to encompass an extraordinarily broad range of movie genres and types, which makes the provided way of defining a movie quite appropriate.
Purpose and Genres
The purpose of a movie as a communication medium is also open to multiple interpretations. Embracing film as an art form, one could claim that a film serves the function of expressing a specific emotion and reflecting the sociocultural environment in which it was produced.
However, when considering film as the means of communication, its purpose can be interpreted as conveying a specific idea to the target audience. Though the director’s intent may not necessarily coincide with the perception of audiences and critics, a movie does serve an important role of communicating ideas and concepts while eliciting emotions (Sureja and Firoz 617). Thus, the purpose that a movie is expected to serve can be seen as a twofold one, the main goal being the introduction of viewers to a specific idea, and the second one being evoking an emotional response in the audience.
The current amount of movie genres is astonishingly large, with countless subgenres and the emergence of new ones. Although the history of a movie began with a documentary, it has evolved to branch out into multiple genres, each having a unique set of requirements and standards. Unlike the literature, which have only four main genres, movies are split into a genre of different ones, without any hierarchy within them (Kretz 211). Presently, the movie genres that are the most common for the mainstream Western audiences include drama, comedy, action, romance, mystery, horror, thriller, and western (Kretz 212). Additionally, movies can be categorized based on the perspective from which they are shot, namely, the chronology of factual events (a documentary) or the genre of fiction (Ekinci 7). However, the former taxonomy appears to be the most common framework for distinguishing between movie genres.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As a communication medium, a film incorporates both benefits and disadvantages. The opportunity to represent an argument visually and, therefore, create a stronger connection with the audience is one of the most obvious and critical benefits that the movie as a communication tool provides. Visuals have a particularly strong power of shaping the viewer’s attitudes and perceptions, allowing creators to frame a specific idea in a certain way that represents an argument in an especially convincing manner. Additionally, a well-directed movie produces a cathartic effect that causes a viewer to perceive the key message eagerly (Kim 284). Therefore, movies have a tremendous power as the method of communicating an idea.
At the same time, keeping in mind key disadvantages of a movie is vital to create a compelling message and avoid key pitfalls. For instance, a movie can become a ploy for escapism for a certain type of viewers (Naderer et al. 241). Furthermore, there is an ongoing debate concerning the effects that violence in movies can produce on an individual (Khan et al. 4963). Specifically, it is believed that exposure to violence in movies may lead to developing emotional numbness toward the needs and experiences of others, therefore, losing empathy (Rodenhizer and Edwards 441). Thus, while providing substantial thrill, movies may cause one to develop psychological issues.
Current Trends and Development
Presently, the focus on streaming can be seen as a major trend that has been shaping the movie industry substantially. Due to the external factors, primarily, the effects of the coronavirus, the experience of going to the cinema has only started being revisited, which is why streaming services such as Netflix have gained impressive power in the moviemaking industry (Pedersen 87). As a result, the emphasis has been shifted toward serialized products (Kohli 63). Nevertheless, the film industry has seen quite a variety of movies lately, which is why new discoveries and creations are expected to be observed in the nearest future.
Works Cited
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Khan, Samee Ullah, et al. “Cover the Violence: A novel Deep-Learning-Based Approach Towards Violence-Detection in Movies.” Applied Sciences, vol. 9, no. 22, 2019, pp. 4963.
Kim, Seongseop, Sangkyun Kim, and James F. Petrick. “The Effect of Film Nostalgia on Involvement, Familiarity, and Behavioral Intentions.” Journal of Travel Research, vol. 58, no. 2, 2019, pp. 283-297.
Kohli, Chayn. “The Replacement of Conventional Television by Streaming Services.” International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, vol. 3, no. 10, 2020, pp. 59-67.
Kretz, Valerie Ellen. “Television and Movie Viewing Predict Adults’ Romantic Ideals and Relationship Satisfaction.” Communication Studies, vol. 70, no. 2, 2019, pp. 208-234.
Naderer, Brigitte, Jörg Matthes, and Ines Spielvogel. “How Brands Appear in Children’s Movies. A Systematic Content Analysis of the Past 25 Years.” International Journal of Advertising, vol. 38, no. 2, 2019, pp. 237-257.
Pedersen, Jan. “From Old Tricks to Netflix: How Local are Interlingual Subtitling Norms for Streamed Television?” Journal of Audiovisual Translation, vol. 1, no. 1, 2018, pp. 81-100.
Rodenhizer, Kara Anne E., and Katie M. Edwards. “The Impacts of Sexual Media Exposure on Adolescent and Emerging Adults’ Dating and Sexual Violence Attitudes and Behaviors: A Critical Review of the Literature.” Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, vol. 20, no. 4, 2019, pp. 439-452.
Stevens, Kyle. “When Movies Get Sick.” Critical Inquiry, vol. 47, no. 2, 2021, pp. 17-24.
Sureja, Naisargi D., and Firoz A. Sherasiya. “Using Sentimental Analysis Approach Review on Classification of Movie Script.” International Journal of Engineering, Development, and Research, vol. 5, no. 2, 2017, pp. 616-620.