Genre.

What genres became popular?

The western genre became popular after a mass of Cowboy films hit cinema screens. This was a representation of 'dodgy' films and characters but they were popular because of the western theme to them. 

The comedy genre also became popular after Laurel and Hardy appeared with slapstick comedy. Many other comedy films were made after this and now-a-days, they have nearly completely been re-made from the original comedy films that were made between 1900 and 1920.

Horror films also became popular with the release of Frankenstein and Dracula. These films were developed mostly from European stories that were passed down from different generations of families and brought over to America.

Science-fiction genres didn't become popular until 1930/40. There was fear of finding new life at this time so directors and producers thought that by making films where new life was actually found, then it would ease people's minds. They hoped that by making these films that people would have a new perception on the hope of finding new life.

What is the genre of film Noir?

Codes and conventions:

• Monologues - usually detective monologues/narrations - usually non-diegetic.
• Cliché
• Bad guys - Mafia or corrupt cops.
• Usually women involved - femme fatale  - female in need
• Narrative - spider and the fly. The spider is the woman who traps the fly - the fly being the detective. The spider usually has a British accent and is of a high class. She traps the fly and controls him, makes him fall in love with her and he can't escape.
• Omniscient narrations.
• The detective survives - he breaks free from the spider.
• Hays code - gangster gets caught because the good guy always comes out on top.
• femme fatale - killed or sent to prison.
• relationship between the spider and the fly - the man falls for the woman in the middle of the film but she doesn't fall for him until the end when it is too late because he has to either kill her or send her to prison.
• Women are objectified and fetisied.

Lighting: 

• Front lighting - light and dark - hints at the themes - low key lighting.
• music and sound - ambient - sounds of the city 
• jazz music - neutral sound - saxophones - city/urban thing.  

Where did Genres come from?
In the 1900s, films were being experimented with. When the 1920's came, there were a lot of films that were in the industry. Directors were giving audiences what they wanted. Film companies followed this pattern and they found out what films were popular and made films in the same genre so that these films were popular. Film companies gained more money from this because cinemas were selling more tickets. There were five big companies that owned the majority of films that were being made in the 1920's. They were known as 'the Majors' or 'The Big 5'. These companies were 20th Century Fox, RKO Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. These are still around today. 

How did the 'Golden Age of Hollywood' re-inforce genres?
At this time, genres were known as the 'cash cows', this means that companies were making money from following the same genre films. They didn't want to stop making money, which is why there are so many films that follow the same patterns and are of the same genres. This re-inforced genres because the same genre of film was being made and this resulted in many other genres not being as popular. This is why, even today, people do not really want to go and see new films that are not of the same genre and don't follow the same patterns. 

Which genres became popular in Hollywood?
The genres that became popular in Hollywood were: Romantics, Western's and Melodrama's. These genres are still popular today. Some examples of romantic films are: Titanic, Ghost and Pretty Woman. A few examples of Weston films are: Stagecoach, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Red River. Finally, some examples of Melodrama films are: A Fool There Was, That Certain Woman and The Old Maid.

Why do audiences like genre films?
Audiences like genre films because they contain the same conventions, have the same plots and are of the same genre. Some people have a certain type of genre that they like watching. An example of a genre film that has been around for a while and people like watching is James Bond. There has been 24 James Bond films since 1962. Another film genre that is popular and has been around for a while is Saw. Seven of these films have been released since 2004 and because of the popularity of the genre, these films have been popular. 

Origins of Film Noir:
Film Noir essentially means Black Film. It is a term made by French film critic Nino Frank in 1946. Stereotypical film Noirs feature a male detective who wears a fedora and a femme fatale and usually takes place in the suburbs. It is best described as a feeling of visual style of low-key lighting and story conventions. 

Historical Context:
Film Noir developed because of the Great Depression of 1930s America. There were advancements in the 1920s in terms of synchronized sound, panchromatic film and better lighting. These advancements made more people go to the cinema because going was a way for economically depressed citizens to escape their life. Also, Technicolor developed in the 1930s which brought colour to the movie screens. This three strip colour process required more money and more time to be spent on making these films which is a downside to Technicolor being made. As a result of this, movie theatres brought in block booking whereby they paid for at least a hundred movies in order to gain the rights to the film so they could let people view it. There was usually a mix of A list films and uncommon B list films so that profit could be made. Another way that profit could be made was by making different genre films other than crime drama films like film Noir. They began to develop western films, gangster films, science-fiction films and horror films. They also included pulp fiction crime novels which served the basis for any film Noir. 
Film Noir became popular because of German Expression which was where people from Germany were escaping the Nazis by going to Hollywood to become actors. Many of these people succeeded, however many failed at this and had to return home by the time the Second World War started. This German Expression left people disillusioned and numb which many films Noirs also did. Many photographers for these film Noirs were going back to Hollywood after serving in the Military. They brought along new technological advancements post-war. Some of these were: better light sensitive film, compact lighting and many of these photographers weren't afraid of shooting on location.
Hays code made sure that film makers were being suggestive in sexual manners not explicit, essentially, they were hiding the 'ugly' business in the shadows of the scenes. Some elements that contributed to films were: low budgets which meant low-key lighting, nihilism and hays code.  By 1946, the Supreme court of America had banned block booking and many film makers were laid off after this so they went to Television because people were not wanting to leave their homes to watch a film at the movies. After this, film started to battle with TV to gain their audience, so by this time, hays code had been abandoned. By the 1950s, colour films were becoming more popular on set because high and bright background lighting came about. 

Essential film Noirs.
Defining films of the era: the first true film Noir was Stranger on the third floor from 1940, directed by Boris Inkster, written by Frank Partos and Nathaniel West. One other film Noir was Double Indemnity directed by Billy Wilder in 1944. A recent film Noir is well known to everyone, The Dark Knight directed by Christopher Nolan in 2008. 

- this clip is from The Maltese Falcon, another typical film noir