Steve Neill is a theorist relevant to the EDUCAS A-level media specification.
Importance of understanding and applying his genre theory to media texts.
Two Main Parts of Neill's Genre Theory
Repetition and Difference
Repetition
Genres consist of repeated, conventional elements.
Example: Horror films often include repeated elements like dark lighting, tense music, jump scares, abandoned buildings, night settings.
Audiences like repetition because it is familiar, recognizable, and helps identify the genre.
Difference
Genres are also defined by elements that differ from other media within the genre.
Example: "Cabin in the Woods" challenged typical horror conventions despite familiar elements on the DVD cover.
Audiences are engaged by originality and unconventional elements.
Application to A-Level Texts
Analyze products for conventionality and originality.
Conventional Elements
Repeated features help audiences recognize the genre.
Example: "Kiss of the Vampire" film poster includes bats, moonlight, castles, red colors, and vampire imagery.
Steve Neill's perspective: audiences find familiar conventions engaging and easily understandable.
Unconventional Elements
Features that challenge typical genre conventions intrigue audiences.
Example: "Kiss of the Vampire" has unconventional elements such as a female vampire and a male victim, challenging norms of the 1950s-60s vampire films.
These differences might attract audiences looking for unique and original content.
Conclusion
Understanding the balance of repetition and difference is crucial for analyzing media texts.
It helps in identifying what makes a genre recognizable and what elements contribute to a text's originality and audience engagement.