Sub-Genres and Decisions

The beauty and curse of this project allowing an individual to interpret it any way he or she wants is the reality that I make the choices. Of course I must follow the directions and rubric, but I am not told, "Here is x, y, and z. Do it exactly like this, no exceptions." I am not given an opportunity like this often, where I receive an open-ended assignment. Therefore, I had no idea where to begin, what to do, what the plot should consist of, the tone of the piece... my mind was in all differ

ent directions.


I found this chart on a website called Visual.ly and this helped me realize the foundation I needed for my short film opening: the genre. This might seem simple and obvious to some people, but with my mind scattered all over the place, thinking about all the different aspects of the assignment, this chart reminded me to step back and start with a simple question-- what is my genre going to be? 

This chart informed me how many different genres are in the movie industry and how many sub-genres have been created in the industry. I was absolutely floored by the amount of sub-genres existed. Although, it was extremely useful in narrowing down the type of story I wanted to portray through my short film opening. I have decided the genre will be drama, and I am relieved I even decided one aspect of the short film. It is a small step, but it is a step towards a completed product.