Why Do Genre's Change Over Time?

'Genre' is a contentious term because genres that have been named/discovered are not set in stone because there are hundreds of different sub-genres and hybrid genres.

Genres are important because it gives the audience an idea of typical characteristics of the film. For example, horror films are likely to be quite jumpy. 

The whole film industry is reliant on genres because they are generic, which means that an audience will choose to watch a film based on what genre it is, as they are more drawn towards watching their favourite film genre. 


So.... Why have genres changed over time?

Recently, the main target audience for films have become younger, known as 'juvenilisation' of the cinema. So this changes the popularity with films based on genre. 

Changes in society, ideology, beliefs and morals brings about changes in genre as a consequence. For example, since the 1970's, the influence of feminism has meant that women are now portrayed in a different way now than they were previously. 

Advances in technology have changed genre over time, as computer animation has evolved, this has brought about the genre of anime, cartoon and is widely used by Disney, using animated films to target a young audience with their fictional narratives.

Modern audiences are also exposed to more graphic images, as boundaries of scenes that are seen as 'tasteful' are challenged and widened each year by directors.