Some questions lend themselves more easily to an argument than others. There are many problems with the representation of gender in Skyfall, and there are many examples of female characters being objectified, sexualised and used as a narrative device simply to keep the story moving. We can take this argument further: do these ideas reflect the views of society? Why are women still the focus of the dominant male gaze in 2016?
It can be harder to present an argument for a genre question. take the following example:
How do your chosen texts use genre conventions?
While it may look like this question is asking you to describe genre conventions, and perhaps identify which genre(s) your films are, it is actually asking you to come up with your own point of view about genre. Here are some suggestions as to how you can do this.
The 'sound' response
The simplest way to respond to this question is to outline in the opening paragraph whether you believe that the genre conventions in your chosen texts (that is Skyfall, The Selfish Giant and Brave) are
- conventional or
- unconventional.
You would first of all need to define which genres the films are. Mentioning they are all dramas has limited use; essentially all films are dramas! You would then base each paragraph around an aspect of genre (the narrative, characters, iconography, setting etc) and then argue that the use of genre conventions is conventional or unconventional.
The 'good' response
In order to get a 'B' or higher in the exam, you need to have a definite point of view, and you need to argue it. Films use genre conventions, but why? You might decide to argue that
- Producers are forced in to using certain genre conventions to maximize audience appeal
You could then argue that your films use genre in conventional ways simply to appeal to an audience. You would still use exactly the same key scenes and examples as the last argument, but this time, you would always come back to this point of view.
A few other examples of 'good' arguments include
- Using genre conventions is a delicate balance. Producers must balance the interests of financiers and audiences alike. I shall demonstrate how my chosen texts use genre conventions in an unconventional way, while still belonging to a definite genre...
- Directors are forced in to using genre conventions by producers, but can contradict audience expectations in many ways...
These two are very similar, but hopefully you get the idea.
The 'sophisticated' response
If you want to push towards an 'A' grade answer, one good way of getting off to a good start is to think about the ideology of different genres. What beliefs and values does using genre entail? Should film makers use genre in general?
Examples of sophisticated arguments could include
- Though genre can be restrictive, an experienced film maker need not let genre conventions get in the way of their message. By attracting broad and guaranteed audiences, genre is a valuable ideological tool for promoting messages as succinctly as possible. My chosen texts disseminate their ideologies in the following creative ways, and in doing so, are able to influence the beliefs and ideas of the audience.
- Genre is a massive restriction for the creativity of the producer, utilised only for commercial gain. The selected texts shamelessly reuse tired genre conventions in order to maximise audience appeal at the expense of creativity.
It's down to you
While having a more detailed argument is usually helpful, you're going to need to back it up with detailed examples. Additionally, if you decide to just talk about how conventions in the three films are used in an unconventional way, and you use particularly detailed examples and use a range of genre theory in your response, there's nothing to stop you from getting the higher grades. The only way to ensure success is to keep practicing!