The word genre can denote quite a vague category. This vagueness is made even fuzzier when applied to hybrid art forms, which have no fixed boundaries. This means that it is not always easy to be clear about what genre multimedia artworks belong to.
Dictionary.com defines genre as “a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, context, technique, or the like." This general term describes a loose set of criteria for a category of composition. Literature, speech as well as any other form of art or utterance will be categorized in this way.
Multimedia as a Genre
According to the Tech Terms Dictionary, multimedia is “the integration of multiple forms of media including text, graphics, audio, video, etc. This source states that a "presentation involving audio and video clips would be considered a multimedia presentation." Educational software that involves animations, sound, and text is called multimedia software. CDs and DVDs and would be considered multimedia formats. They are categorized this way because they can store a lot of data and most forms of multimedia require a lot of disk space.
Multimedia often uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, still images, animation, video, and interactive content forms. Innovative combinations can be recorded and played, displayed or accessed by processing devices, such as computerized and electronic devices. As well as being recorded in this way performances can be part of a live presentation.
The hybrid nature of the types of art created is similar to traditional mixed media in fine art, but the potential for development is broader in scope. Multimedia is often called rich media. This term denotes interactive multimedia, when it is hyperlinked as an extension of hypertext images, movies, and Flash animations it can be linked to other content, according to Tech Terms Dictionary.
The Usefulness of Subgenres
When assigning genre, all works are recognized as either reflecting on, or participating in specific conventions. Animation is presented below divided into some subcategories as suggested on Wikipedia as a way of illustrating the idea that genres are often divided into subgenres.
Sub Genres within Animation
Animation describes a medium, which has been created using computer renderings or drawings. Occasionally photos of representational objects can also be animated using techniques such as stop-motion animation or Claymation. These images are shown in sequence in order to depict an action in preference to filming of live actors.
- Traditional Animation is also known as Cell Animation. It is one of the oldest animation subgenres, and the intent is to animate a cartoon. Images are drawn or painted by hand. Drawings or paintings become sequential frames of the animation. When they are flipped or the sequence is relayed at a comfortable speed an illusion of movement is created.
- Stop Motion animations are made with small figurines or other objects that have their picture taken many times in order to provide the animation frames, which are then sequenced.
- Computer Generated Images are created on a computer modeling program. Models of characters or props are created on the computer, and then programmed. Once programmed a completely computer generated movie can be created.
- Puppetry is the use of puppets instead of live actors. Small figurines or figures are controlled and filmed in real time.
- Both CGI and Puppetry can be included in Live Action films as a way to achieve special effects.
Even though the descriptions above do not exhaust possible types of animation, already readers see there is mention of hybrid merging or synthesizing to innovate more dynamic creations .
- Live Action is not animation, but the genre may use some animation techniques even though live actors are filmed to create the movie. Film is captured using real people, props and sets, but moments of the film feature animation to achieve special effects. The film genre remains Live Action so long as at least some characters are played by real people.
The Importance of Genre to Audience Development
On a website devoted to dicussing genre theory, Daniel Chandler claims that catagorisation is important. Although genres are not easy to define, they are one of the most important factors that determine what people will choose to see or read, it seems.
Through fan clubs, audiences develop an expectation related to publications that support their favourite genre. An example of this is comics that are regularly featured in magazines and short animations regularly run at cinemas as a way of attracting an audience. It seems that writing and movies that are difficult to categorize into a genre are likely to be less successful commercially. Web pages devoted to a style or genre are often called "fanpage," in anticipation that they will attract a specific audience.
Chandler. D., An Introduction to Genre Theory Last Modified 2003
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