Genre characteristics - iconography, setting and narrative
| Genre | Iconography | Setting | Narrative |
| Horror | Ghosts, vampires and zombies, masked killers, crypts, graveyards, screaming victims, weapons such as knives, axes etc. | An exaggerated Gothic past, usually the 18th or 19th centuries. Sleepy American small towns or suburbs. Isolated rural areas. High schools. | Slasher stories where a masked killer attacks a group. Ghost stories where a vengeful evil is unleashed. Zombie films, in which a plague of the undead threatens civilisation. |
| Western | Gunslingers and cowboys, desert landscapes, tumbleweed, horses, stagecoaches. | The American West, usually during the 1800s. Small Wild West towns. | A lone hero battles bandits. A sheriff cleans up a dangerous town. A gunslinger seeks revenge. |
| Action/Adventure | High speed car chases, explosions, fights, fearless heroes. | Exciting foreign cities. Dangerous warzones. | A hero or heroine goes on a quest. A dangerous bad guy has to be stopped. A race against time. |
| Romantic comedy | Boy meets girl moments, kissing, flowers, champagne, kissing in the rain. | Desirable locations like Paris and New York. Places like restaurants, apartments, bars and city parks. | Two single people are drawn to each other but amusing obstacles get in their way. A hero or heroine tries to find true love. |
| Science fiction | Robots, space ships, futuristic cities, laser guns, futuristic vehicles, aliens, time machines. | A future where humans have conquered space. A city of tomorrow. A post-apocalyptic wasteland. | Humans explore unknown worlds. A time traveller must try to change history. Aliens invade Earth. Characters struggle to survive a dangerous future world. |
| Crime | Police cars. Dark, grimy city streets. Well-dressed gangsters. Trenchcoat wearing detectives. Bank vaults. | Prisons. Police stations. City streets. Night clubs. | A police detective pursues a dangerous criminal. A would-be gangster rises to the top. Criminals plan a dangerous bank robbery. |
| Genre | Horror |
|---|---|
| Iconography | Ghosts, vampires and zombies, masked killers, crypts, graveyards, screaming victims, weapons such as knives, axes etc. |
| Setting | An exaggerated Gothic past, usually the 18th or 19th centuries. Sleepy American small towns or suburbs. Isolated rural areas. High schools. |
| Narrative | Slasher stories where a masked killer attacks a group. Ghost stories where a vengeful evil is unleashed. Zombie films, in which a plague of the undead threatens civilisation. |
| Genre | Western |
|---|---|
| Iconography | Gunslingers and cowboys, desert landscapes, tumbleweed, horses, stagecoaches. |
| Setting | The American West, usually during the 1800s. Small Wild West towns. |
| Narrative | A lone hero battles bandits. A sheriff cleans up a dangerous town. A gunslinger seeks revenge. |
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
|---|---|
| Iconography | High speed car chases, explosions, fights, fearless heroes. |
| Setting | Exciting foreign cities. Dangerous warzones. |
| Narrative | A hero or heroine goes on a quest. A dangerous bad guy has to be stopped. A race against time. |
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
|---|---|
| Iconography | Boy meets girl moments, kissing, flowers, champagne, kissing in the rain. |
| Setting | Desirable locations like Paris and New York. Places like restaurants, apartments, bars and city parks. |
| Narrative | Two single people are drawn to each other but amusing obstacles get in their way. A hero or heroine tries to find true love. |
| Genre | Science fiction |
|---|---|
| Iconography | Robots, space ships, futuristic cities, laser guns, futuristic vehicles, aliens, time machines. |
| Setting | A future where humans have conquered space. A city of tomorrow. A post-apocalyptic wasteland. |
| Narrative | Humans explore unknown worlds. A time traveller must try to change history. Aliens invade Earth. Characters struggle to survive a dangerous future world. |
| Genre | Crime |
|---|---|
| Iconography | Police cars. Dark, grimy city streets. Well-dressed gangsters. Trenchcoat wearing detectives. Bank vaults. |
| Setting | Prisons. Police stations. City streets. Night clubs. |
| Narrative | A police detective pursues a dangerous criminal. A would-be gangster rises to the top. Criminals plan a dangerous bank robbery. |