15 Second Animation

Proposals
By Jordan Baxter, Samantha Quigley and Rosaleen
Mullan

what is Genre?
Genre is:

A way of categorising texts.

A way of defining codes and conventions for a category of

text.

A way of setting up audience expectations.

Genres Considered
1. Comedy
2. Romance
3. Horror

Comedy - Codes & Conventions

There are a number of code and conventions we associate with
the comedy genre such as:

The uses of gags/jokes, this is often accompanied with

the characters laughing of the use of non-diegetic sound
in the form of laughing audience.

Upbeat music which is used to suggest the light

heartedness of the film/program.

Generally bright clothing/colour used in scenes. This is

particularly true of cartoons belonging to this genre.

SlapStick Comedy
Slapstick is a type of physical comedy characterized by
broad humour, absurd situations and vigorous, usually
violent actions. Outrageous make-believe violence has always
been a key attraction of slapstick comedy.
Slapstick seems to have first come into use in the 16th
century, when Harlequin, one of the principal characters of
the Italian Commedia DellArte, used it on the posteriors of
his comedic victims.

Slapstick Comedy Examples

Charlie Chaplin
The Great Dictator
1940

Tom and Jerry

Cue Ball Cat
1950

Slapstick Comedy - Initial Plot Idea (Space Hopper Race)

Animatic by Samantha Quigley

Blob Animals
Space Hopper Race Gone
Wrong
Lots of Crashing
Silly Sound effects
Range of camera shots

Romance - Codes & conventions

1. Opening credits - Narration, use of images, sound and
music. How text is displayed in opening credits.
2. Characters - The two protagonists, their friends, their
enemies.
3. Setting - Very stereotypical settings, places greatly
associated with romance.
4. Sound - Setting atmosphere & mood, genres of music
commonly used in romance.

5. Props - Objects commonly associated with romance: roses,

hearts etc. How these props help set atmosphere.
6. Camera Shots/Angles - Long shots, mid shots. How shots
and angles help introduce characters and set mood and
atmosphere.
7. Editing & Transitions - Combining all codes & conventions
together harmoniously. Matching speed of camera shots with
music played.

Romance - Example of Code & Conventions in film (Dear John)

Romance - Initial Plot Idea (Dog Loves Cat)

Horror - Codes & Conventions

Split into sub-Genres Gore & Disturbing - Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Saw
Psychological - Scorned, Would You Rather?
Killer - Freddy krueger, Jason Voorhees
Monster - Alien (Xenomorph), The Thing
Paranormal - The Omen, The Exorcist

Horror - Codes & Conventions

Primary Target Audience - Teens/Mature Adults.
Slow pace of editing. This builds tension, but extends duration of the scene.
Predictable Narrative Content.
Clear Binary Oppositions (Good vs Bad).
Use of Low Key Lighting.
Extensive use of Close Up and Low Angle shots.
High Production Values but many are actually Low Budget films.

Horror - Examples of Code & Conventions in Film

Long paced shot that
progressively changes from
peace to chaotic tension
on board the Nostromo. Use
of practical effects on
the chestbuster coming out
of character (Jets and
meat from butchers),low
angles to get a look at
the monster.

Horror - Initial Plot Idea (Dont Be Afraid of the dark)

Scene Three

Opening Scene

Scene Two

Camera Static Long Shot

Camera Quick Pan Left Long shot

Pitch black room screen blackout

Hear a door handle move and a door creak

open to show a line of bright light that

gradually gets bigger and the door opens

more. Illuminating the room slightly to show
its a childs bedroom.
See a shadowed hand slowly emerging
from the cupboard and grip the door frame.

Lightning fills the room, obscuring the

audience's view.
A noise of something moving quickly across
the room can be heard and the camera
follows with a quick pan. To end up focusing
on the window wear a hand print can be
seen fading away on the glass.
Quick/panicked breath can be heard
throughout this scene

Camera Slowly Pan Left to Right Long

Shot
The Camera pans left to right showing the
entire room looking for the source of the
noise as footsteps and inaudible whispers
are heard echoing throughout the room.
All the time Lightning and thunder can be
heard, along with heavy breathing. The
room is still being illuminated by the
cupboards light.
Quickly running can be heard coming
towards the camera, as soon as it stops, a
click is heard as the light goes off. Plunging
the room once again into darkness, all there
is, is silence until someone whispers, dont
be afraid of the dark, close to the camera.
As if into the audience's ears.

Bibliography
Romance GIF - http://club.koreadaily.com/pds_update/f1_20150601003318.gif
Comedy GIF - http://static.yourtango.com/cdn/farfuture/fXWZBD3yK8f3ZPxFwPX0VO1Q-1Y7lZFcbWglmzIsFHE/mtime:
1412967740/sites/default/files/image_list/make-funniest-faces.gif
Horror GIF - https://media.giphy.com/media/28p0r6U5Gs7w4/giphy.gif
Comedy Codes and Conventions https://danjmorris.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/codes-and-conventions-comedies/
http://www.britannica.com/art/slapstick-comedy
http://5secondsapp.com/5/sec.ond?s=c05af18c6bd8f92603b4e86a9a3038eb.gif
https://www.tumblr.com/search/charlie+chaplin+gif#
Horror Codes and Coventions - http://media.edusites.co.uk/article/horror-genre-codes-conventions/

Bibliography
Romance Conventions - http://www.slideshare.net/LibbieSargent/romance-conventions
Dear John GIFS
-

https://i1.wp.com/33.media.tumblr.
com/b07e6b41ead0dd2ae8a2475da587cd31/tumblr_inline_nofpgiFi4g1r6xucc_500.gif
http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0ztmokTsY1qiiw67o5_r1_250.gif

Chestburster GIF - https://s1.yimg.com/os/publish-images/ranger/2014-10-30/3cb17690-6079-11e4-a7253f2c9967aa38_Death-Alien-Chestburster.gif

Thanks for Listening! :)