Blog post #7

I think that genre can be seen as a type of mode. In the reading it was stated that genre can give the audience a feel for how the "story" is going to play out. For instance, in a murder mystery, viewers can expect the whole film to be framed at finding out who actually committed the murder. This of course is just one example. In the reading although I found that genre's can indeed be a type of mode, I also did see why some critics believe it can limit the creativity of a writer. In a given genre one cannot stray too far from the boundaries of their genre for fear that it might interrupt the way the audience interprets the overall film. I also like comment Sonia Livingstone adds that "The identification of a text as part of a genre (such as in a television listings magazine or a video rental shop's section titles) enables potential readers to decide whether it is likely to appeal to them." In other words, each genre has its own specific modes, and an audience can generalize what these specific modes will be over long term exposure to all types of genres. Then, they can decide which genres they like best due to the modes that each genre incorporates within them. Going back to the murder mystery example, viewers who like watching this genre may appreciate the idea putting their cognitive skills to use, and guessing who the murder is going to be. So in summary, genre is most definitely a type of mode that adds to the multimodality of a film, each genre having its own specific content, like mystery or suspense.