Introduction: Genres in Transition

Abstract

In this chapter, Dibeltulo and Barrett outline the critical premises upon which a rethinking of “genre” as an analytical category in contemporary film and media studies is predicated. While pointing out the changes within generic modes of production, distribution, marketing, exhibition and reception, the authors argue for a reconception of the category of film genre as one “in transition,” in light of an increasingly globalized mediascape. To this end, the chapter reconsiders seminal genre theories (Neale in Screen 31(1):45–66, 1990; Altman in Film/Genre. BFI, London, 1999; Cawelti in Mystery, violence, and popular culture: essays. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, pp. 79–94, 2004; Grant in Film genre reader IV. University of Texas Press, Austin, 2012) against the backdrop of the intersection of generic film-making with transitional/transnational and transmedial practices. Within this context, the authors emphasize the need to move beyond traditional Hollywood-centric approaches to genre criticism in order to shed new light on how film genres have evolved and continue to evolve in a global context. Finally, the chapter details the structure of the collection and the content of its contributions in relation to the book’s rationale.