Defining genres

[emjen]

When you guys write your own movies, do you define your genre or do you just write whatever way you want to write?

Every genre has a few rules of its own. Action, for instance, should have a number of action scenes, a hero doing this and that.

I agree with that an action film should have action, if it doesn't have action it isnt an action film. But what if you don't define it as an action film? Would it be a drama? It would probably have too less drama and too much action if it was a drama.

Now, I'm finding those genre rules a bit claustrofibic. But they do have a point. The audience will want to see an action movie with action, and not with melo-drama. So defining genres is pretty important, because you've got to know what you have.

The problem I'm facing with my current screenplay that it's an action movie with too less action. Luckily I know it's a problem, but I love story too much to just implement action every 10 pages. Oh well, I guess it is an action-drama.

[belovedmonster]

just write what you think is interesting, if you think it needs more action or whatever later then you can add that. But i wouldnt worry about trying to get it to fit a certain template too much

[Filmmaker58]

With my latest screenplay, I just wrote what I thought was a good story, and when I went and pitched it at a seminar, they told me it was a political thriller. If the story works, it will find it's own genre.