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Showing posts with label genres of movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label genres of movies. Show all posts

Thursday, July 24, 2014

What genres do you master?

GENRES

Movie genres that attract the most box office business are action, science fiction, horror, comedy, adventure and war movies. Sub-genres of horror and comic book movies are highly popular among moviegoers. Hollywood banks on kids movies because this entertainment translates into large ticket sales. Typically, parents attend movie showings along with their children. Unfortunately, original movies are not as relevant as they once were in the past few decades. What genres do you master as a screenwriter?

People may ask screenwriters what type of movies they enjoy writing. Therefore, answering this question and knowing the types of genres you write best can make a name for yourself. Movie fans can identify you as a horror writer, or as a sci-fi adventure writer. 

Horror movies such as The Conjuring, Insidious Chapter II, The Purge, The Sixth Sense, The Possession all have something in common; these movies entertain our greatest fears. People love to watch scary movies that put them on edge. It is those jump scares that set off chills during these unexpected and terrifying moments. The high rush of getting scared packs movie theaters on opening night. The funnest experience is going to watch horror movies on a Friday night where teenagers provide secondary screams to amp up this chill fest. 

Horror movies cost less money to make and return a nice profit on this small investment. Screenwriters can break into the movie business by writing a good horror script. Science fiction horror movies are even better to write and produce because there is already a built-in fan base. Combining the two major genres together may attract fans from these two groups. 

Marvel has a huge grasp on the comic book movie business. They own the rights to most of their comic books and many characters within them, but there are characters (Marvel sold the rights to some of them) that other movie studios own. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company to Marvel Studios. However, Sony Entertainment owns the rights to Spiderman and Warner Bros. has creative control over Batman. Screenwriters not affiliated with these studios and don't have a hand in these comic books are cautioned to not write such movies. 

Spiderman is possibly the most lucrative Marvel character ever. It is this comic book character who spawned a billion dollar movie empire, worldwide. 20th Century Fox owns their fair share of comic book rights. They can make any movies on Wolverine, Fantastic Four,  and the X-Men. Iron Man has taken in massive box office business, where three movies earned nearly $1 billion in domestic ticket sales. 

Screenwriters and directors can write their own comic book. Director James Wan recently got optioned for his graphic novel, Malignant Man, which Fox now owns and can make a movie on this character. During the beginning of his Hollywood adventure, James probably never expected to be directing Fast and Furious movies or two two horror movies that went on to open at $40+ million in their opening weekends in the same year. 

Great screenwriters are in high demand. Hollywood needs more awesome scripts to make into profitable movies. Think commercial first, and then write creative later. 

What genres do you master? Are you a comedy writer like Tina Fey? A horror writer like Leigh Whannell? Science fiction writer? Crime movies? Pick your genre or genres and master them.

Visit AMC's FilmSite to view a list of genres here