Innovation in art and pop culture often involves the melding or juxtaposition of several previously existing components to create something new. In the realm of narrative storytelling, is there a line that shouldn’t be crossed–too many genres for one story to include–or is it dependent entirely on the skill of the storyteller and on the medium (whether it be tv, film, plays, or literature)?
I'm a bit confused. I think there's something here it just needs clarification. – Joseph Cernik5 years ago
I like this idea, and I think if you grab a couple of films that have already engaged in cross-genre construction that would be a great starting off point. One that comes to mind is 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' which was steampunk, science-fiction, action/adventure, with a touch of detective and fantasy. This is a great example of a really interesting concept that, I believe, over-melded to its detriment. – SaraiMW5 years ago
I do not think there is any manifesto/a diminishing line for amalgamation of genres in a piece of work. Genre of something itself creates a formula of certain elements that is to be followed as manifesto for creating other similar pieces of work. This essentially creates a future ripening ground of the emergence of a certain unique genres. Doing something out of the rulebook ( as you said adding more elements) breaks the previously perceived notions of what a particular genre must necessarily constitute.
Some writers might or not consciously write genre fiction, but I think it is mostly the readers/ viewers who wish to identify particular "genre" in it. Because of the popular culture demand, the writers/ directors have to conform to genre- based artistic production of a work. I can think of films like "cloud atlas" which transgresses this conformation to a particular genre- it has cyberpunk, historical period drama, apocalyptic future, romance, action and adventure, science fiction, fantasy etc. "Life and opinions of tristram shandy" written in 18th transgresses the notion of a novel itself, also re-defining what a novel "could be".In there, you have legal clauses, marriage contracts of the 18th century, typographical innovations to add "more" than just normative writing. – Azira101phale5 years ago
Surely what genres something fits into is subjective, though? So it could be a matter of people interpreting things as fitting into too many genres, perhaps. – Andi5 years ago