On Genre; Recent Creativity

Genre is a word that can change definitions depending on who you ask. In the context of our class, however, its meaning is fixed. It's listed right at the beginning of chapter one in our book: "a composition's kind, category, or sort". But, despite that short description, there's more to it than that. The thing about any creative work is that it can often be inherently genre-defiant, meaning that some can actually not fit into any particular genre or "sort" as a result of it being a creative work and being derivative of a multitude of works and mediums. Additionally, the characteristics of any work are influenced by its substance, and can thus cause deviations from genre. For example, the musical Hamilton is, at face value, a musical. Upon further inspection, however, one will find that it is also a collection of clever rap songs and has a cast that is intentionally devoid of white actors. These characteristics could, at the very least, conflict with an observer's preconceived devices they apply to works they consider to conform to the musical genre.

In my own experience, I just recently completed a draft of my screenplay. Having been writing and producing short films for most of my life, I'm well aware of the conventions of this medium as well as my very blunt reason for using it: whether I like it or not, films must first be plotted on paper before they can be made. As much as I'd prefer to be able to make my film instantaneously and have my crew effortlessly understand all it entails, no one can read minds. As a result, the script I write is not to be read as something that can stand on its own. Rather, it is for those who assist me in turning it into an actual film.