Looking Into Hybrid-Genre's in Film.

Since my film will be a hybrid-genre type film (Sci-fi/Horror) I have looked into what hybrid-genre is and how a good hybrid-genre film plot can be created. This has given me a clearer understanding of what I have to do to achieve this.

A hybrid genre is a combination of two (In some cases more) stylistic, themed categories. In order to make sense, certain guidelines are followed when creating a hybrid genre film and common features of each genre are present within certain aspects of the film.

Almost any major genre can be combined to create a hybrid genre in films. Like me in this case, makers or horror films often use actual scientific principles as a foundation for many of the bloodthirsty creatures found in the horror - and vise versa.

The Media Student Book even says "Media forms have consequently become more and more cross-generic or hybrid, as audiences have grown accustomed to a huge amount of media output, so that different kinds of music, television and film clash and mix genres" This is an interesting fact in relation because it informs us that hybrid genres are becoming more popular and expected in today's film industry. This gives me an advantage when it comes to my film, as it will then attract the audience with the idea of two popular genre's being combined.

Movie Poster for the Sci-Fi/Horror film 'Alien',

Alien is a good example of a successful hybrid genre film. Like what I plan to do, it mixes the genre's sci-fi and horror in order to create a good plot that intertwines both genre's. The science fiction element focuses on the aspects of space, going onto another planet, and meeting aliens. What makes it a hybrid genre however is interlacing horror elements to the plot such as the the expected tension and anticipation of a horror film in a few of scenes. Also the amount of killings and the open ending that is given at the end is what people would usually expect to see in a horror film. Alien has also been congratulated of its use of the hybrid genre, which encourages me further to go along with the hybrid genre idea for my own film.

In order to create a successful hybrid genre film, it is noted that the right balance of both genre's is included. So it could either be a perfect 50/50 balance between the two or a heavy input of one genre that adds elements of the other. Either way, it is vital to think about as it can effect the success of your film.