A film style
is a recognizable group of conventions used by filmmakers to add
visual appeal, meaning, or depth to their work. It can encompass
every aspect of film; dialogue, cinematography, attitude (i.e.,
seriousness or lack thereof).
Film style is distinct from film genre, which defines what a film
is about - - Western films are about the American West, love stories
are about love, and so on. Although some styles are strongly associated
with certain genres, a style can be applied to any genre - - Barbarella -
is a surrealistic science fiction film, for example.
Obviously each
filmmaker develops their own film style, but certain styles that
transcend individuals include:
film noir
surrealism
musical film
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