Film genre

Three main types are often used to categorize film genres; setting, mood, and format. The film's location is defined as the setting. The emotional charge carried throughout the film is known as its mood. The film may also have been shot using particular equipment or be presented in a specific manner, or format.

The following are some examples of well-established genres in film. They are often further defined to form subgenres, and can also be combined to form hybrid genres.

Setting
* Crime: places its character within realm of criminal activity.
* Film noir: portrays its principal characters in a nihilistic and existentialist realm or manner.
* Historical: taking place in the past amidst notable historical circumstances.
* Science fiction: a setting or plot defined by the effects of speculative (not yet existing) technology (i.e. future space travel, cyberpunk, time travel).
* Sports: sporting events and locations pertaining to a given sport.
* War: battlefields and locations pertaining to a time of war.
* Westerns: wilderness on the verge of civilization, usually in the American West.

Mood

* Action: generally involves a moral interplay between "good" and "bad" played out through violence or physical force.
* Adventure: involving danger, risk, and/or chance, often with a high degree of fantasy.
* Comedy: intended to provoke laughter.
* Drama: mainly focuses on character development.
* Fantasy: speculative fiction outside reality (i.e. myth, legend).
* Horror: intended to provoke fear in audience.
* Mystery: the progression from the unknown to the known by discovering and solving a series of clues.
* Romance: dwelling on the elements of romantic love.
* Thrillers: intended to provoke excitement and/or nervous tension into audience.

Format

* Animation: the rapid display of a sequence of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement.
* Live action
* Documentary
* Musical: songs are sung by the characters and interwoven into the narrative.

Target audience

* Children's film: films for young children; as opposed to a family film, no special effort is made to make the film attractive for other audiences.
* Family film: intended to be attractive for people of all ages and suitable for viewing by a young audience. Examples of this are Disney films.
* Adult film: intended to be viewed only by an adult audience, content may include violence, disturbing themes, obscene language, or explicit sexual behavior. Adult film may also be used as a synonym for pornographic film.