Netflix Movie Summaries

Heuristic #1:

Introduce Your Genre 

1. Netflix movie summaries/descriptions 

1. I am interested in the formula used to create these summaries, how far into the ending the description goes, if the genres used to describe the movie/TV show are accurate, and the length of description given. 

1. The “overviews” of the movies and tv shows are one sentence long, limited description of the subject, missing pertinent details. 

1. (Example of Childrens movie): Hotel Transylvania 3 “Its love at first sight for Dracula when he meets Ericka, the charming yet mysterious captain on the monster cruise Mavis plans for the family.” 

(Example of Adult TV show): Stranger Things “When a young boy vanishes, a small town   uncovers a mystery, involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl.” 

 

1. Setting: Where (in what context or medium) does the genre appear? How and when is it used? With what other genres does this genre interact? How? 

The Genre appears on a streaming website, which provides movies and television shows to its users. This genre would be a subgroup of the movie and television genre or the genre of summary, in academic writing.  

1. Subject: What topics, issues, ideas, etc. are common to this genre? When people use this genre, what are they communicating about? 

When people use this genre, the topics would me summary, analysis, movies and television shows.  

1. Writers:  Who writes the texts in this genre? Are multiple writers possible? What roles do they perform? What characteristics must writers of this genre possess? Under what circumstances do writers write the genre (e.g., in teams, on a computer, in a rush, for their profession? for fun?)  

They are not authors names found attributed to the summaries but multiple authors are probable. The role they perform is to describe the movie or tv show in a small amount of words, which could aid the reader in deciding if it is a movie/tv show they would be interested in watching. The writers of this genre must be able to make their description exciting and enticing, while giving pertinent information to the future viewer about the subject. These summaries are written by employees of Netflix. 

1. Readers: Who reads the texts in this genre? Is there more than one type of reader for this genre? What roles do they perform? What characteristics must readers of this genre possess? Under what circumstances do readers read the genre (e.g., at their leisure, on the run, in waiting rooms) 

Netflix users would be the readers of this work, especially those who are interested in the described movie/tv show or its picture displayed. Due to the Netflix app, this genre could be read anywhere.  

1. Exigency/Purpose(s): Why do writers write this genre, and why do readers read it? What purposes does the genre fulfill for the people who use it?                                                                                           Writers who write this genre would do so because it is their employed profession. Readers read it due to interest in the movie/tv show it describes. To gain a better understanding of the subject, so that they can make an informed decision regarding their movie/tv show choices.  

Heuristic #2

Netflix Movie Summaries                                                            Brittany Choron 

1. What content is typically included or excluded? How is the content treated? What sorts of examples are used? What counts as evidence (personal testimony, facts, etc.)? 

… The content is turned into a catchy, one sentence long quip. The examples are provided on Netflix. Personal testimony is the only evidence I am aware of the writer using. 

1. What rhetorical appeals are used? What appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos appear? 

… Pathos is used to entice the audiences desire to watch the movie by appealing to their emotions.  

1. How are texts in the genres structured? What are their parts, and how are they organized? 

… They are organized into complex sentences, focusing on the initial plot lines of one or two main characters. 

1. In what format are texts of this genre presented? What layout or appearance is common? How long/big is a typical text in this genre?  

… The genre is presented online, seen through computers, TVs, iPad and smartphones. A web site live streaming appearance is common, alone with a picture of the movies. The summary portion of the text is short.  

1. What types of “sentences” do texts in the genre typically use? How long are they? Are they simple or complex, passive or active? Are the sentences varied? Do they share a certain style? 

… Complex, passive sentences, which follow a structure. They share similar styles and word choices.  

1. What diction is most common? What types of words (or symbols, images, etc.) are most frequent? Is a type of jargon used? Is slang used? How would you describe a typical writer’s tone? 

… The vocabulary is advanced, even for the children’s movies. Figurative devices are used, along with humor or suspense.  

 

Analyze What These Patterns Reveal About the Situation and Scene 

1. What do these patterns reveal about the genre, its situation, and the people who use it? 

… The genre is used to draw people in, attract them with the authors words. The people who view it are seen as something which must be manipulated. 

• What do participants have to know or believe to understand or appreciate the genre? 

… A desire to watch movies on a livestreaming program. As well as a paid membership to Netflix.  

• Who is invited into the genre, and who is excluded?? 

… Those who cannot pay the monthly fee are excluded. 

• What roles for writers and readers does it encourage or discourage? 

… It encourages the writers to attract an audience in as few words as possible.  

1. What can you learn about the actions being performed through the genre by observing its language patterns?  

… The need to be direct and to the point. While making the subject seem appealing to the reader. The summary must sell the movie.  

• How is the subject of the genre treated? What content is considered most important? What content (topics or details) is ignored? 

… The beginning of the plot is seen as most important because it gives the viewer information without giving away the ending or climax. All small details are ignored as well as any important details. The description is broad enough to attract a larger audience which a more detailed one could not.  

• What values, beliefs, goals, and assumptions are revealed through the genre’s patterns? 

… The change is summaries as well as some pictures, depending on where on the website the movie is viewed, shows the summaries are broad in order to attract more viewers, which is why they are slightly changed. Through more searching I may find there are more than two variations to each movie summary. I believe the intrinsic value of these movie summaries for the writer is to create a profit.  

• What actions does the genre enable? What actions does the genre constrain?? 

… This genre enables millions of viewers to get a small glimpse into the essence of the movie. It constrains itself by limiting to summary to one sentence. The subject is capable of having more body and depth if the length did not follow this structure.