English

Grade 7 • Unit 3: Understanding Viewing Materials

LESSON 3.1
Genres of Viewing Materials

Table of Contents
Introduction 1

Objective 2

DepEd Competency 2

Warm-Up 2

Learn about It 3
Types of Viewing Materials 3
Trailer 4
Movie Clip 4
News Flash 4
Advertisements or Ads 4
Online Video 7
Film or Movie 7

Key Points 9

Check Your Understanding 9

Let’s Step Up! 10

Bibliography 11
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Grade 7 • Unit 3: Understanding Viewing Materials

Lesson 3.1
Genres of Viewing Materials

Fig. 1. Watching television is attractive to people because they can view several types of stills
and moving images.

Introduction
How many hours do you spend watching TV, browsing the Internet, checking out
advertisements, or watching the news? Probably one of the reasons that these activities are
attractive to you is that several types of still and moving images bring pleasure to the senses
and add more meaning to the communication process. People also recall and remember
ideas easily when they see images.

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Grade 7 • Unit 3: Understanding Viewing Materials

Objective
In this lesson, you should be able to Identify the genre of the material viewed.

DepEd Competency
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
Identify the genre of a material viewed such as a movie clip, trailer, news flash,
Internet-based program, documentary, video, etc. (EN7VC-I-d-6, EN7VC-I-e-6).

Warm-Up
Procedure
Complete the table below. Share your answers to the class.

Statement Yes or No? Reason

Watching TV is better than going to the

cinema to watch movies.

Advertisements fool people.

Watching news is better than

reading it.
Children ages 12 and below should be
banned from using the Internet.

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Grade 7 • Unit 3: Understanding Viewing Materials

Learn about It
When television was first invented, the television or TV was called ‘boob tube’; boob means
stupid and tube pertains to TV which was made of vacuum tubes before. Boob tube then
directly translates to television for stupid people. This is because of the notion that
mindlessly watching television while sitting on the couch all day makes you stupid.

Watching TV was considered a passive activity before. However, television in the 20th
century marked a distinctive historical change in the media landscape. Today, the television
phenomenon is brought to a higher level of interactive experience. This milestone in media
resulted in another communicative skill that must be learned. Viewing is no longer a
receptive, passive experience but turned into an active meaning-construction where viewers
can also provide feedback. The challenge now lies on how viewers can become responsible,
mature users of such technology.

Vocabulary
advertisement an audiovisual presentation of products and services

movie clip a part of snippet of a full-length movie

propaganda a technique to manipulate, mislead or persuade people

Essential Question
Why is it important to know the different genres of viewing materials?

Types of Viewing Materials

The following are types of viewing materials that will help you to be more conscious of the
content, purpose, and language of every genre of material viewed.

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Grade 7 • Unit 3: Understanding Viewing Materials

Trailer
Before watching a film, you want to know what it is about and whether it is interesting
enough that when you go to the cinema, you will get your money’s worth. A type of viewing
material called a trailer shows you a series of snips piled together that tells the gist of the
movie. The trailer is a sneak peak of the movie made for viewers’ anticipation and finally to
make moviegoers watch the entire film. Filmmakers and film producers make sure the
trailer is engaging enough because half of the movie's success is through how the trailer
invites moviegoers into watching the film.

Movie Clip
There are times when we get to watch a portion of the film not necessarily snips piled
together for viewer’s anticipation but a portion of the movie usually for viewers that are
already familiar with the movie or series. This genre is called a movie clip, which is defined
as a portion or a segment coming from a full-length movie. A movie clip is more organized
and predictable compared to a trailer that comes from different scenes of the film.

News Flash
News is triggered by the current events in society. When a highly significant news comes in,
television networks prioritize airing it. This is why sometimes a movie or TV program is
suddenly interrupted by a clip featuring a news anchor. The immediacy to spread the
information is viable to deliver news.

This kind of viewing material that is part of a commercial break showing a short broadcast of
a current event is called a news flash.

Advertisements or Ads
The major portion of the commercial break is dedicated to advertisements. Advertisement
or ads is a form of propaganda that aims to influence the decision-making and behavior of
the consumers through creative audio-visual presentations of products and services.

Propaganda is a product of deliberate, organized thinking that aims to manipulate the

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audience’s behavior or decisions through the kind of information produced by certain

institutions, such as government, military, media and the like which sometimes provide a
misleading idea if we are not cautious enough to discern the message.

There are different propaganda techniques in advertisements:

1. Bandwagon is used to create a feeling of a sense of belongingness, hence, making
you join the rest of the users.

Example:
Nine out of 10 women found keto diet an effective way to be fit and sexy.
This statement invites the audience to be part of the group.

2. Glittering Generalities uses positive concepts and values in the society such as
family, happiness, love, peace, and the like that have been a constant source of
satisfaction in one’s life.

Example:
Politicians usually use the terms “democracy” “peace” “prosperity” in their
campaign. When these politicians show or express their strong advocacy
towards these concepts they tend to gain the favors of the voters.

3. Compare and Contrast is used to directly target the competing brand though it is
done in a discreet and subtle way. In this way, viewers will understand more the
good qualities of one product over the other.

Example:
It is common to see shampoo advertisements that show an experiment of two
different brands in terms of the strengthening effect the products have.

4. Humor is used to add puns and comical experience on the product.

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Grade 7 • Unit 3: Understanding Viewing Materials

Example:
A telehealth service advertises its services by using a fake doctor that
diagnoses patients based on what is seen on the internet.

5. Repetition is effective for retention and familiarization of the product.

Example:
When the advertisement uses a catchphrase or slogan that was mentioned in
the first part then ends the advertisement using the same catchphrase or
slogan. For example, a commercial uses this question, “Para kanino ka
bumabangon?”

6. Snob appeal is used to create a feeling of superiority.

Examples:
The use of big and tough guys when advertising cigarettes or liquors
The use of beauty pageant winners in advertising moisturizing cream

7. Testimonials are very common and easy to make, for one needs a respectable,
popular icon who has a large fan base, making the product that the person endorses
more attractive to his or her fans.

Example:
A famous South Korean couple from a South Korean Drama endorsed the
services of a famous telecommunication company.

8. Jingle uses the power of song and melodies which make viewers more emotional
about the advertisement.

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Example:
A famous iced tea brand tries to gain the favor of his girlfriend’s father and
used a famous song of a Canadian reggae band.

9. Plain-Folks Appeal is the opposite of testimonials, for it taps the masses as users
and believers of the product.

Example:
Mothers who are entrusting their children’s health to a particular brand of
milk

Online Video
Online videos are very popular among all digital users for it is a quick, easy access to a
repertoire of information across all disciplines. Online videos that range from popular
culture, interests, academics, technical skills, and even historical and current events are
available on the web. One of the famous streaming websites is YouTube, where users can
upload and download thousands of videos coming from different people from all walks of
life.

Film or Movie

In the year 1895, August Lumiere and Louise Lumiere invented the first motion picture. Until
this day the cinematography that started from mechanical production of plates has evolved
into digital experience. Contemporarily, there are three-dimensional or even
four-dimensional movies available in cinemas.

Film or movie is a type of media that presents a story utilizing real-life actors or fictional
characters set in different locations with a theme that influences the genre of the movie.
Film formats may be classified into four based on the visual features and styles used.

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1. Narrative Film is a type of movie that generally speaks about stories of the world
and of people. Though some stories depict realities, stories are fictional in nature.
2. Experimental Film uses a unique way of delivering a message, producing the film
through artistic manipulation of the physicality, shooting angles, and others. Taboo
topics are usually discussed in the message in this kind of film.
3. Documentary is a kind of film that depicts societal issues and aims to raise
awareness among its audience. They present objective information and use real
characters.
4. Animation uses a moving image, object or even a person with the aid of a computer
to appear animated when flashed in rapid succession.

Apart from these formats, film can also be classified or categorized into genres.

1. Romance or Romantic Love Story is the most common genre in all platforms where
the characters, usually a couple, are tested for their love for each other.

Example: A movie wherein the rich man falls in love with a commoner.

2. Horror features the unknown and aims to invoke our fears as viewers.

Examples: A film about a person who is being possessed by an evil spirit.

3. Sci-Fi features advanced technology and is mostly set in the future.

Examples:A film about Earth hundred years from now.

4. Fantasy films involve magic and the supernatural.

Examples: A film about fairies who help a young princess to meet her prince.

Let’s Check In
Propaganda is a way of persuading people. Was there a time when a
commercial has successfully influenced you to buy a certain product or
afford a service? What commercial is it? What product was endorsed? What
propaganda technique was used in that commercial?

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Key Points

● Viewing is a skill that you must develop. It is important that you learn and
understand the different genres of viewing materials so that you can identify the
purpose of the material you are viewing.
● If you have a purpose for viewing, understanding the features of each genre of
viewing materials can help you select what material you should view since you have
a specific purpose for doing it.

Check Your Understanding

Write C if the given statement expresses general truth about genres of viewing
materials; write I if the statement is incorrect.

_____________ 1. Advertisement or ads is a form of propaganda that aims to

influence the decision-making and behavior of the consumer.

_____________ 2. Newsflash is a type of media that presents a story utilizing

real-life actors or fictional characters set in different locations

_____________ 3. Movie or film is a product of deliberate, organized thinking that

aims to manipulate the audience’s behavior or decisions

_____________ 4. A trailer shows you a series of snips piled together that tells the
gist of the movie.

_____________ 5. A movie clip is a portion or a segment coming from a full-length

movie.

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Discuss the difference between two genres of viewing materials. Express your
answer in one to two sentences only.

1. Movie clip vs. trailer

___________________________________________________________________________________

2. Film vs. online video

___________________________________________________________________________________

3. Sci-fi film vs. fantasy film

___________________________________________________________________________________

4. News flash vs. news

____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Narrative film vs. documentary

____________________________________________________________________________________

Explain how you think the media can manipulate us. Write a paragraph
composed of 7–10 sentences.

Let’s Step Up!

Choose a product and write a commercial script for it. Use one to two propaganda
techniques.

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Bibliography

“Advertising and Propaganda Techniques.” Youtube. Accessed February 7, 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8qxE_pFJ7U&pbjreload=10

Dirks, Tim. “Main Film Genres.” AMC Filmsite. Accessed May 30, 2017.
http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html

MotionCue. “11 Types of Propaganda Techniques in Advertising (With Examples),” August 18,
2020. https://motioncue.com/types-of-propaganda-techniques-in-advertising/.

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