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Paratext: Meaning & Definition in Film

A paratext is any material that surrounds a film's primary text, such as trailers, posters, and interviews, which shapes the audience's interpretation and expectations.

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The Frame Around the Film

The concept of the paratext was developed by the literary theorist Gérard Genette to describe the materials that lie on the ‘threshold’ of a main body of work. In film studies, the text is the film itself. The paratext is the vast ecosystem of supplementary materials that frame, introduce, and comment upon the film. These elements are not just marketing fluff; they are powerful forces that shape our understanding and expectations of a film before we even see it, and they guide our interpretation long after we have left the theater.

Types of Paratext

Genette divided the paratext into two main categories, which can be easily applied to film:

  1. Peritext: These are the elements that are physically or temporally attached to the film experience. This includes:

    • The film’s title sequence and opening/closing credits.
    • The movie poster, which establishes genre, tone, and star power.
    • The trailer, which acts as a powerful interpretive filter.
    • The DVD/Blu-ray case and its cover art, synopsis, and special features.

  2. Epitext: These are elements that are physically separate from the film but are still directly related to it. This includes:

    • Promotional interviews with the director and cast.
    • Critical reviews from journalists and critics.
    • ‘Making of’ documentaries and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
    • Fan culture, including online discussions, fan fiction, and social media buzz.
    • Merchandise and tie-in products.

Together, these paratextual elements create a web of information and expectation that fundamentally influences how an audience receives and makes meaning of a film.

See the vocabulary at work in real films

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Industry

More Film Industry & Awards Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Paratext, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 835 terms

  • Pay Television

    Pay television refers to subscription-based television services where viewers pay a recurring fee for access to premium content, including recent films.

  • Critics Score

    An aggregate rating reflecting professional critics’ assessments of a film.

  • A/B Thumbnail Test

    An A/B thumbnail test is a marketing method used to determine which of two different thumbnail images for a video is more effective at attracting clicks.

  • Pitch Outline

    A pitch outline is a condensed document, typically one to three pages long, that summarizes the key beats of a story and is used as a leave-behind after a verbal pitch.

  • Un Certain Regard

    Un Certain Regard is a prestigious sidebar section of the Cannes Film Festival that showcases films with unique styles and non-traditional narratives.

  • CBFC

    The CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) is the official government body that censors and certifies films for public exhibition in India.