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A style of music played or sung without instrumental accompaniment.

A genre of art where the artistic content depends on the internal form rather than a pictorial representation. It is a departure from reality.

Action movies are a film genre where action sequences, such as fights, shootouts, stunts, car chases or explosions dominate the story. The genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film genres.

The term "Action" is often used to designate a genre defined by fast-paced game play with a focus on movement and combat.

This category offers the opportunity for those people that say “I have a great idea for an ad” to commit it to words. Mudboard encourages generic ideas/ scripts in this category, as it is not a website that allows users to promote companies/ organisations.

The term Film Adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. A common form of Film Adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a film. However, Film Adaptation also includes the use of non-fiction (including journalism), autobiography, comic book, scripture or a play.

Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the action film genre.

Alternative work is that which exists on the fringes or outside of what is traditional or mainstream. Alternative covers areas such as comedy, film, music and writing. Some successful Alternative artists have become mainstream due to their popularity.

Ambient music is usually instrumental and repetitive, containing soothing electronic sounds, which can create an atmosphere of calm or relaxation.

An area of photography where the subject is an animal or animals. This can cover cutesy type photography (e.g. domestic pets), macro photography (e.g. bugs), or action type photography (e.g. on safari).

Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of slightly varying drawings or models that appear to move and change when the sequence is shown. Animation covers genres such as computer animation, cartoons and model animation.

2D animation refers to the photography of flat artwork such as drawings or painting that are used to create cartoons, or special effects in films. Most film 2D animation special effects are now done digitally, although traditionally they were drawn and then photographed one frame at a time.

3D animation involves the manipulation and photography of physical objects, for example clay models or puppets. Each slightly changed manipulation is photographed, known as a frame. When viewed in sequence the frames give the illusion of movement or change. 3D animation had been greatly effected by computers, meaning that realistic objects and scenes can be created and animated entirely within the computer.

This category refers to animated stories. Although the origins are Japanese, Anime is now not necessarily confined to the Japanese market. Anime spans many genres, from silly romantic comedies to fantasy adventures and high-tech science fiction. The most distinctive quality of anime is the subject matter; much of anime deals with "real-life" topics.

The Arcade genre of video games refers to the type of game that is either played in a video game arcade, or at home on a console or PC. Arcade games tend to be action packed with simple plots, focussing on short bursts of play rather than games that need progressive saving, such as epic adventures and strategy games.

Architecture is the process and the design of constructing spaces that include functional, aesthetic and environmental considerations.

Art can be defined as the creation of imitative and imaginative works that can be beautiful or thought provoking. Art covers a wide range of creative categories such as painting, music or writing. It is essentially creativity, and is central to what Mudboard is all about.

An art film tends to be a film that is made as a work of art rather than a film for mass entertainment. It can also be know as an experimental film; experimenting with various technique to produce something that usually appeals to a minority audience rather than mass market.

This term refers to the art form used in comic books to depict strong female characters, usually tough and violent superheroines. See also Good Girl Art.

The term ballad denotes a short song in a slow tempo, usually accompanied with romantic or sentimental lyrics.

Beatbox is a musical genre which usually involves a human vocalising the sound of drum beats, musical sounds and rhythms. Although not limited to hip-hop music is has a strong connection to it.

Originally all photography was monochrome (black and white).With the advent of colour photography, black and white photography is now used to represent what is considered more subtle and interpretive, and less realistic that colour. Although black and white film is still in use, many photographers prefer to 'convert' their colour digital photographs into black and white, using computer software.

The Blues music is a style of jazz, both vocal and instrumental, introduced in the first decade of the twentieth century. The most persistent characteristic of the Blues is a twelve-measure pattern. The Blues are further characterised by a smooth, percussive rhythm, and a slow tempo.

A cartoon can be both an animated sequence of slightly varied drawings or a non-animated drawing or series of drawings. An animated cartoon is usually film made using animation instead of live actors, especially a humorous film intended primarily for children. A non-animated cartoon can be a sequence of drawings that tell a short story or a satirical drawing depicting a humorous scene, often with a political or topical theme.

Computer-generated Imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics, and in particular 3D computer graphics to visualise special effects in movies, television shows, adverts and cut-scenes in video games.

Chalk is a dry medium that can be used for drawing. In digital imagery, many computer software drawing packages allow the user to filter their artwork using a chalk filter.

Charcoal is used in art for drawing or making rough sketches in painting. Charcoal is usually used in three forms: vine (made by burning sticks of wood), compressed (charcoal powder mixed with a binder) and powdered charcoal. Also in digital imagery, many computer software drawing packages allow the user to filter their artwork using a charcoal filter.

"Chick lit" is a term used to describe a type of fiction written for and marketed especially for women. (Although some men secretively enjoy it too!)

This is any medium that is produced or written especially for children.

Classical refers to a genre of music that is Western and dates from about the 9th century to the present day. However, it most recognised as the European music from the period of time between the 18th and 19th century, composed by composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

Claymation is a form of stop-motion animation, usually using plasticine clay. The models used are manipulated, with a photograph being taken after each manipulation. The photographs and then played back in rapid succession, to imitate movement.

As suggested, colour photography is the production of photographs, in colour. Colour photography is practised throughout the world, and apart from amateurs enjoying the world of photochemical printing, most people see their photographs as printed ink on paper. With the digital revolution and the advent of sophisticated, yet easy to use, photograph manipulation software packages, people are able to enhance and manipulate their colour photos to their requirements.

Comedies are light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and characters.

Mainly consumed in printed form, a comic is a series of images (usually drawings) conveyed in sequence, usually accompanied by narrative or speech. Available in a number of genres, comics are created in many art styles, and although there are many popular mainstream comics, every artist that produces a comic invariably brings their own art style to the comic.

A cop drama is a show which attempts to realistically portray police activity whilst attempting to solve a number of unrelated crimes. Modern day cop shows depict police related subjects such special crime units and police law as well as introduce areas such as forensics.

Country & Western music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, hokum and old-time music.

A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlaps with crime drama. The difference is most crime drama focuses on crime investigation and does not feature court room.

Crime (gangster) films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, particularly bank robbers, underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing and murdering their way through life.

Cut-out animation is a technique for producing animations using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or photographs. Like many forms of animation, cut-out is now widely produced using computers, with scanned images or vector graphics replacing the cut-out materials.

Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre which is depicted by characters living in a dark futuristic world run by computer technology. It is a particularly popular as an anime/ manga genre.

Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. Modern day dance music is largely electronic based, with a large number of sub-genres, such as House, Garage, Techno, Drum & Bass and Electro.

A Design Comic is a type of storyboarding that is used mainly in the design of products and websites. The comic usually depicts a consumer or character in an illustrated story, showing how they interact with a product or website.

Detective fiction/drama is a branch of crime fiction/drama that centers upon the investigation of a crime (usually murder) by a detective, either professional or amateur.

This is the branch of art which uses digital technology to produce artistic creations. The evolution of digital art has meant users, from hobbyists to professionals, are able to produce paintings, drawings and sculptures, as well as define new artistic practices, using digital medium.

Digital painting is an art form in which traditional painting techniques, such as watercolour, oil, fresco etc. are applied using digital tools, usually a computer.

A Documentary is broad category of visual expression that attempts to document reality. Documentaries tend to be films or TV programmes presenting facts and information, especially about a political, historical, or social issues.

Dramas are serious, plot-driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations and stories involving intense character development and interaction.

Dramatic Poetry very simply refers to poetic language spoken aloud by characters in a drama or, in the case of individual poems, poetic language which suggests a strongly dramatic context based on the lives of others, imagines their conflicts, love affairs and tragedies.

Electronic music is music created by electronic means, such as by the use of a computer or electronic synthesiser. Electronic music includes many varieties, ranging from experimental art music to popular forms such as electronic dance music and electronic indie music.

The elegy began as an ancient Greek metrical form and is traditionally written in response to the death of a person or group.

Having a history from ancient Greece, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem that often involves legendary or historical events. Epics tend to be majestic both in theme and in style. Examples of epics are the ancient Greek the Iliad and the Odyssey, both by Homer. An Epic can also be related to film; a film film which places emphasis on drama on a grand scale.

Extreme is a genre of art that pushes the boundaries of what is traditional, usually appealing to a minority, rather than the mass market. The extreme genre can cross the boundary of what is and is not acceptable to most people. Anything submitted to Mudboard that is classed as extreme, must fall within the boundaries set out in the Terms and Conditions.

A fable is a short narrative that attempts to convey a moral point. The characters in fables are often depicted as animals that speak like humans.

Fantasy fiction contains elements that are not realistic, such as talking animals, magical powers, etc.  Make-believe is what this genre is all about.

Farce is literature that combines exaggeration with a dubious plot and stereotypical characters to achieve humour.

A feature film is a film made for initial distribution in theatres and being the "main attraction" of the screening (as opposed to any short films which may be screened before it). A feature film is any film longer than approximately 40 minutes.

Fictional stories may be based on actual events or people, or entirely on the author's imagination. Irrespective of their origin, however, all fictional stories contain elements that are made-up or have been created by the author.

A Flip Book or Flick Book contains a series of images, each one varying slightly and on a separate page of a book, so that when the images are flipped or flicked they appear to simulate motion or change i.e. animation.

A Fractal is a geometric shape that is complex and detailed in structure at any level of magnification. Fractal Art involves the use of fractals to produce still images, animations, music and other media. Fractals, in most cases, are generated using computer software.

Fresco is a genre of art that involves painting on plaster walls or ceilings. In digital imagery, many computer software drawing packages allow the user to filter their artwork using a fresco filter to imitate the paint on plaster effect.

The Italian word Fumetti refers to all comics. However, in English Fumetti refers to the genre of comics where photographic images are used instead of the more traditional drawings.

A musical style that arose during the late 20th century; it de-emphasized melody and harmony and made rhythm the most important element.

A Game Console is a machine designed to play video games, aimed at the consumer market. Although originally designed to solely play games, most consoles allow users to play DVDs, CDs, download media and play games over a wireless network. Games, today, are becoming more and more complex, often with production costs on par with the film industry.

A Generic Product Ad is an advertisement/ commercial which aims to promote a product, either fictional or not, without branding it. Such Ads can be used by the advertising industry as a source of inspiration for advertising existing or new branded products.

A Generic Service Ad is an advertisement/ commercial which aims to promote a service, either fictional or not, without branding it. Such Ads can be used by the advertising industry as a source of inspiration for advertising existing or new branded services.

A type of painting concerned with the realistic depiction of scenes from everyday life. Genre paintings deal with ordinary life such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, tavern scenes and street scenes. Such representations may be realistic, imagined, or romanticised by the artist.

This term refers to the art form used in comic books to depict female characters, always attractive and usually a gun moll, tough cookie or wicked temptress. Also see Bad Girl Art.

Gothic covers a number of areas of the creative arts, such as music, fiction and art. Gothic rock is a music genre tends to combines dark, often keyboard-heavy music with introspective and depressing lyrics. Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines both horror and romanticism. Gothic art was an art movement from medieval times, which included art such as sculpture, panel painting, stained glass, fresco and illuminated manuscript.

Graphic Arts encompasses such forms as drawing, painting, prints, and photography. Specifically, the term is restricted to prints and, by extension, to artworks created for reproduction by a printing process. The term also includes the design and production of publications and commercial art.

Graphic Pen is a style of sketching that uses fine, linear ink strokes. In digital imagery, many computer software drawing packages allow the user to filter their artwork using a graphic pen filter.

Grunge, also know as the Seattle Sound, is a genre of music that is characterised by a heavily distorted, thick and abrasive guitar sound. The birth of Grunge in the mid-late 80s offered many disenfranchised twenty-somethings a lifestyle which matched their feelings of angst and frustration.

Heavy Metal (often referred to simply as Metal) is a genre of rock music that is characterised by heavy distorted guitar solos, emphatic beats, loudness and lyrics that are often shrouded in masculinity and machosim.

Hip-hop is a genre of music that incorporates a number of iconic elements, most notably DJing and rapping, along with things like beatboxing, sampling and 'spinning' beats on turntables. The hip-hop culture also brought hip-hop dancing, or breakdancing, as well as it taking Graffiti from the style used by the activists and gangs of the 1960s to the visually distinctive style is now known by.

Found in media such as books, comic strips, art, television, movies, games and theatre, Historical Fiction is a genre that often portrays fictional accounts or dramatization of historical figures or events. Stories in this genre attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented, with attention paid to the detail and fidelity of the period.

Horror Films/ Stories are designed to frighten and invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying and shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time. They can feature supernatural elements such as ghosts, witches, or vampires, or they can address more realistic psychological fears.

Humour can be words, actions or images that are intended to cause laughter. Humour is often categorised broadly as Comedy, the humour of exaggeration or incongruity, and Wit, the humour of analogy and word-play.

Taking the form of a drawing, painting, photograph or other form of art, an Illustration is pictorial material that usually appears with text to amplify or enhance it.

Jazz music originated in New Orleans around 1900. It’s a genre of music, both improvised and arranged, that is characterised by unusual tonal effects on instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone, etc. Improvised Jazz is typically accompanied by the repeated chord progression of a popular song or an original composition. Instrumentalists emulate black vocal styles, including the use of glissandi (sliding movements that smoothly change the pitch), nuances of pitch (including blue notes, the “bent” notes that are played or sung slightly lower than the major scale), and tonal effects such as growls and wails.

A Landscape drawing or painting is one that depicts natural scenery, from mountains and valleys to trees, rivers and forests.

The main plot of a Love Story centres around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A Love Story can contain many sub-plots, but the overriding plot is the one of love...aaahh.

A Lyric is a short poem that conveys intense feeling or profound thought.

Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The lyrics in a song can be explicit in their meaning i.e. they give a message which is obvious to the listener which is typified by mainstream song writing. Some artists, however, write lyrics that are abstract, almost to the point of unintelligible, and contain encrypted meanings.

Magical is a genre used in art, film, anime and literature that contains elements of magic and is closely associated with fantasy. Magical Realism contain elements of magic and illogical events, which are set against a 'normal' backdrop. Anime in particular uses magical elements, especially in genres such as 'Magic Girl' and, to a lesser extent, "Magic Boy".

Manga consists of comics and print cartoon written in the Japanese language , however, many manga-influenced comics exist in other parts of the world. The genre includes a broad range of subjects such as: action-adventure, romance, sports and games, historical drama, comedy, science fiction and fantasy, mystery, horror, sexuality, and business and commerce.

Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. The Martial Arts genre is often related to stories, and more so film, where characters use extensive fighting, with skills derived from training their bodies in a particular style or school of martial arts, to win the day.

Mainly used in literature, film and anime, Medieval refers to works that are based on or inspired by the Middle Ages (circa 5th to 16th century) of European history.

A Metacomic can be thought of as a comic about a comic. It usually involves characters within the comic realising that they are in a comic, and as a result the characters in the comic use the comic structure to progress the story.

Metal is the simplified name of the genre of music Heavy Metal. Heavy Metal is a genre of rock music that is characterised by heavy distorted guitar solos, emphatic beats, loudness and lyrics that are often shrouded in masculinity and machosim.

Mobile refers to a mobile device which can include mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), hand-held games devices, handheld personal computers etc.

With the advent of mobile video technology this category includes all films shot with a mobile device that has video recording capabilities e.g. Mobile phone (cell phone). Typically, in Mudboard, a mobile film defines any film shot with a mobile device, up to a 120 seconds in length.

A mockumentary is a "mock documentary". A mockumentary is one of the comedy genres, although there are serious mockumentaries. The mockumentary is presented as a documentary recording real life, but is in fact fictional. It is a commonly used medium for satire. They are often used to analyse current events and issues by using a fictional setting around it.

In animation, a model refers to a physical object which is used, typically, in stop-motion animation; this is animation where each slightly changed manipulation of the model(s) is photographed, known as a frame. When viewed in sequence the frames give the illusion of movement or change.

A monologue is an extended, uninterrupted speech by a single person. The person may be speaking his or her thoughts aloud or directly addressing other persons e.g. an audience, a character or a reader.

In artwork Montages are works created from small pieces: a picture or other work of art composed by assembling, overlaying, and overlapping many different materials or pieces collected from different sources e.g. photographs and magazines In film, the Montage genre is represented by a series of short shots that are edited in to a sequence often to condense the passing of a time and condense the information to be presented in a limited space i.e. the screen.

Music is the art of arranging sound so as to produce a continuous, unified and evocative composition, as through harmony, timbre (quality of a tone, distinguishing it from other sound), melody and rhythm.

Technically Digital Music refers to the use of digital signals for sound reproduction. However, as a genre of music, it refers to music that is produced digitally, that is, through a medium such as a PC. An example is 'music sampling' where a sample of a sound recording is used as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song. This is typically done with a sampler, which can be a piece of hardware or a computer program on a digital computer.

A musical composition that is written for and performed with the use of instruments, and does not contain vocals.

A musical composition that is usually accompanied with vocals.

A musical video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song.

Musical films are cinematic forms that emphasise full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way (usually with a musical or dance performance integrated as part of the film narrative), or they are films that are cantered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography.

A novel, short story or film in which a detective, either professional or amateur, solves a crime(s). Mystery fiction can be based around solving puzzles and applying logic, as in the Whodunnit sub-genre, or be based around stories which are gritty and action-packed.

A Narrative is a story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events. Narrative can include the following types of work: writing, speech, poetry, prose, song, film, video game, theatre or dance.

All of the information in a non-fiction book is based on the known true facts.  Nothing can be made up. Non-fiction books include how-to books, science books, history books, biographies, autobiographies and much more.  Non-fiction books can be about any subject.

A novel is an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story. A novel is typically a work that is more than 20, 000 words in length.

The Occult genre is one used in Anime and Detective fiction (known as Occult Detective fiction). Typically anything in the Occult genre involves ghosts, curses and other supernatural elements.

An ode is a long lyric poem, serious and dignified in subject, tone, and style, often written to celebrate an event, person, being or power - or to provide a vehicle for private meditation. Sometimes an ode may have an elaborate stanzaic (division of a poem) structure.

Oil Painting is a process of painting with pigments that are bound by an oil medium e.g. linseed oil. Oil painting became popular in Europe in the late Middle Ages as it was easy to work with and permitted a wide variety of effects. In digital imagery, many computer software drawing packages allow the user to filter their artwork using an oil filter.

Opera is an art form that incorporates many elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and can include dance. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble.

Paint on Glass is an Animation technique that involves photographing a series of manipulations of drying paint on glass. Playing back the sequence of shots creates the illusion of animation. Typically, oil paints are used, however gouache (a form of watercolour paint) with glycerine (slow drying) is sometimes used.

Painting and Drawing are visual arts that involve the release of a material e.g. watercolour, charcoal, graphite, oil, ink etc. on to a medium, such as canvas, paper, cardboard or leather. Painting and Drawing covers many sub-genres and artistic composition techniques.

A Panoramic piece is a work of art that presents a wide-angled view of the subject. It is particularly associated with photography and film-making, where the term 'pan' originates from the word panoramic.

A pantomime is a dramatisation of a fairytale. Performances are colourful and usually involve garish costumes, lots of make up and a great deal of laughter.

In art, Pastel is a paste of powdered pigment and gum, used for making artist's crayons. Pastel crayons are usually used for drawing on paper. Pastel also refers to something that is pale in colour. In digital imagery, many computer software drawing packages allow the user to filter their artwork using an pastel filter.

A PC is a Personal Computer - we guess you may have already known that.

Pencil drawing is a technique that usually involves depositing graphite on to a medium such as paper. Pencil has the advantage in that the user can draw fine lines, which are difficult with brushes or other medium, like charcoal. Also, Pencil permits the user to draw lines which are broad as well as produce soft strokes and stumped (or rubbed-in) shading.

This is photography that involves photographing people including posed portraits and candid moments.

The Performing Arts covers areas such as dance, music, opera, drama, and circus arts. Artists who participate in Performing Arts in front of an audience are called performers, including actors, comedians, dancers, musicians, and singers. Performing Arts are also supported by workers in related fields, such as song writing and stagecraft.

Photo Manipulation involves the art of manipulating photographs to produce results that enhance or correct the original photograph, such as enhancing the hue, saturation and lightness, or to change the original photograph in a deceptive or illusionary way. Photo Manipulation is usually done through digital means via computer software.

A Photograph is a picture produced by a camera, whether it be from light sensitive film or by digital technology. A photograph , unlike other art, captures a singular point in time that can never be repeated.

Photomotion is the process of photographing a series of images, slightly varying from one to the other, that when played back in sequence gives the illusion of motion or change. This differs to film in that a photographic camera is used, not a video camera.

A Photonovel is a type of comic book which uses photographs, or film stills, accompanied with textual narrative and speech bubbles, to tell a story. Photonovels were popular up until the advent of video cassette recorder use at home.

This is photography that involves photographing locations taken outside of a studio or building.

Platform is a video game genre which is characterised by controlling a character that moves, or jumps, from one platform to another, the platform often being suspended. There are many sub-genres of platform games including those such as puzzle, cinematic, adventure, comical action and isometric platformers.

Poetry is an imaginative and creative expression of thoughts, through meaning, sound, and rhythmic language choices.

A Political Comic or Cartoon is one that attempts to communicate powerful ideas often in a humorous, and satirical manner, by incorporating the events of the period into an easily understandable format. Symbols, caricatures, drawings and exaggerations are used by the creator to point out themes and problems of any given time period.

Derived from the word popular, Pop is music charted by the number or sales, plays, etc., that the work receives. It is not a particular genre or style of music, simply that, which is the most popular for the tracked period of time. Most commercial music of any genre is composed with deliberate intent to appeal to the majority.

Portrait photography is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people (a group portrait), in which the face and expression is predominant. The objective is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the subject.

A Poster is typically a printed piece of paper containing both an eye-catching graphical presentation with informative textual elements, designed to be hung from a wall. Commonly posters are used for commercial purposes, but they do have their use as public education announcements, propaganda instruments, or pure works of art with no overt message.

Prose is a writing or speech that is not composed poetically. Prose is normally in a continuous form which is lacking the rhythm and visual line structure of poetry.

Punk rock is a rock music genre and movement that emerged in the mid-1970s. Punk is characterised by fast, hard-edged music, typically with short songs, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics.

A Puppet is an inanimate object used as a character in a theatrical performances, manipulated by a person(s), or puppeteer. The puppets themselves are often superb examples of artistic craft, whether they are delicately fashioned to suit the tastes of the rich and powerful or boldly created for the rigours of popular performances. Puppets can be hand operated via chords attached to parts of the puppet, moved by the puppeteer by putting their hand in the puppet, or be operated as a body puppet where the puppeteer is partly or wholly within the puppet.

Puzzle is a video game that is characterised by puzzle solving, involving the player using logic, strategy and pattern recognition to complete the give goals. Many action and adventure video games of today contain devious puzzle elements, usually to unlock further parts of the game.

Rhythm and Blues is a style of music which combines elements of soul, funk hip hop and dance, usually accompanied by a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement.

A form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. It can be a one-off or, as in a television pilot, can be a test episode for an intended series. Although not as popular today as they were in the mid-to-late twentieth century, radio plays are still thriving in some countries e.g. BBC in the UK.

A style developed in the United States by urban black American musicians. It combines rhythm and blues (R&B) and funk rhythms with poetry.

Reggae is modern Jamaican music which emerged in the late 1960s as a reinterpretation of American rhythm and blues music. Reggae is based on a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, known as the skank. The tempo is generally slower than that found in ska. Reggae usually has accents on the 3rd beat in each bar, there being four beats in a bar.

A music style developed in the United States and Great Britain in the late 1960s. Its main influences were 1950s rock and roll, soul music and blues. As the genre grew, other influences were added, such as jazz, folk, country and classical music. Rock spawned a lot of subgenres: hard rock, southern rock, heavy metal, progressive rock, punk rock and grunge etc.

Romance is a story dealing with idealised love. Love stories, or affairs of the heart, centre on passion, emotion, and the romantic, affectionate involvement of the main characters. The story is usually about the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. This genre is linked to ‘chick flicks’ and Love Story.

A Role Playing Game (RPG) is one where players solve puzzles and engage in tactical battles. The aim of an RPG is to complete an overall quest, usually starting as an insignificant and eventually growing in to something powerful and mighty, whether it be the character or surroundings. Mass Multiplayer Online RPGs (MMORPGs) are very popular, allowing players to play in a world together, communicating in real time.

Sand Animation can be thought of as one of two arts. The first involves the rendering of sand by drawing lines and shapes on a back-lit board, to depict people, animals, buildings and scenery, both fictional and non-fictional. This form of Sand Animation is usually performed to a live audience, accompanied by music, and projected to a screen so that a large audience can view it. The second art is the series of stills that are taken of sand that is rendered in slight variation from one still to another on for example, a back-lit piece of glass. When played back in sequence there is an illusion of animation.

Satire, is literature, prose or verse that employs wit in the form of irony, innuendo, sarcasm, exaggeration or outright derision to expose human wickedness and folly. Often, satire is used to expose political and social issues in an ironic, over-exaggerated and sarcastic manner.

Scenic photography is photography that captures scenes, usually picturesque with attractive or impressive natural scenery.

Sci-fi films are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative - complete with heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters.

A sestina is a highly structured poem consisting of six 6-line stanzas (division of a poem) followed by a tercet (group of 3 lines of verse) for a total of thirty-nine lines. The same set of six words ends the lines of each of the six-line stanzas, but in a different order each time;

A genuine art form in its own right, short films are where many of the world's best known directors first displayed their talent. Typically, a short film defines any film longer than one minute and shorter than 40 minutes.

A short story is a brief work of fiction that tends to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction. Typically, a short story is a work of fiction that is between 1, 000 and 20,000 words.

A Simulation Video Game covers a wide range genres of video game, including games which aim to simulate fictional, non-fictional or both worlds. Simulation can range from piloting an aircraft to managing a construction site or amusement park.

Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was a precursor to rock steady and reggae. It combines calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterised by a walking bass line, accented guitar or piano rhythms on the offbeat, and in some cases, jazz-like horn riffs.

Skeletal Animation is a computer animation technique that comprises two parts; the first is the surface representation of the character, know as the skin, and the second is hierarchical set of bones, used for the animation. This technique is used predominantly in the video game industry and film industry to animate characters or mechanical objects for prolonged periods of time.

A drama, typically performed as a long-running serial on television or radio, characterised by a group of common characters in everyday life situations.

The sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem in predominantly iambic (rhythm unit in poetry) pentameter, with a formal rhyme scheme.

Soul is a genre of music that combines both gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul can be categorised in to many types such as Motown, Southern Soul, New Orleans Soul, Philadelphia Soul and Chicago Soul. Generally, Soul is often characterised by catchy rhythmic tunes but can take the form of tense vocal sounds and occasionally use improvisational additions , twirls and auxiliary sounds.

Space Photography or Astrophotography is the art of photographing astronomical objects such as the Earth's moon, the stars, planets, meteorites and objects in deep space.

Graphics or any form of media making fun of corporate advertisements.

The Sport genre covers any sporting activity that is central to a film, piece of literature, graphic art or photograph. Examples of sport used in film, to a great degree of success, are baseball, Football (Grid Iron and Association Football), basketball, hockey, boxing and horse racing.

Steampunk, a sub-genre of Science Fiction, is characterised by works that are set in an era where steam power is widely used, typically set in 19th century England. Steampunk contains elements of Science Fiction and Fantasy, often involving real or fictional technological developments. Steampunk has now become associated with Anime.

Still Life refers to the type of painting, drawing or photography that involves capturing or replicating still life. Examples of still life are buildings, fruit, vegetables, and other inanimate objects that are natural or have been human made. Still Life art allows the creator more scope for arrangement of the design elements within a composition than animated compositions.

Street Art refers to any art that is displayed in a public place. The most common form of Street Art is graffiti. Graffiti is often associated with illegal, territorial and unwanted markings on surfaces in public spaces, but Street Art, or post-graffiti, is contemporary public space artwork, using techniques such as traditional graffiti artwork, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art.

Street Theatre is form of theatrical performance that is performed in public spaces, to an audience that consists of anyone from the general public who just happen to be passing by. Street Theatre often involves the performers using their natural vocal and physical ability. Genres of Street Theatre include mime, physical theatre, slapstick and dance.

Superheroes and Superheroines were invented for the American comic books of the early to mid twentieth century. A Superhero is a human that has extraordinary or superhuman powers, often with an alter-ego living a normal life in society, whose aim is to keep the streets clean of crime, especially those perpetrated by Supervillains. Globally, many works of fiction including films, television shows, cartoons, and books have been created around Superheroes.

Supernatural fiction is a work of fiction based on elements that contravene the way nature acts. Ghost stories are a classic example of Supernatural Fiction.

Supervillains and Supervillainesses were invented for the American comic books of the early to mid twentieth century. A Supervillain is a human that has extraordinary or superhuman powers, often created through an experimental 'accident', whose aim is to wreak havoc to normal society, culminating in being the ultimate power. A Supervillain is usually the nemesis of a Superhero, devising complex and menacing schemes to outfox and out-power the Superhero.

Suspense films and stories are based on mysterious events which are not explained, or a crime that is not solved until the end of the story to keep the reader in suspense.

A Television pilot is a test episode of an intended television season/ series. A pilot is used to gauge the audience acceptance of a show prior to committing to a season/series.

A Television Season, or Series, usually contains an overarching plot which may conclude after one season or may continue in to further Seasons. Often a Season ends as a cliff-hangar enticing the audience to watch the next Season.

A Theatre Play is a drama, usually written by a playwright, intended for a theatrical performance, but also can be the spoken word. Plays cover genres such as comedy, historical, farce, romance, tragedy and satirical.

Thrillers are characterised by fast pacing, frequent action and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Thrillers are often closely linked to Adventure and Action.

A Tragedy is any story with a sad and unfortunate outcome, but the term also applies specifically in Western culture to a form of drama defined by Aristotle characterised by seriousness and dignity and involving a great person who experiences a reversal of fortune.

Typography is the art of creating type and arranging it. Until the digital age Typography was a specialised area, but now it is much simpler, although it still requires creative ability, even on computers. Typography is used by anybody from newspaper typesetters to graffiti artists and art directors.

Underground refers to art that is separate from a prevailing social or artistic environment. Underground Art is usually independent from commercial success, tending to attract cult following.

Video can be thought of as the result of capturing a sequence of still images which when played back in sequence simulate motion and/or change. Most video today is captured electronically, and in many formats depending on the medium that the video is to be played on. With the advent of broadband and cable internet technology, video is now able to be streamed directly to a home computer, for example, via a great site like Mudboard.

A Video Game is a game that is played on a video game console, PC or handheld device e.g. console or mobile phone . Video Games can range from solitaire to epic, action packed blockbusters. Many modern Video Games can rival feature films in terms of budget, and can often involve a cast of hundreds.

A Villanelle is a 19-line poem, originally French, that uses only two rhymes and consists of five three-line stanzas (division of a poem) and a final quatrain (four line verse). The first and third lines of the first stanza are alternately repeated as a refrain that closes the following stanzas, and are joined as a final couplet of the quatrain.

The Visual Arts is a term used to categorise all art that is perceived by sight. There are many sub-categories of visual art such as traditional plastic art (e.g. painting, drawing, ceramics), modern visual art (e.g. video, photography, film making),and design and crafts. Theoretically, the Performing Arts could also be classed as Visual Art, as they require perception by sight as well as by sound.

The War genre covers any film, literature, comic or other creative medium where the war or warfare is the central theme to the story. The War genre can be fictional, based on real events or biographical. Most War films and stories are focussed on the war itself, however, some concentrate on civilian life during war time. In film, war movies tend to be either nostalgic or big action packed blockbusters.

In art, Watercolour is a type of painting that uses coloured pigments dissolved in water. The distinguishing characteristic of watercolour painting is its transparency. The surface of the paper is visible through the thin watercolour pigments, creating an effect distinct from the thick texture of oil painting and other more dense media.

The Western is a genre of fiction that is usually set in the American West where the plot is based the conflict between good and bad, or the conflict between civilisations. Westerns are characterised by the protagonists living by a code of honour and/or seeking out personal justice. Westerns have also been set in other countries such as Canada, Australia and Mexico.

World Music refers to music that originates from countries outside of the recognised Western countries. World Music is characterised by the use of distinctive ethnic scales, modes and musical inflections, and is commonly performed on or accompanied by distinctive traditional ethnic instruments.

This is photography where the subject is culture from around the world. The subject matter can focus on anything from regional food, to local artefacts, ethnic groups and tribes, traditions and religion.