ACTION GENRE CONVENTIONS

S.P.I.N.C.T

Setting Props Iconography Narrative Characterization Themes and Technical

aspects

SETTING

• Action films often take place in big cities, urban environments or suburban environments.

• Actions also take place in foreign countries like most war or spy films.

• They also take place in small towns or rural areas

TECHNICAL CODES• Action films use a mix of high and low angles to show off some of the

different environments the characters are in, and some of the things they have to deal with.

• POV shots are important because they allow the audience to see the world from the characters perspective. This happens in some action films like “Doom” so you can see the environment and events from the characters point of view

• Action films use medium shots and medium two shots to show off the character and the relationship that character has with other people.

• Action films also use tracking shots to show a seamless transaction between fight scenes this is shown in “The Dark Knight Rises” when there is one continuous shot throughout the fight scenes.

ICONOGRAPHY

• Visual style: Often dark colours like red and black (links to, blood and danger etc).

• Lighting is naturalistic and bright because of the urban and rural areas action films take place in. Some action films the lighting can be dim, dark and unnatural because the film takes place at night e.g. “Escape From New York”.

• Props can help us to further identify action genre. Specific props can be identified with a certain villain or character (knives, Costumes, Firearms etc).

• Common objects include: Weapons and everyday items such as cups and books.

• The iconography of props such as guns helps to connote extreme fear, and terror, and gives the audience an indication that something big is about to happen and that it will impact the story.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

• Classic narrative structure largely made applicable to the Horror genre but it can either be left for closure or maybe perhaps leave room for sequel and thus enable a franchise (Like Die Hard, Robo Cop and Mad Max)

• There’s always a hero a protagonist, a man or “final girl” of the film, keeping with the normal conventions of the genre. Usually the hero must embark on a mission or quest to kill or solve problems.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE CONTINUED

Hero comes back to his home town after being in the army or police force.

Hero finds that the police are corrupt and work for the head of an evil company that terrorises the citizens of the town.

Hero goes on a quest to stop the villain after witnessing some traumatic event that sets him on a quest for vengeance.

Hero meets a girl at this point and they fall in love as the story progresses.

Hero blows up some stuff, and really gets on the villain's nerves, villain hires a team of hit men to kill hero and kidnap his girlfriend. Hero kills most members of the team, but one gets away with the heroes love interest.

Villain sends hero a message in the form of a phone call or video, telling the hero to come to his base and rescue his love interest

Hero goes to villain's main base kills everyone and has a showdown with the escaped hit man who stole his girlfriend one on one fight with the villain. At the beginning the hero starts to lose, and the villain starts gloating and being smug. Hero remembers what he's fighting for and gets a new found strength, starts fighting the villain again and wins, killing the villain. But not before saying some cheesy one liner. He rescues his love interest, and they kiss as the sun rises.

CHARACTER TYPES

• The Main Protagonist/Hero - often an ex spy, police man or ex special forces, who is either on a mission given to him by the government to stop the villain, or he stumbles on the villains plans by accident.

• The Villain - often a corrupt owner of a company or foreign country, or some guy who wants to destroy the entire world because he hates everyone.

• The Donor/Helper - often the heroes best friend who gives the hero information or a weapon/vehicle, and who accompanies the hero on his/hers adventures.

• The Princess – often the hero’s girlfriend or main love interest, the princess often bumps into the hero by accident and they quickly fall in love but don’t kiss or show their feelings towards one another till the very end of the film. Usually near the end of the film the princess gets kidnapped and the hero must rescue her.

THEMES

• Good Versus Evil• Depression• Religion• Revenge• Insanity• Redemption• World domination• Post traumatic stress

disorder

THE END