2. What do you need to know?
This exam will require that you apply the 4 Media Key Concepts to the topic
Media Language Audience
• Identifying the codes and • Box office and audience figures
conventions and the Action • Conditions of consumption –
Adventure genre cinema home viewing and the
• Understanding and applying implications of e-media and
narrative theory/ structure mobile technologies
(Todorov) • Uses and gratifications in terms Representation
• Understanding and applying Institution of action and adventure films
characters types (Propp) • Fan websites. • Defining representation and its
• Binary Oppositions (Levi Strauss) • Exploring the nature of significance
• Sequence analysis Hollywood, the studio system,
film finance • Stereotypes in action adventure
• Storyboarding films
• The star system
• The role of the BBFC in • Representations of ‘good’ and
certificating films; the 12A ‘evil’ through heroes and villains
certificate • Representation of gender – the
• Roles and functions in film role and functions of male and
production female characters
• Producers and director s • Representations of the West and
associated with the genre the East, including ethnicity
• The marketing and promotion of • The ideological function of action
action adventure adventure films and the notion of
• Spin-offs./ Film Franchise cultural imperialism through
Hollywood.
3. Defining Genre?
Genre is made up of the 4 typicals (NICS)
Narrative - typical storylines and structure used.
Example: Spider-Man is fighting against evil. He is in a
Action-Adventure: hero is usually on a journey or
range of different situations including saving Mary
quest in search of something (artefact) or someone.
Jane, fighting his friend's dad (the Green Goblin),
He has to complete a range of tasks/challenges
dealing with his broken family (living with his auntie
before the end and usually appears victorious.
and uncle (who is killed)). Spider-Man kills his
Todorov's structure of equilibrium, disruption and
enemies and emerges heroic at the end
restoration is commonly used to tell the story in
chronological order.
Example: In Indiana Jones we see fights between
Indiana and various tribesmen and other artefact
hunters; they fight using guns, bows and arrows, and
swords. We also see chases between Indiana and
Iconography - things we expect to see.
various villains, as well as Indiana running away from
Action-Adventure: We expect violence, weapons,
danger (mines, the infamous rolling boulder). In the
chases, explosions, heroes reinforcing good heroes
end Indiana emerges victorious having beaten his
emerging victorious, defeated villains.
enemies and gaining the treasure/artefact
4. Defining Genre?
Genre is made up of the 4 typicals (NICS) Example: In Star Wars we have the typical hero, Luke
Skywalker, who has many sidekicks/helpers/donors
including Han Solo (who helps him defeat Darth
Vader), Obi-Wan Kenobi (his guide, almost a father
Characters - people who drive the story forward figure), Yoda (an ultimate guide/advisor). Along the
Action-Adventure: Typical character types (in terms of journey, there are many villains including Darth Maul,
Propp's stock characters) include the hero, villain, Stormtroopers, and his arch enemy, Darth Vader. The
helper/sidekick, princess / love interest. They have a princess / love interest in the first three films is
range of different purposes to play within the Padme Amidala, and in films four, five and six, we
narrative. There must be a bad/evil force and a hero have Princess Leia. The two characters fall in love with
to create conflict. the male protagonist (firstly Anakin Skywalker and
then Luke Skywalker - but when Leia finds out she and
Luke are siblings, she falls in love with Han Solo). They
are subordinate to the male characters, although at
points they are quite powerful characters (they are
both royalty).
Setting - the locations used Example: The Pirates of the Caribbean films use tall
Action-Adventure: Typical settings are usually ships, which are quite dangerous (tall sails, riggings,
isolated, dangerous, mysterious, scary, dark and quite use of canons, sea monsters) and which sail in vast,
vast. This allows a range of situations to take place, mysterious oceans. Being out to sea has connotations
e.g. fights, chases, explosions. of isolation, vulnerability and mystery. A vast, yet
isolated setting allows for many things to go wrong,
as well as having an element of unpredictability.
5. What is Action Adventure?
• You will be able to define what Action
Adventure is by remembering it’s typical
codes and conventions (the ingredients).
Narrative, Iconography, Characters and
Settings (NICS), keeping these in mind will
allow you to successfully plan for your own
Action Adventure film idea.
11. What is a SUB-GENRE?
What sub-genre
is your film?
12. What is a SUB-GENRE?
What sub-genre
is your film?
13. Understanding Narrative
It’s important that you try to apply narrative theory to your own Action
Adventure film idea, but it’s little more than just thinking of a
beginning middle and end…
16. Character Types
In your own action
adventure film you
must be able to
define who your
villain and hero is by
referring to the key
concept of
representation (how
do the audience
know who the hero
or villain is?).
Remember most
action adventure
films have more
character types than
just the hero and the
villain.
20. Audience and Action Adventure
films
Audiences can be broken down into:
• Age
• Gender
• Class
• Income
• Interests
• Education
Primary audience: The target audience
Secondary audience: Other people that
Define the target
may watch it, audience for your film
but are not directly targeted
21. Audience and Action Adventure
films
Primary audience Working/lower middle class
Films of these genres do not
Gender: Male take much thinking about!
Shown by male characters, stereotypically interested They are there to be watched
in action, explosions, technology and weapons more and are to visually look good
than women. in terms of explosions,
Age: 15-24 fighting, weaponry, and so on.
Reflects the main cinema-going age, some action- Interests include:
adventure films have an age rating of 15+ but this Masculinity, sports, computer
audience also play computer games of a similar genre. game playing, actors
Secondary audience
Remember!
There is always an exception to the rule. Think
Older men - They once were young
about Tomb Raider and Alien films that have
and were directly targeted
female protagonists, even though they are aimed
Women - May find the actors
at men (women are portrayed as objects of
attractive and appealing
desire) they also appeal to women
22. Audience and Action Adventure
films
• Although almost fifty years old, a useful tool in the study of any media product is
the Uses and Gratifications theory. This theory is concerned with the ways in which
people use a media product and the pleasures that they get from it, for example,
an action adventure film.
• A simplified version of the theory might divide uses and gratifications (rewards/
pleasures) into four primary headings:
• Diversion – how the films might offer a release from our everyday life and its
problems. Another word might be ‘escapism’.
• Personal relationships – the films give us something we can talk about to our
friends and family. ‘Have you seen the latest Bond film yet?’
• Personal identity – the pleasures we might get from identifying with characters or
situations in the film.
• Surveillance – information we might get from the film that could be useful to us in
our everyday lives. How to use a cutlass perhaps?
• Take each of the headings and use examples from action adventure
films explain how it might relate to your own consumption of the
genre.
23.
24. Film Classification
• The classification given to a film can influence
how successful a film is at the box office. This
is especially true of action adventure films
where the prime audience is families,
including young children.
25. Film Classification
• Who are the BBFC? What do they do?
• The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC),
originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-
governmental organisation, funded by the film
industry and responsible for the national
classification of films within the United Kingdom.
It has a statutory requirement to classify videos,
DVDs and some video games under the Video
Recordings Act 2010
26. Film Classification
• Make sure you know what the different
certificates are, think about what certificate
you would give your own film and why
27. Film Classification
• Critics of Action Adventure argue that such films promote unhealthy
attitudes towards violence and that narratives are becoming too
dominated by special effects and action sequences
• One interesting classification of films is the 12A certificate. Refer to your
BBFC website research and see what qualifies a film for this certificate.
• The category was introduced after the film Spider-Man received a 12
rating meaning that according to the BBFC people below that age should
not see it in the cinema or on video. However, many local councils, which
have the final say about who can and cannot see films in cinema in their
area, ignored the advice of the BBFC. The 12A certificate was introduced
allowing young people to see the film if accompanied by an adult.
• Do you think there is an argument for a 15A certificate?
