Action Genre Codes & Conventions
Rob Miller | Tuesday September 27, 2011
Categories: Courses, A Level, WJEC A Level, WJEC A2, WJEC A2 Media Studies, WJEC AS, WJEC AS Media Studies, Film, Action, Action Adventure, Key Concepts, Genre
Recommended Reading
- ‘Spectacular Bodies’ - Yvonne Tasker (Routledge) 1998
- ‘Action’ – Richard Dyer, 2000
- ‘Action Women: Muscles, Mothers and Others’ – Yvonne Tasker, 1998
Contemporary Action Films
- Your Highness (Adventure/Comedy Hybrid) David Gordon Green, 2011
- Inception (Action/Sci Fi Hybrid) Christopher Nolan, 2010
- Quantum of Solace Marc Forster, 2008
- Die Hard 4.0 Len Wiseman, 2007
- Tomb Raider Simon West, 2000
- Mission Impossible: II John Woo, 2000
Codes and Conventions
- 12/15 certificate, maximising youth audiences
- Often hybridised with Sci Fi/Adventure/Romance
- Major Hollywood studio produced and distributed
- High production values including CGI FX. Fast paced editing
- Classic Hollywood 3 act narrative structure
- Predictable chain of events – cause and effect
- Single stranded, linear, closed narrative
- Dramatic non-diegetic sound
- More narrative action codes than enigma codes
- Clear binary oppositions
- Star Marketing: Audience identification/expectations (Cruise/Pitt/Willis/Thurman/Jolie/Stallone/Craig/SchwarzeneggeDi Caprio…). Generic Typecasting and Secondary Persona apply
- Romantic sub-plot, Humorous dialogue
- Relationships with new technology (youth audiences)
- Use of close up/Insert shots/High Key Lighting
- Dominant representation of gender: male/female action hero. Mulvey’s male gaze and contemporary female gaze can apply...
Media.edusites offers a wealth of enriched content to help you help your Media Studies students. Please subscribe or log in to access this content.
If you've never been here and would like a sample of what's on offer, please sample it here, and use the menu on the left to browse the site's content by title.
The trial covers just a few samples, if you would like to find out if we have the resources you need, get in touch by email using the contact details below.
The content of this site has been produced by teachers and examiners. We have a similar site for English called English.edusites.co.uk
Kind regards, Richard Gent
Edusites Ltd
[email] richard@edusites.co.uk
[telephone] 01604 847689
[fax] 01604 843220
