Genre Study Chart-Action Films

Action Films

Convention	The Dark Knight	007: Die Another Day	Superman(2006)
Plot	-Good vs evil -New villain that only hero can defeat -Vigilante hero	-USA vs other foreign super power -Only protagonist can succedd	-Good vs Evil -New villain that only hero can defeat -Fits into normal society, but not completely
Situation	-Good vs Bad, love interest, love triangle, choice between personal and important -beats all odds	-Good vs bad -love interest -Espionage/ talking directly to main antagonist -hand to hand/reach for the gun before enemy/ choke enemy before getting flipped over and choked, etc -Beats all odds	-Hero must save city from destruction -love interest which conflicts with powers -Overcomes one weakness through sheer will -beats all odds
Character	-Dark past, secret identity -incorruptible protagonist Secret identity -unique ability/limitation(can’t kill humans) -clever and witty -lone wolf	-Attractive sidekick -Wears Tuxedo -Silver tongued devil -”makes things up as he goes along” -hi tech gadgets -smart and resourceful -weakness towards women	-Protagonist has one weakness -secret identity -super powers -Square jaw black hair -”just in the nick of time” -demonstrates power
Body Language	-Sure of movements, very confident -focused/ determined	-Sure of movements, very confident -analyzing everything	-Humble movement, trying to blend in -stands above everyone else
Dress	-Wears suit when not in disguise	-Tuxedo/nice unconventional clothing for fighting -disguises	-wears costume underneath
Dialogue	-To the point and very threatening -charismatic, keeps thoughts to self

location	-Modern, big city that can easily be molded into plot	-foreign countries and environments	-big city full of crime
objects/ equipment	-High tech gadgets, short cool use of gadgets -Hi tech vehicle	-iconic gadget(watch) -use of hi tech vehicles like jets, jet skis, hovercraft	-iconic suit -no other gadgets or equipment

Narrative Conventions are certain aspects of a certain genre of film which has become expected and typical in films. In westerns a convention would be something like a saloon, a town drunk, chewing on a piece of wheat or a showdown. In westerns there is always a good guy a bad guy and a conflict between the two. At some point the protagonist will find a girl who he decides to protect. The antagonist may call out from the streets while the hero is in a saloon. At some point a shootout across the town will take place. Even the look of a town is a narrative convention.

In films that deal with spy's and espionage it is expected that there is a sexy side kick to help the hero and provide a love interest. The most common convention in many action films is the fist fighting between the hero and the main antagonist. Usually the antagonist will manage to pin the protagonist which proceeds to a rolling fight. The two dodge electric wires, fires, stray power tools, and each other. Finally the antagonist is about to win before the hero manages to win at the last moment by uses an electric wire to shock his enemy or allowing something like a train or sidekick to save them. These conventions rarely get boring since it is usually a key suspenseful moment in the over all plot. This is the convention of the final showdown or battle.

Ideology In Film

1. Explicit ideology is basically saying what the subject or ideology of a film is. This perspective is much more narrow and can be more easily disagreed with. Implicit ideology leaves the true meaning or a film up to the audience. A specific ideology can't be pin-pointed as the only one in a film. The decision is up to the director of a film and the response they want from their audience. The director's choice is also affected by the time period, anti-heroes are a great example of a change in ideology. In Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle gives the audience mixed feelings about what is right and wrong because of the way his character and situation is portrayed. 

2. Johnny Depp is revered today as being not only an amazing actor, but as an inspiring person as well. He has been in several films like the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Edward Scissor hands, The Tourist, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and many other film. His acting career is spontaneous to say the least. In the Pirates of the Caribbean films, he plays the "Captain" Jack Sparrow, who one can argue makes the films. Not only is his acting spot on, but Jack Sparrow as a character is interesting to say the least. His humor, cunning and relationships with other characters is a perfect blend. Unfortunately I have no seen any of his other films so I can't analyze any specific pattern in his acting. It seems that he does gravitate towards characters in films who have many layers. Depp's unique acting style allows him to really put himself in his characters shoes and bring a high level of quality to his films. Depp is a Jack of all Trades kind of actor, he also tends be the main character of his films. His next role in a film is unpredictable.


3. One of my favorite films is Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. My single favorite character would be Sam Wise who takes the role of Frodo Baggin's protector. Over the course of the film the two start of strong, deal with conflict but ultimately Sam becomes Frodo's savior. The reason I like Sam as a character is the lesson that teaches through his actions. One of the most tense parts of the films is Sam being framed and tricked into leaving Frodo who gets captured. Sam feels torn that he has come so far only to be pushed away by his best friend. The acting is spot on and the viewer genuinely feels bad for Sam. The camera placement was just as important to driving the feelings of the characters home. This scene makes Sam's heroic rescue of Frodo that much more satisfying and heartwarming for the viewer. Through the Lord of the Rings series Sam plays the under-appreciated yet loyal friend. The perspective that Jackson wants his audience to have is Sam's and the pain that he feels. This scene was a great success as a conflict in the film, and giving the audience a strong emotional reaction to an event.


4. Anti-heroes have been a large part of film, these characters are not only cool but seem human and can be related to by the every day person. There are also heroes which are perfect in that they will only do good and will make personal sacrifices. Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight has the idea of both these heroes fighting each other. Harvey Dent is supposed to represent a hero who is good and is even referred to as Gotham's "white knight". Nolan plays with the idea of being a hero with the idea that a hero will die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. This is more than an interesting plot twist and conflict, the idea of being a perfect hero is shown as a ridiculous and short lived path. On the other end there is Batman who is referred to as a "Dark Knight" despite being the ultimate hero. This makes Batman an anti hero, which today is the more preferred type of character. A strong person with a dark past, and difficult life mixed with the ultimate representation of the fight of good and evil makes for a good and relatable character.


5. For a film to have any lasting affect on an audience there needs to be a real message and a compatible narrative tied to it. A film like Casablanca is a good example of self sacrifice. As long as a viewer is really immersed into a film there is a possibility of giving them a lesson. A film must also relate directly to a certain part of a persons life. Today's films are targeted towards creating an over the top action filled experience. A viewer must be able to put themselves comfortably in a characters shoes. Today it seems that films are so widespread, varied and viewed so often that there is no lasting affect on a viewer.


6. Suspension of disbelief is the technique of taking something that is impossible and making an audience believe that it could happen for its duration. Christopher Nolan's Inception is the perfect example of suspending belief. The movie is just so cool and desirable that people don't care about its impossibility. In this case, having control over a dream would mean that one could do what ever they wanted with no consequences. Not only is this idea appealing, but it seems like it could be real. Appeal and a little hope is enough to make even a realist ignore how "impossible" a film may be and believe that something can really happen.


7. A film that is influenced by a corporation can influence the ideas that are part of the film, while the actors and directors decide the way that idea is shown. In James Cameron's Avatar the idea of doing what is right even if it means betraying your own people is portrayed. Betrayal is usually a bad thing, but the perspectives and motivations can change the entire meaning. The two warring sides in Avatar are the native Na'vi and the more advanced and powerful humans. As usual the more powerful side is greedy in search for wealth, while the weaker side is seen as peaceful and in the end the good guys. Similarly a corporation can influence a certain side in a film to make them selves look good.

Broadcast pre-pro

Purpose: (What is the message or intent of the piece?) To see the behind the scenes to how film class is carried out and what the students do in the class. This varies from students taking notes in class, working on the computer, shooting a segment, etc.

Contacts: (Who do I need to speak to in order to get the information for my piece?) Few of the film students in the class, along with a quick interview with Bigue.

Interview Questions: (What do I want to focus on in the interview? At least 5 questions and avoid Yes/No questions.) (REMEMBER THAT WITHOUT STRONG CONTENT YOUR PIECE WILL FALL FLAT!!) What do you do in film? What challenges do you face in this course? How does Mr. Bigue help you out? What’s your advice to future film students?

Shot List- What images do I need to make the visual part of the story work? Interviews use mostly Close-ups, Waist shots, and B-roll. Background should also be considered. Usually at least 5 to 10 different shots are combined for a sophisticated piece. Interviews, minimum of three, will be first established. After that, B-roll will vary from simple shots, such as wide shots of the class doing work, close ups into what work the students do, along with tight shots into the filming styles the students use in their films.

General Flow: Describe the beginning, middle, and end of your segment. Include any narration you might include as well as graphics or interviews. (Try to imagine the piece playing in your head) Beginning will shows quick montage of shots including various pieces within the class. Voice over will be used as these shots go by. Interviews will then be introduced after questions are asked, and b-roll will be used to support the interviews. Ending will conclude on very nice/unique shot with voice over closing it.

Scripts: This is the written portion of your piece that is included either for the broadcast script or for a voice over that pulls the different interviews together. Intro: tba Closing: tba

Writing About Film

Writing about film can be broken down into five categories, the most basic being Formal Analysis. Formal Analysis is basically looking at the finished product of a film. The shots, cuts, and lighting are all parts of the finished product. The film is analysed based on what is on screen, no influences are taken into consideration. Film History focuses on the influence that a time period has on a film. Important events or ideas heavily influence a film. War films like Apocalypse Now are of course based on war, but the perspectives and ideas can vary. The thoughts of soldiers on either side of a war can be shown and create different feeling to the viewers. Other films like Taxi Driver are also influenced by a time period. In this case the anti-hero of films sticks out and is embraced by an audience. Ideological Papers have to with the message behind a film like an idea or political standing. Characters can be highlighted in a way that makes an audience feel something that can   be reflected on in real life. This effect does not have to be in the form of a documentary either. Cultural Studies and Ideological Papers are similar because of their standing in real issues. Films change drastically depending on where they are made and who made them. A movie that has no real problems in the United States can be seen as offensive to another country. This is attributed to the values of a country. Films may be completely banned when they first come out but then end up fine years later. Lastly a combination of the previous forms of writing is the Discussion of the Auteur. This is the analysis of a film crew's technique and choice in making a film. The entire crew is influenced by the everything around. Politics, recent events, change in technology, their personal lives, their age and experience and many more things. Every part of a film is the responsibility of one or many individuals. A director may have an entire film written on paper but costume, lighting, sound effects and editing are all the collaboration of many people. These are like small details that tend to be ignored.

Annotating a film is effectively breaking down a films components. Ideas can really be focused on and an effective paper can be written this way. Annotating is particularly useful when a film can only be seen once. A particular shot sequence can be broken down and compared with the rest of a film to find patterns or recurring choices. Annotating a films is effectively making a film analysis more manageable.

"Thinking beyond the frame" basically means to look at the influences around the time period around the film. Certain events, issues, or perspectives are all part of this idea. The production team all had some influence in why they cut a scene a certain way, had a certain shot, or had a certain costume. Different film writing styles focus on this idea in order to find a meaning in a film. Film making is known as an invisible art because details aren't really looked at by an audience. A costume may simply look a certain way because it is appealing to the eye. The audience will ignore the work that went into creating the costume and remain captivated. "Thinking beyond the frame" is looking at all the details that went into making a film.