Analysis of Genre: Lacey’s Repertoire of Elements

In his book Narrative and Genre: Key Concepts in Media Studies, (Palgrave, Macmillan), Nick Lacey defines genre elements as constituting the 5 key areas below:

setting character narrative iconography style

Genre elements ConventionsSetting- mise en scene/ location

At the very beginning, a long shot of new York.Black & White bar – loos like a western, gun shots fired – creating impact straight away.Genre convention – in the most popular city, showing famous buildings.

Characters – representations, stereotypes, behaviour, body language, specific actors/stars

Star Theory - Liam Neeson – Famous actor, audience automatically interested in film.Character of an ‘ex-cop’ so tells us he’s the ‘good guy’. Creates enigma codes, why isn’t he a cop anymore? Why does he look so shabby? Cops – always in action thrillers, always the good guys.the girl hats been kidnapped,

Narrative events –how is the narrative ordered and structured?Is it elliptical/enigmatic (elements left out to intrigue/entice the audience)

Starts off telling us the main characters past – ex cop, leaves us wanting to know what happened to his career.Then tells us he basically hunts down the bad guys. So still doing good.Enigma codes created straight away, who’s the girl kidnapped and killed? Why does the main character want to help so much? Maybe something similar happened to him whilst being a cop in new York city?

Iconography –Well known or recognisable people/objects/buildingsMise en scene/ props, costume, setting, symbolic codes

Phone rings – a conventional factor of all thriller/action/horror films.Girls costume – Red coat skipping across the road, looks like ‘little red riding hood’ fairy-tale about child abduction (relates o tis films storyline)New York city itself is where most famous thriller action films are filmed.Pastiche is used as they are relating to an old fairy-tale, combining it with a modern action thriller film.The red coat – colour of anger, blood, death.Guns, car chase as soon as the trailer begins.

STYLE: Technical and audio codes – camera use, editing, diegetic/non diegetic sound, sfx. Mise en scene/lighting, colour

Black and White all the way through. Creates an old vintage look, maybe to suggest this film is just like the old style action thriller that audiences class as ‘the best films’Background sound effects are much amplified. Gets the heart beating, wanting to watch more.Lots of fading in ad out effects, quiet a calm effect contrasting to the storyline of the film itself.Fast pace editing, suggest action thriller genre.

Summarise how the above helps to define genre in the text

Analysis of Genre: Lacey’s Repertoire of Elements

Each one of these points help us recognise and identify hat this film is a stereotypical action thriller, using star theory to attract the audience and also making lots of enigma codes for the audience to try and find out. By watching the trailer I identified that this film is an action thriller.

Name of text: Genre: Action/Thriller

Target Audience for A Walk Amongst The Tombstone –This film has quiet a wide target audience. Both females and males aged between 15 and 35. .Class of target audience maybe B to E. As it’s about an ex-cop that’s let himself go, and wanting to get back to saving people being the good guy. So it’s inspiring for young people. Liam Neeson himself gives the film a wide audience as he is a popular actor probably in the same category as Tom Cruz.