ACTION AND ADVENTURE FILMSRevision session 10th May 2011

ABOUT THE EXAM

13th June pm 1 ½ hours TASK 1 (A & B) 2 questions 45 minutes to do

both – written answers TASK 2 A – you write about your own ideas

for an Action and Adventure film TASK 2 B choice of 2 design tasks – you do

one 45 minutes for Task 2 You need – pens, ruler, colouring pencils,

eraser, sharpener, fine liner, drawing pencils – all in a clear pencil case or polythene bag

APPROX 4 WEEKS BEFORE THE EXAM:

“Students should be issued the brief 4 weeks prior to the examination. The 2011 brief should be issued to students on or shortly after Monday 16 May 2011. The brief will provide students with a contextualised scenario. The examination will require students to respond to four tasks in role. The tasks will be based on the contextualised scenario provided in the brief. From 16 May students are expected to consolidate their knowledge and understanding of Action Adventure films by completing independent research and preparation in response to the given brief.”

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcse/pdf/AQA-4810-W-TRB-U01-EXTASS-2011-AAF.PDF

PLEASE NOTE

No formal teaching of the topic may take place after this date

You have to start your research and preparation

TASK 1 A

Will probably ask you to explain the key features of an action and adventure film

You should answer with examples

KEY FEATURES (GENRE CONVENTIONS) OF AN ACTION AND ADVENTURE FILM

‘high concept’ big ideas Various sub genres – western, Sci-Fi, historical,

epic, literary adaptation, swash buckler, melodrama, war, spy, spoofs, marital arts, creature features (monsters)

And various combinations of the above and other genres – i.e. Romance, drama

Quite often - Buddy movies Frequently USA and if they are frequently

supportive of USA values and ideology America(ns) often saves the world

(Independence Day, Deep Impact, Armageddon)

IN TERMS OF MEDIA LANGUAGE

Big mise en scene (location, costume, etc) Big fast paced scenes of action – chasing,

fighting, car chases, war sequences, Sci-Fi gadgets/vehicles

Likeable, affable heroes Often male heroes – particularly in older films Fast paced editing Action scenes use a range of shot distances

and angles to add to the excitement

NARRATIVE

Leitmotifs – music and other clues that something is going to happen

Joel Silverman – Whammos and zingers - high concept, high velocity action moments

followed by moments of commodity and light relief

Vladimir Propp – studied lots of folk stories/fairy tales and decided that they all have stock characters and stories

Popular films are fairy tales/folk stories in the modern sense and many follow these ‘rules’

PROPP’S STOCK CHARACTERS

HERO VILLAIN PRINCESS TO RESCUE BLOCKER HELPER MENTOR DISPATCHER

NARRATIVE

Another theorist was Tzvetan Todorov who also studied stories and also stated that stories have similarities

At its most basic stories have a three part narrative – equilibrium, complication, return to equilibrium

Hollywood film writers have used these ‘structuralism’ theories to write film stories

NARRATIVE

Christopher Vogler’s books: The Hero’s Journey The Writer’s Journey Based on Joseph Campbell’s study of myth Are ‘Bibles’ for film (and videogame) writers

NARRATIVE

It is not surprising then when we say that many action films are predicable and that we don’t find them too difficult or demanding to watch

Cultural theorist Theodor Adorno said that popular culture was formulaic and repetitive

The same thing – with variations – over and over

MODERN FILMS

Play with the narrative structure to make them more interesting (and less obvious) to a sophisticated audience

However, many conform still to a formulaic structure

TASK 1 B

Likely to be about representation Criticisms of the way people are represented

in this genre include Stereotypical and negative representation of

‘foreigners’ Villains are sometimes English! Women are there for their looks and to be

rescued

ACTION HEROES ARE TYPICALLY

Male White But don’t forget the martial arts hero! Hard bodied and muscular Young(ish) Heterosexual macho

‘FOREIGNERS’ /NON WASPS ARE

Villains Sometimes helpers but not as bright as the

main hero Sometimes part of a buddy partnership

CASE STUDY: WILL SMITH IN MEN IN BLACK

Will’s character is the physical, slightly crazy undisciplined one compare to Tommy Lee Jones who is the mature, intellectual one

Tommy Lee Jones character is in charge and has to teach the ropes to Will Smith’s.

HOWEVER,

This is changing, Morgan Freeman was the president in Independence Day

Who will play Obama when we get a film about the hunt for Bin Laden?

WOMEN

Laura Mulvey said the women are used in mainstream media for their looked at ness

Eye candy! It is true that we do get female action heroes But they are also objectified as sexual beings

too

FEMALE PROTAGONIST OR EYE CANDY?

FEMALE PROTAGONIST OR EYE CANDY?

FEMALE PROTAGONIST OR EYE CANDY?

FEMALE PROTAGONIST OR EYE CANDY?

MARION RAVENSWOOD IN RAIDERS

To start with she seems like a feisty, tough girl but soon in the narrative she has to be rescued and before long the story has her in a white girly dress and quite helpless...

ALSO TO CONSIDER

Representation by absence

ALSO CONSIDER

Representation of: Places Eras/times Ideas

TASK 2 A

This is your turn to start thinking about your film ideas

Will you follow all the old rules and conventions even if they’re predictable and stereotypical or will you try need ideas or will you use a combination of old and new ideas?

YOU SHOULD:

Refer to film theory about narrative Discuss how you intend to represent people,

things, places, times, ideas Where will the ideas come from? Where will they go? Books, videogames Synergy – one idea over two or more media –

i.e. : Pokémon: The Movie 2000

INSTITUTIONS

Studio Distributor Finance – sponsors / product placement

YOU SHOULD

Be specific about who is in your film and why you would chose them

Say who will distribute your film What certificate it will be http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ How you’re going to publicise it – think

beyond just trailers, web, adverts etc.. i.e. publicity stunts

MYSTIC MARKETING

TASK 2 B DESIGN TASKS

A choice of (possibly) Storyboarding Posters Promotional Website Merch Dvd jacket a treatment (synopsis explaining the overall

look and feel of the film) Press release – information making the film

sound amazing to distribute to newspapers/media

Article about a film

IF IT IS STORYBOARDING

Short fast scenes Range of shot sizes/distances and angles Montage or continuity editing Details about the transitions Special effects: CGI, pyrotechnics,

explosions, weaponry, graphics Information about sound – diegetic or non

diegetic

TO DO WELL AT THIS TASK YOU NEED TO HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT

Your film - who is in it Director Producer Distributor Details about certification Basic narrative A simple repetitive design and colour scheme

FINAL THOUGHTS!

You can all do this exam but time is very tight on it

the more you prepare and research for it the more the information will seem like second nature

and you’ll get all the information down.