Codes and Conventions of Action Films research

 All film genres have their own codes and conventios. Action thrillers as a genre aslo have them here are the following

• The certificate for the films are mostly 12 or 15 in order to maximise the number of potential viewers as the biggest target audience is  12 to 24 ass these are the ages when we go to cinema.
• Often hybridised with other genres like Sci Fi/Adventure/Romance to achieve wider audience
• Major Hollywood studio produced and distributed like for example Warner Bros
• High production values including Computer Geerated Inteligence (CGI) FX. 
• Fast paced editing mostly to create tension
• Classic Hollywood 3 act narrative structure (Equilibrium, Conflict, New equilibrium)
• Predictable chain of events – cause and effect
• Single stranded, linear, closed narrative
• Dramatic non-diegetic sound
• More narrative action codes than enigma codes, meaning there is no clue to slove but the case is obvious
• Clear binary oppositions
• Star Marketing: Audience expectations for a certain actor. Identificating with the popular actors. (Cruise/Pitt/Willis/Thurman/Jolie/Stallone/Craig/Schwarzenegger/Di 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... 

Research on Genre

Narrative/themes

• On a mission (Mission Impossible 1996) 
• Saving the world/city (Die Hard 1998)
• Good vs Bad ( Bat Man : Dark Night 2008)
• Romance (Inception 2010)
• Fighting/Aggression (Bourne Identity 2002)
• Futuristic gadgets (Skyfall 2012)
• Set in the present ( Bourn Legacy 2012)
• Weponary (Shooter 2007)

Setting
Setting is dependent on the peroid of time, the film is set in, but the most modern settings for action/thriller films are:

• Cities
• Woods/ Mountains (Bourn Legacy/ Shooter)
• International ( Set in many popular cities around the world(Skyfall))
• Offices (Skyfall/Bourne Ultimatum)

Characters

• Agents (Skyfall)
• Past/Presents soldiers (Bourne Ultimatum)
• Victims of evil (Seeking Justice)
• Police officer (12 Rounds)
• Ordinary person (Eagle Eye)
• Prisoner (Rambo)

Music

• Fast paced
• Drums
• At first mysterious
• Turns to agressive

Lighting

Lighting is artificial in building, cars, ships etc but mostly kept natural outside (light from the sun) but sometimes also used artificial lighting to create specific shadows and to show the actor in a specific way. The actors are mostly light from the front or from above to create limited shadow during the action scene.

Examples

Bourne Identity (2002) : Jason Bourne was taken to be experimented on and to create a super soldier. The man lost his memory and was found suvirly injured in the ocean. During the film he was trying to find people, responsible for his memory loss and responsible for the attack on him.
Theme : Soldier, On a mission
Settings: Ocean, England and America.