Action Adventure Film

Revision Checklist

The Exam• 1 hr 30mins

• 4 Questions to answer

• 2 Questions on the theory behind Action Adventure Films. 2 Questions based on your own Pitch.

The Brief

• 4 weeks before your exam you will get a brief from the exam board and this will hint at the content of the exam

• For those 4 weeks we will only be able to give you guidance and not teach you from then on.

2 Questions on Theory?• These are hinted at through the Brief. It could be

something based on the issues of:– Film Classification– Why Action Adventure appeals to people– Attracting a Female audience– Racism in Action Adventure– Sexism in Action Adventure– Cost of Action Adventure

2 Questions on My Pitch?

• These questions will ask you to do two very clear things:

1. Describe your Action Adventure film2. Outline a marketing tool for your Film (you

will have a choice of two tasks) This may include:

Possible Marketing Tasks• Storyboard a Trailer • DVD Cover• Film Poster• Bus Poster• Website• Opening Sequence• Radio Advert• Interview with a

Director• Microsite• PodcastAll of these things you

will have the opportunity to practise in class.

Let’s Revise...

• Before you turn this page, test yourself to write down as many of the codes and conventions of Action Adventure Films that you can remember.

• Hint: There are 15!

• Extended Chase Scenes

• Main Character on a Quest

• High Energy stunts

• Romance between the Hero and the Heroine

• Hero on the side of Good

• Loveable sidekick

• Computer Generated Images

• Dramatic discoveries of Treasure

• Explosions

• Exotic Locations

• Sword/Fist fights

• Spectacular Crashes

• Daring saves at the last minute

• Overcoming Adversity

• Villain who has to be defeated by the hero.

So... What does that matter to me?

• You will need to form your idea around these codes and conventions.

• Your idea for a film will need to have all of these elements covered in there somewhere.

• These are what we will base our work on!

Main Character on a Quest

• With this in mind it is VITAL that you need to think about your characters before you plan your idea.

• Characters make or break a film• If you don’t like the characters you won’t

watch the film• With this in mind...think Propp!!!

Propp’s Characters• the villain, who struggles with the hero

• the donor, who prepares and/or provides hero with magical agent

• the helper, who assists, rescues, solves and/or transfigures the hero

• the Princess, a sought-for person (and/or her father), who exists as a goal and often recognizes and marries hero and/or punishes villain

• the dispatcher, who sends the hero off

• the hero, who departs on a search (seeker-hero), reacts to the donor and weds at end

• the false hero (or antihero or usurper), who claims to be the hero, often seeking and reacting like a real hero (ie by trying to marry the princess)

What makes a good hero?

Characteristics of the HeroCharacteristic What this means

Flawed Something that makes them susceptible to bribes or a weakness in their character

Brave/courageous Doesn’t allow his/her lack of experience or training to discourage them from fighting villains.

Determined Overcomes impossible odds to save the day

Good Looking So that the Heroine is attracted to them

Youngish To appeal to the demographic

Trustworthy Ensures that the audience can rely on the character

Follow a code that preaches loyalty, honour, duty, selflessness and spirituality.

These ensure that the character stays focused on the mission and helps to guide them

Quick Thinking Able to outsmart the villain instantly without an elaborate plan

Limited Weapons Creates some of the tension

Now Design your own• The reason for designing your character first

ensures that they are flexible.

• Last year the exam board gave the class a title for their project which changed all of their ideas. If you have a stable idea of characters you can put them in any situation.

What Makes a good Villain?

Characteristics of the VillainCharacteristic Why?

Physically Weaker The villain relies on extravagant plans of deceit or sabotage and the use of henchmen

Often Scarred The scar is often the focus of their anger think Captain Hook

Older than Hero To show opposition

Disloyal To get what they want

Selfish

Greedy

Shares the same quest as the hero but less/no morals

Creates the Narrative

Now for the Theory bit!

When looking at the hero and villain it is clear that there are opposites.

This is called:

Binary OppositionIn media texts the narrative and characters are

based on this e.g Good/Evil, Male/Female

What about the Girls?

• When we first look at some of the titles for Action Adventure we immediately think of men fighting over treasure or women and the woman in question being very weak.

• So what can we do to change this?

Females in AA

Allowed to be tough, but still wear revealingclothes and are, for the most part, controlledby or need rescuing by men.

Think Keira

Throughout the franchise of Pirates of the Caribbean Elizabeth Swann has become a strong female.

Charlie’s Angels

marketing

So, Women are sexy and Men are...

Men!80s super macho men

Sylvester Stallone in Rambo

Arnold Schwarzenegger in

Conan the Barbarian and

Commando

More ‘metrosexual’ heroesJack Sparrow – slightly camp and very goofy

Spiderman – he cries

Legolas (Orlando Bloom in Lord of the Rings) Bromance with Aragorn?

AVOID STEREOTYPES!!!!

• The exam board want you to be original and POLITICALLY CORRECT!

• Action Adventure is unfortunately renowned for being unfair to certain demographics when designing their villains.

Ability/DisabilityVillains are often disfigured or depicted as insane.

Heroes are beautiful, graceful and gallant.

‘Jaws/Zbigniew Krycsiwiki’ in the Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979) : YouTube - James Bond vs Jaws (Round 2) Jaws is meant to be Polish.

Bloefeld YouTube - Bond Villian Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Nick Nack in The Man with the Golden Gun

Rotten Tomatoes: Top 5 Bond Villains

Albinos

Silas in The Da Vinci Code

The Twins in Matrix Re-loaded

Bald

The Mummy Returns - High Priest Imhotep

Pirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End – Sao Feng (with facial scar also)

Robin Hood - Sir Godfrey

Bond - Bloefeld

Damodar in Dungeons and Dragons

• Villains are often non-white or ‘foreigners’ in Hollywood Action Adventures.

Race

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – Indians and Raiders of the Lost Ark - Germans

The Mummy - Egyptians

The Goonies – the Fratellis (Italian)

Race• Asian (Chinese, Japanese etc) characters are

often wise or skilled in martial arts (Karate Kid, Jackie Chan/Jet Li/ Bruce Lee films).

The cowardly/incompetent black side kick

• Chris Tucker as Ruby Rap in The Fifth Element

•Snails in Dungeons and Dragons (Marlon Wayans)

More recent improvementsDenzel Washington

Wesley Snipes

Samual L Jackson

Will Smith

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Location is Key

• The setting for your AA film is very important, if we think of the ones that we have looked at the location isn’t just a pretty background...it is also a character in itself.

• E.G. Egypt’s Valley of the Kings in Indiana Jones

Significance of The Valley of the KingsThe Egyptian desert is full of Mystery and Death. There are tales of cursed tombs and powerful

kings who were buried with their wealth. It is also very hot and abandoned. Perfect for putting your hero in danger and of course plenty of natural enemies such as snakes and scorpions.

Deserted Islands/Jungles

What is the appeal of these places

• Exotic• Unknown• Dangerous Animals• Unpredictable Weather• Easy to get lost in

Historical Settings

Why in the Past?

• Unknown to the audience• Past is always full of folk tales and rumours

which a film producer can play on• Think Sherlock Holmes• Can recreate famous events to make them

more dramatic by adding fictional characters.• Makes Evil Kings/Queens more believable

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Why Sci-Fi/Fantasy?• Possibilities are endless in these locations. As

long as your reasons for being there are plausible you can do pretty much anything

• Weapons can be anything• Death can be cheated• Violence is restricted and cannot be copied by

young children and so it can be given a lower classification.

Ordinary Places made extraordinary

• This may seem strange but your Location doesn’t necessarily need to be very unusual at first sight.

• Films that have done this include:• North By Northwest• The Towering Inferno• 28 Days Later

Choose your Location

• Think very carefully about the location you will choose. – How will your Hero cope there?– How will the Villain occupy the area?– What will the setting add to your characters?– What will be the importance of the setting?

Hybrid Genres

Car Genres??

• A hybrid is when two different genres meet to form a genre of it’s own.

• Now looking at the settings what different forms of Action Adventure can you think of?

Swashbuckler Action Adventure

Conventions of The Swashbuckler

• Historical Setting• Sword Fights• Villain is in a position of power (King etc...)• Injustice to paupers• The Hero’s actions are sometimes

questionable but always for the greater good

Disaster Action Adventure

Conventions of The Disaster AA• Villain is uncontrollable as it is often Nature• The blame for the disaster lies with the

incompetent human leader• The hero is an average person who seeks to

help others• Sometimes based on true stories• Somebody important dies to show the danger

Fantasy Action Adventure

Conventions of the Fantasy AA• Villain sets out to destroy ALL opposed to

them (Star Wars/Harry Potter)• Villain is the idea itself (B2TF Time Travel and

Jurassic Park the idea of recreating dinosaurs)• Not a very likely situation• Hero is generally very young• Has a group of helpers to aid the quest• Violence suits the world i.e spells/lasers

Quest Action Adventure

Conventions of Quest AA• Older Hero• Mythical element including curses and problems

to solve• Female character holds the key to the clues• Search for Treasure is central• Villain is out to use the treasure to cause havoc

on the world whilst the hero wants it for a good cause i.e. Education.

Thriller/Suspense Action Adventure

Conventions of Thriller/Suspense• Lone Hero out to seek revenge for wrong

doing (generally)• Mystery or puzzle to solve• Villain is not always clear straight away• Either very on the side of the law or dead

against it.• If hero is against the law then the law in the

film world is corrupt.

Choose your own Hybrid

• Now that you have your own characters and location, what hybrid do you fit into?

• You need to now think about the narrative and how this fits in to what you wish to happen in your film.

Narrative Theory

Todorov’s Equilibrium

Remind me...

Todorov breaks up Narratives into 5 aspects.1) Equilibrium2) Disruption3) Recognition of disruption4) Attempt to repair disruption5) Reinstatement of equilibrium

Now Draw it!

Label the diagram below with the 5 stages:

Equilibrium Disruption

Recognition of Disruption

Attempt to repair

Reinstatement

Classifications

Classification

• Suitable for all• A U film should be suitable for audiences aged 4 years

and over• Positive moral framework• Offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat

or horror• No potentially dangerous behaviour which young

children could copy• No emphasis on weapons• Scary sequences mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue

anxiety to young children

Classification

• General Viewing• Some scenes may be unsuitable for young children• Unaccompanied children of any age may watch• A PG film should not disturb children aged 8 or older• Parents should consider whether the film could upset younger

or more sensitive children• Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense• No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young

children are likely to copy• No glamorisation of weapons• Moderate violence without detail may be allowed if justified by

its content.

• Suitable for 12 years and over• May upset children under 12, or parents might feel

they are unsuitable for under 12s• Children under 12 can see 12A films at the cinema if

accompanied by an adult• Responsibility for allowing the child to view the film

likes with the adult• Moderate physical and psychological threat, not

frequent or sustained• Dangerous behaviour should not dwell on detail or

appear pain or harm free.• Moderate violence, should not dwell on detail. No

emphasis on injuries or blood.

• Suitable only for 15 years and over• No one younger than 15 may see a 15 film at

the cinema or rent or buy a 15 video• Strong threat and menace permitted unless

sadistic or sexualised• Dangerous behaviour should not dwell on

detail that could be copied• Easily accessible weapons should not be

glamorised• Violence may be strong but should not dwell

on the infliction of pain or injury.

• Suitable for adults• No one younger than 18 may see an 18 film at

the cinema or rent or buy an 18 video• Overriding principle is that adults should be

free to choose their own entertainment, but with exceptions:– Material in breach of criminal law, or created

through a criminal offence– Material that risks harm to groups or individuals– Explicit sexual activity not justified by the context

The fact of the matter

• There are more 12 certificate films in the Action Adventure genre than any other certificate.

• Why is this?

Why 12?

• Wider Audiences• More appealing to adults • Youngish children can go with their parents to

see the film encouraging both demographics to see the film

Think Audience• If an AA had a PG certificate, outline the type

of audience you think it would be targeted at?

• Who would you suggest in the casting for a film that the producers intend to be a 12a?

• What types of action sequences would be appropriate for a 12A film compared to a PG?

Budgets and Costs

Film BudgetingRefers to the process by which a line producer, unit

production manager or filmmaker prepares a budget for a film production. This document, which could be over 150 pages long, is used to secure financing for the film and lead to pre-production and production of the film. Multiple drafts of the budget may be required to whittle down costs.

Above and Below the Line Costs• These two elements of production are the

most crucial when looking at the marketing of the film

• Above the Line costs:– Creative talent

• Below the Line costs:– Direct production costs

Above the Line CostsAn A-list actor can ask for anything from $10 million to

$30 million, plus $3 million in perks (trailer, entourage, etc.) and 10-20% of the gross profits. The rest of the cast, by comparison, can often come out much worse with many being paid the Screen Actors Guild minimum (as low as $100/day on an Ultra-Low Budget film). Sometimes an actor will accept a minimal fee in exchange for a more lucrative share of the profits. Union extras are paid around $130 per day (plus extra for overtime or if they provide their own wardrobe) but on a low-budget film non-union extras are paid less, sometimes nothing at all.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

• Cast: $17.25 million • Angelina Jolie: $12 million• Extras: $250,000• Other (inc. Angelina's perks): $5 million

Female Stars

per film per film per film£3-4 million $9 million £5 million

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines• Cast: $35 million • Arnold Schwarzenegger: $29.25 million + 20%

gross profits• Arnold's perks: $1.5 million• Rest of principal cast: $3.85 million• Extras: $450,000

Male Stars

$5 Million$38 Million

$4 million$20 million

Below the Line Costs• This refers to the Direct Production costs

which includes:– Story Rights– Screenplay– Producers– Director– The cost of actually shooting the film including

sets, wardrobe, location filming, hotels and transportation

• Story rights and screenplay: $4 million• Producers: $4 million• Director (Jan de Bont): $5 million• Production costs: $67 million – Set design and construction: $17.8 million

• Visual Effects: $13 million• Music: $3.3 million• Editing: $3 million• Post Production costs: $1.5 million• Total: $118 million

• Story rights (Carolco and Gale Anne Hurd): $19.5 million

• Screenplay: $5.2 million – John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris: $1 million

• Director (Jonathan Mostow): $5 million• Producers: $10 million• Production costs: $58 million• Post-production costs: $4 million• Visual effects: $20 million• Music: $2 million• Other costs: $33.6 million• Total: $187.3 million

Your Practical Tasks

Film Promotion

• Without Promotion a film will fail.

• It is becoming increasingly more important to be original in the way you advertise films.

• Let’s Look at Avatar’s advertising campaign

• Avatar Day 21st August 2009.– On this day the trailer for the film was released in

all theatrical formats. The official game trailer and toy line of the film were also unveiled on this day.

• October 2009 Empire Magazine released exclusive images from the film

• The teaser trailer became one of the most viewed trailers in the history of film marketing, reaching the first place of all trailers viewed on apple.com with 4 million views.

• The coca-cola company collaborated with Twentieth Century Fox to launch a worldwide marketing campaign to promote the film.

• The highlight of the campaign was the website avtr.com. Specially marked bottles and cans of Coke Zero, when held in front of a webcam, enabled users to interact with the website’s 3D features

• McDonald’s produced a card to be used with an Avatar-branded website. When held in front of a webcam it enabled users to interact with a 3D animation.

• McDonalds offered online experiences such as ‘McD Vision’ (revealing scenes and characters from the movie) and ‘PandoraROV’ (take your first steps into Pandora)

Books, Toys and Games• Books: Avatar: A Confidential Report on the

Biological and Social History of Pandora, a 224 page book in the form of a field guide to the film’s fictional setting of the planer of Pandora.

• Video Game released on December 1st

• Toys: Mattel Toys announced in December 2009 that it would be introducing a line of action figures.

Codes and Conventions

Designing a Trailer

• You need to make sure that you think about the following things:– Institution of your Film– Length of your trailer– Types of Edits– Actors/characters you will include– Elements of the narrative you will include

Examples

• Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2

• Pirates of the Caribbean

Poster• Name of the film• Main Star or Logo• Location• Very careful choice of colour• Date the film is released• Billing Block• Name of Studio