Action Conventions

Definition of Action;

A film genre when in the story it is largely told through physical action rather than through dialouge.

Narrative:

• Lots of stunts
• Hero's and villians
• Damsels in distress
• Chase scenes
• Martial arts
• Battles
• Distructive and disasters
• Fights
• Car chases

Settings:

• Science fiction settings
• Deserts
• Well known locations (e.g. New York city)
• Bridges
• Deserted areas/ isolated

Sub-Genres:

• Action comedy
• Die hard scenario
• Girls with guns
• Heroic bloodshed

Target Audience:

Designed for pure audience escapism

Action Films:

• James Bond
• Die hard
• Batman
• Spiderman

Horror Conventions

Horror

Definitions: Horror is a genre intended to scare, unsettle and horrify an audience

Target Audience: People who like to get a thrill or a buzz from watching a film.

Narrative:

• Suspense
• Designed to scare people
• Uneasy Situation
• Elements of death
• Generally an unhappy ending
• Designed to frighten or panic
• Shocking Finale
• Focus on dark side of life

Setting:

• Grave yard
• Haunted house
• Forest
• Genrally at night time
• Full Moon
• Moteks
• Long country Roads

Characters:

• Scary
• Helpless Characters
• Children
• Monsters
• Demons
• Ghosts
• Vampires

Sub-Genres:

• Cutting edge
• Dark Fantasy
• Erotic horror
• Extreme Horror
• Gothic
• Surreal
• Suspense
• Supernatural

Films:

• The Decent
• Stir of echoes
• The Sixth Sense
• Politergeist
• The Grudge
• Dark Water

Romance conventions

Romance

Definition: Romance refers to a style heroic prose and verse narrative

Narrative:

- A central love story

- An emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending

- Mythological elements

- Drama and adventure

- Honor and loyalty

-Love

Setting:

- Fairy tale

- Magical

- Restaurant

-Bedroom

Characters:

- Heros and Heroins

- Damsel in distress

- Couples

Target Audience:

Mainly aimed at women and younger generation of girls . However could attract the attention of men.

Sub-Genres:

-Teen Romance

- Contemporary Romance

-Category Romances

- Regency Romances

- Futuristic,Fantasy and paranormal

- Time Travel Romance

-Gothic Romance

-Romantic Suspense

Romantic Films:

-The Notebook

- P.S I Love You

-Titanic

Comedy conventions

Comedy:

Definition: Comedy is a genre of a film which focuses on humor

Narrative:

• Humorous
• Designed to make the audience laugh
• Light hearted drama made to entertain
• Main situation is normally exaggerated to create effect and meaning for the audience
• Generally have a happy ending
• Main plot is normally a situation in which the audience can relate to.

Characters:

• Sympathetic character
• Over exaggerated character
• The joker

Settings:

• Familiar surroundings that the audience can relate to or recognise
• Improbable settings
• Domestic settings

Sub-Genres:

• Romantic comedy
• Slapstick
• Black/ dark comedy
• Verbal comedy
• Musical comedy
• Teen/ coming of age comedy
• Word play
• Mockumentary
• Comedy thriller

Target audience:

For people who like to watch humourous situations and like to be amused.

Comedy Films:

• Hot Fuzz
• American Pie
• Dumb and Dumber
• Shrek