genre research: action

 What makes action so exciting?

The film genre action is one that many enjoy for its fast-paced movements and special effects. Like horror and thrillers, action is a genre that people consume for the experience and exhilaration it gives them.  It pertains to one or more heroes that go through a series of challenges, whether they be physical or psychological. 

One reason why this genre is so popular is due to the various fight scenes, violence, and chaos. With that being said, action is mainly targeted at a male audience. Specifically, the audience is between the ages of 13 and 30. This particular group is more catered for action since they are more likely to seek the exhilarating car chase or sexual content that action movies contain. An alternative audience would be children and females between the ages of 16 and 25. In the case of children, they are more likely to enjoy animated action movies such as Teen Titans Go. On the other hand, females are more likely to watch action movies for the social aspect (ie. interact with friends/family)

There are multiple conventions that go into Action. Firstly, there is almost always a power struggle. In other words, good versus evil. There is the protagonist who has to go through multiple obstacles and do the impossible, and there is the antagonist who stands in their way and prays for their downfall. There is often supporting characters that advise the protagonist along the way. Depending on the film, action could be realistic and include war. A great example of this is Extraction, in which Chris Hemsworth plays the hero in a kidnapping. Or, it could be unrealistic and have fictional characters such as Spider Man: No Way Home. Nevertheless, the action focuses on a hero and his fight against the villain.

Have you ever wondered how action movies make such amazing stunts? Well, the answer used to be that all stunts were real and were often done by a stunt double. However, with advancements in technology, CGI has made it more affordable and efficient for directors to create an action scene. Instead of having an actor perform the stunt, they can use CGI to edit the person into the scene. Moreover, action films often have fast pacing. The reason for this is to emphasize the intense nature of the scene and add to its dramatics. One example of a film that utilizes fast pacing is Mission Impossible: Fallout. The film is part of a franchise that is known for using fast cuts to add excitement and movement. In fact, tight shots are common as well for it's an uncomfortable close-up, and to make the character seem more powerful and intense. You might also see a contrast in an action film. They often capture their shots in high dynamic ranges, and make it, so their shadows darken and highlights brighten. By doing this, filmmakers give depth to their films as well as imagery.

Action films do so well because of their excellent marketing. They do this by having imagery of the heroic protagonist, who is often toned and attractive. Whether they are male or female, it makes the audience want to not only watch it but want to be the character themselves. This was the case when actors like Brad Pitt and The Rock brought in millions because of their role as the lead. The two have starred in some of the most successful movies. For instance, Brad Pitt's Bullet Train grossed $239.3 million worldwide, despite only having a $90 million budget. In addition, most action film advertisements include suspenseful cliffhangers. This as well as the promise of a squeal can enhance the film's attention and leave the audience wanting more. Marketers will often utilize social media platforms to advertise their films and include bright imagery containing some of the film's violent, action-packed scenes.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is an action film in which there are two main characters: John Smith (Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie). The movie is about a young couple who fell in love and abruptly got married while they were each on their own spy mission. While they were married, they kept their distance until they discovered they were both enemy spies. This is where most of the violence in the movie commences since each of their bosses orders them to kill the other, so throughout the movie, the two use various weapons and car chases to get one another. The film contains multiple fast-paced scenes and tight shots of violence, emphasizing on the couple's movements toward each other. While there are some light colors, the primary color is black. This is to give each scene a sense of secrecy and violence. However, the poster depicts the two characters facing one another. While the background is white, their clothing is black. This contrast is used to emphasize each character and show how they themselves are dark, since they are both spies/hitmen. Their reason to be facing one another is to represent themselves as a unit, or marriage. In the end, they decided to not kill each other and instead run away and learn about one another. This leads the audience to assume that the message of this film is to honor your commitments and have honesty with those you love. Since all that chaos occurred due to the couple's lack of honesty, it is clear the film in advising the audience to be truthful.

The Suicide Squad is a film in which a group of the world's most devious criminals are asked to come together to help defeat aliens for lighter prison sentences. The costume design gives each villain character and depth. The Joker for example wears lots of purple because the color is connected to ambitiousness, and green because of his greed and thirst for wealth. Each villain is accessorized with tattoos, or metal teeth, in Joker's example. There are various scenes that cut to each villain's past life before they were arrested. These cutaways include children and past lovers who were left behind. The reason behind this is to show the audience that the villains are not necessarily evil and that they do have a heart. In addition, the film had various fast-paced, fast cuts, including violence and fight scenes. These were made to enhance the fight and make it look gruesome and challenging. Only when the villains accepted who they were, were they able to defeat the aliens? Specifically, they worked together and did what they knew they did best. With that in mind, the audience can infer that the message is to be yourself, as well as work as a team. In the poster, there is a graffiti-like design as well as the smile formation gives the film a sense of mischief and adds to the fact that the group of people are devious. Each villain is seen in a high angle looking upward. This angle makes the characters seem small and insignificant. One can infer that the reason behind this was to show how in the movie, they are being forced to help the police in a desperate attempt of getting out of jail.