Action Conventions.

Action codes and conventions.

Mise en scene.

Many action movies contain a hero, villain and a damsel in distress. however, the main apparel for a hero to wear is tight revealing clothing such as tank tops and long trousers and boots, carrying weapons which would otherwise weight lots and probably realistically wouldn't be able to carry them for thousands of miles. On the contrary, the protagonist is big, muscular and emotionless, with a love interest at the side, but their main aim is to complete a mission they were given. A good example of this stereotype is the expendables. where a group of ex-military go on a secret mission against a Russian or some other foreign company.


However, villains wear clothing which completely contradicts heroes, they wear a mix between feminine and masculine clothing. This can include pink shirts, suits and odd footwear.


There is also a very reoccurring bunch of characters during action films, these have inferior parts in the film, but they also wear similar clothing to the main villain. This is because they need to distinguish themselves from the 'good guys'. this usually includes loose clothing, (jeans, coat, etc..).

Sound.

Diegetic sound  : In action films, there are many voices, but the main ones are the hero's voice and the villains'. Generally, because the villain is foreign, he will have some sort of accent, either from the middle east or Russia, but both of these easily dictate who is the villain, even if it isn't clearly shown in the film and is implied, the audience can figure it out easily. Also, with the hero, they usually have a deeper voice, and are either silent, or heavy footed. This depends on their role in the movie.


There is also a lot of gun shots, explosions, and car tyre screeches, this easily intensifies the situation to the audience because they would feel immersed, as if they are in the situation itself. Especially in cinemas, the sound is extremely loud and can sometimes become overwhelming, again leading to immersion.
Non diegetic sound : There is rarely ever a narrator in action movies, except during the introductions or ending, which is a good technique to inform the audience. On the other hand, there is a lot of mood music, very intense and exciting. A good example of this is during The Dark Knight, there is a narration, but also music which becomes louder during the narration.


Camera Composition.

In most action films, the establishing shot is generally of a city, but occasionally it can be over a desert but it depends on the theme. For example, in The Dark Knight Rises, the establishing shot is over Gotham City, which is the area where the story is at. During an establishing shot, it pans around the city so that we (the audience) get a full perspective. when the characters are introduced or are speaking, it is generally eye level, and at a close shot, so that we are shown who is talking clearly.

Occasionally, there is a dolly shot, which follows the characters and villains are introduced during these scenes. this usually occurs when there is a shootout down a hallway and can cause quite messy camera work without a tripod or bi-pod. There are many other shots in action films, but there are rarely ever any first person views. However, there are mainly long shots of the surroundings and especially if there is a convoy of vehicles there will be a panning long shot.