Aa revision ppt

Action Adventure FilmRevision Checklist

The Exam1 hr 30mins4 Questions to answer2 Questions on the theory behind Action Adventure Films. 2 Questions based on your own Pitch.

The Brief4 weeks before your exam you will get a brief from the exam board and this will hint at the content of the examFor 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 ClassificationWhy Action Adventure appeals to peopleAttracting a Female audienceRacism in Action AdventureSexism in Action AdventureCost of Action Adventure

2 Questions on My Pitch?These questions will ask you to do two very clear things:Describe your Action Adventure filmOutline a marketing tool for your Film (you will have a choice of two tasks) This may include:

Possible Marketing TasksStoryboard a Trailer DVD CoverFilm PosterBus PosterWebsiteOpening SequenceRadio AdvertInterview with a DirectorMicrositePodcastAll 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 QuestHigh Energy stuntsRomance between the Hero and the HeroineHero on the side of Good

Loveable sidekickComputer Generated ImagesDramatic discoveries of TreasureExplosions

Exotic LocationsSword/Fist fightsSpectacular CrashesDaring saves at the last minute

Overcoming AdversityVillain 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 QuestWith this in mind it is VITAL that you need to think about your characters before you plan your idea. Characters make or break a filmIf you don’t like the characters you won’t watch the filmWith this in mind...think Propp!!!

Propp’s Charactersthe villain, who struggles with the herothe donor, who prepares and/or provides hero with magical agentthe helper, who assists, rescues, solves and/or transfigures the herothe Princess, a sought-for person (and/or her father), who exists as a goal and often recognizes and marries hero and/or punishes villainthe 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)

Now Design your ownThe 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.

Characteristics of the Villain

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

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

So, Women are sexy and Men are...

Men!80s super macho menArnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Barbarian and CommandoSylvester Stallone in Rambo

More ‘metrosexual’ heroesJack Sparrow – slightly camp and very goofySpiderman – he criesLegolas (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/ZbigniewKrycsiwiki’ 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.BloefeldYouTube - Bond Villian Ernst StavroBlofeldNick Nack in The Man with the Golden GunRotten Tomatoes: Top 5 Bond Villains

AlbinosThe Twins in Matrix Re-loadedSilas in The Da Vinci Code

BaldBond - BloefeldRobin Hood - Sir GodfreyDamodar in Dungeons and DragonsPirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End – Sao Feng (with facial scar also)The Mummy Returns - High Priest Imhotep

RaceVillains are often non-white or ‘foreigners’ in Hollywood Action Adventures.The Mummy - EgyptiansThe Goonies – the Fratellis (Italian)Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – Indians and Raiders of the Lost Ark - Germans

RaceAsian (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 kickChris Tucker as Ruby Rap in The Fifth ElementSnails in Dungeons and Dragons (Marlon Wayans)More recent improvementsSamual L JacksonDenzel WashingtonWesley SnipesWill Smith

Location is KeyThe 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.

What is the appeal of these placesExoticUnknownDangerous AnimalsUnpredictable WeatherEasy to get lost in

Why in the Past?Unknown to the audiencePast is always full of folk tales and rumours which a film producer can play onThink Sherlock HolmesCan recreate famous events to make them more dramatic by adding fictional characters.Makes Evil Kings/Queens more believable

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 anythingWeapons can be anythingDeath can be cheatedViolence is restricted and cannot be copied by young children and so it can be given a lower classification.

Ordinary Places made extraordinaryThis 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 NorthwestThe Towering Inferno28 Days Later

Choose your LocationThink 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?

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?

Conventions of The SwashbucklerHistorical SettingSword FightsVillain is in a position of power (King etc...)Injustice to paupersThe Hero’s actions are sometimes questionable but always for the greater good

Conventions of The Disaster AAVillain is uncontrollable as it is often NatureThe blame for the disaster lies with the incompetent human leaderThe hero is an average person who seeks to help othersSometimes based on true storiesSomebody important dies to show the danger

Conventions of the Fantasy AAVillain 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 situationHero is generally very youngHas a group of helpers to aid the questViolence suits the world i.e spells/lasers

Conventions of Quest AAOlder HeroMythical element including curses and problems to solveFemale character holds the key to the cluesSearch for Treasure is centralVillain 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/SuspenseLone Hero out to seek revenge for wrong doing (generally)Mystery or puzzle to solveVillain is not always clear straight awayEither 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 HybridNow 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 TheoryTodorov’s Equilibrium

Remind me...Todorov breaks up Narratives into 5 aspects.EquilibriumDisruptionRecognition of disruptionAttempt to repair disruptionReinstatement of equilibrium

Now Draw it!Label the diagram below with the 5 stages:

EquilibriumDisruptionAttempt to repairRecognition of DisruptionReinstatement

ClassificationSuitable for allA U film should be suitable for audiences aged 4 years and overPositive moral frameworkOffer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horrorNo potentially dangerous behaviour which young children could copyNo emphasis on weaponsScary sequences mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children

ClassificationGeneral ViewingSome scenes may be unsuitable for young childrenUnaccompanied children of any age may watchA PG film should not disturb children aged 8 or olderParents should consider whether the film could upset younger or more sensitive childrenFrightening sequences should not be prolonged or intenseNo detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copyNo glamorisation of weaponsModerate violence without detail may be allowed if justified by its content.

Suitable for 12 years and overMay upset children under 12, or parents might feel they are unsuitable for under 12sChildren under 12 can see 12A films at the cinema if accompanied by an adultResponsibility for allowing the child to view the film likes with the adultModerate physical and psychological threat, not frequent or sustainedDangerous 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 overNo one younger than 15 may see a 15 film at the cinema or rent or buy a 15 videoStrong threat and menace permitted unless sadistic or sexualisedDangerous behaviour should not dwell on detail that could be copiedEasily accessible weapons should not be glamorisedViolence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury.

Suitable for adultsNo one younger than 18 may see an 18 film at the cinema or rent or buy an 18 videoOverriding 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 offenceMaterial that risks harm to groups or individualsExplicit sexual activity not justified by the context

The fact of the matterThere are more 12 certificate films in the Action Adventure genre than any other certificate.Why is this?

Why 12?Wider AudiencesMore appealing to adults Youngish children can go with their parents to see the film encouraging both demographics to see the film

Think AudienceIf 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?

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 CostsThese two elements of production are the most crucial when looking at the marketing of the filmAbove the Line costs:Creative talentBelow 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 LifeCast: $17.25 million Angelina Jolie: $12 millionExtras: $250,000Other (inc. Angelina's perks): $5 million

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

Terminator 3: Rise of the MachinesCast: $35 million Arnold Schwarzenegger: $29.25 million + 20% gross profitsArnold's perks: $1.5 millionRest of principal cast: $3.85 millionExtras: $450,000

Male Stars$20 million$5 Million$4 million$38 Million

Below the Line CostsThis refers to the Direct Production costs which includes:Story RightsScreenplayProducersDirectorThe cost of actually shooting the film including sets, wardrobe, location filming, hotels and transportation

Story rights and screenplay: $4 millionProducers: $4 millionDirector (Jan de Bont): $5 millionProduction costs: $67 million Set design and construction: $17.8 millionVisual Effects: $13 millionMusic: $3.3 millionEditing: $3 millionPost Production costs: $1.5 millionTotal: $118 million

Story rights (Carolco and Gale Anne Hurd): $19.5 millionScreenplay: $5.2 million John D. Brancato & Michael Ferris: $1 millionDirector (Jonathan Mostow): $5 millionProducers: $10 millionProduction costs: $58 millionPost-production costs: $4 millionVisual effects: $20 millionMusic: $2 millionOther costs: $33.6 millionTotal: $187.3 million

Film PromotionWithout 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 GamesBooks: 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 1stToys: Mattel Toys announced in December 2009 that it would be introducing a line of action figures.

Designing a TrailerYou need to make sure that you think about the following things:Institution of your FilmLength of your trailerTypes of EditsActors/characters you will includeElements of the narrative you will include

ExamplesHarry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2Pirates of the Caribbean

PosterName of the filmMain Star or LogoLocationVery careful choice of colourDate the film is releasedBilling BlockName of Studio

Aa revision ppt

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Aa revision ppt