1. Evaluation Question 7
In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
By Chris Knapp

2. Action Genre Conventions
• Setting - The setting for an action film can be anywhere, ranging from the remote
jungles, to the built up cities of the modern era. Other locations for action films may
include, the open country, highways, roads, power stations, large buildings (i.e. Die
Hard), Industrial areas, small rural areas (Action-comedy), large cities, ship/
train, etc….
• Technical Code - Close ups of main protagonists face to show emotions, i.e.
distress. Wide/ Extreme wide shots are used to set the seen or to show the scale of
the hero’s problem (e.g. The Mummy, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor as the terracotta
army assembles). Two-shot to show the hero and helper, show the binary opposites
(e.g. 2 fast 2 furious as Brian and Rome talk). The Villain would usually be shown
using low angles, shown power over his minions.
• Iconography - Visual Style: Black, White, and red, contrasting colours (links to
good, evil, danger, etc…). Lighting: The main protagonist is often shown in the light
and wearing light cloths, e.g. white, the Villain is usually wearing a suit either
black, grey or navy blue and is placed in dark concealed environment hidden form
every else. Props: The Villain would usually have a huge arsenal of weapons and
mercenaries at their disposal, the Hero usually on his own and has to find his own
weapon. Items include: Weapons/ explosives, hostages, smart cloths, fast cars, etc…

3. My Opening Sequence
• In the opening sequence we followed the main path of an action film, having
the hero and villain, to which we don’t see his face, in an epic chase scene
in which they run through woods and over streams before the hero makes
the final move on the villain; but to keep the audience interested we have
cut to the main title before we see Alex Valle, the main protagonist awake in
his room.

4. Setting
• For your opening sequence we needed an environment
in which it was convincing that it was set in the 19th
century, being in a fairly modern town we feel that
moving the setting to a wooded area would be more
suited for the chase scene.

5. Technical Code
• In the start of the opening sequence when both the
protagonist and antagonist are both looking at each
other we used over the shoulder shows present both of
them for the first time, clearly showing them as binary
opposites, Alex Valle, the protagonist dress in white
showing purity and innocence; and Charles Valle, the
antagonist in black showing darkness and evil.

6. Iconography
• In our opening sequence we clear show the
forces of good and evil, the main
protagonist, Alex Valle is dressed in white, a
pure and innocent colour often associated with
good.
• On the other had, Charles Valle, the main
antagonist is dress black, a colour often
associated with being foul, dark and overall bad.

7. Enigma Code
• Throughout the opening sequence we
never see the face of the antagonist and
adding the sense of mystery. This also
helps the audience relate to the
hero, Alex, as he too is in the same
possible as the audience not knowing who
this mystery man is and as to why he must
be stopped.