This document outlines several conventions of action genre films including sound, editing, mise en scene, cinematography, plot, location/setting, characters, and subgenres. Typical sound conventions include punching sounds, intense music, and real or CGI explosions. Editing often uses fast jump cuts that follow the action. Mise en scene features props, costumes, and villains flaunting wealth. Cinematography employs camera angles that track fights and chases from both sides. Common plots introduce a hero and villain and have the hero try to solve problems and fights. Settings are often cities with villains and hero headquarters. Character archetypes include strong heroes, cunning villains, helpless love interests, and expendable henchmen

1. Action Genre

2. Sound Conventions
• Punching sounds - Loud, upbeat, intense, fast
paced music – Pitch, pace – Sound of weapons
The Dark Knight Rises

3. Editing Conventions
• Fast jump cuts that follow the action – Special
effects, CGI. Some explosions are real and
some are special effects.
Captain America: The winter soldier

4. Mise en scene
• Props, weapons - Costumes, military outfit,
villain flaunts their riches
Suicide Squad

5. Cinematography Conventions
• Camera angles that follow the action and
show both sides of the fight or chase.
Captain America Civil War

6. Conventional plot
• Hero introduced – Villain / problem
introduced – Hero tries to solve problem,
maybe fight villain – End, Hero solves
problem, fights villain, wins
The amazing spiderman 2

7. Conventional location / setting
• City full of people or villains / monsters –
villain HQ – Hero HQ
Avengers Age of Ultron, Suicide Squad

8. Conventional characters
• Hero, strong, confident, brave – Villain, strong, smart, cunning
– Damsel, weak, helpless, usually love interest of hero –
Henchmen, helps villain do bad things, expendable
Suicide Squad – The amazing spiderman 2

9. Action Subgenres
• Superhero action – Superheroes have to beat
supervillain usually to save civilians
• Spy film – Spy has to defeat villain usually to
protect their country
• Sci fi – Humans usually have o defeat aliens to
save the world, usually involves space battles