The document discusses conventions of action film settings, technical codes, iconography, narrative structure, character types, and themes. Settings are usually cities with secret headquarters. Technical codes include handheld shots during action and tracking shots of buildings. Iconography features destruction, guns, and the villain's threatening weapons. Narratives follow Todorov's model of equilibrium disruption, recognition, attempt to repair, climax, and new equilibrium. Character types are the fearless protagonist, intelligent antagonist, sidekick roles, and love interest. Common themes include world domination, war, terrorism, crimes, disasters, and government plots.

1. Nat Thorne

2. D.I.S.T.I.N.C.T
 Don’t
 Ignore
 Setting
 Technical Codes
 Iconography
 Narrative
 Characterisation
 Themes

3. Setting
 The setting is usually a city or very large town. Usually a secret
headquarters for both heroes and villains.
 Sometimes set in areas highly surreal and inaccessible such as a
space station, undersea lair or a building built into the side of a
mountain or cliff.
 Famous landmarks usually used as well such as World Trade
Centre or Westminster Abbey.

4. Technical Codes
 To show the action surrounding people, usually a series of medium
shots and long shots are used. If the action surrounds one person
then usually a medium shot is focused on them and anything in
their radius. If the action surrounds a group of people or
vehicles, then long shots are used so that the action can be seen
around it.
 A lot of shots are hand held and shaken when explosions or
crashes occur in action films which connotes danger surrounding
the character.
 Shaking also connotes the collapse of a building if the action occurs
inside a building.
 When looking at the outside of a headquarters, especially a tall
HQ, then a wide shot is used and the camera tracks the building but
moves further away from it or moves further towards it.

5. Iconography
 A lot of the scenes take place during the day time. The
lighting is quite bright because the weather never really
tends to be bad in the action scenes of films.
 The destruction of buildings or vehicles identifies the action
genre further, along with guns and heavy war machinery
such as tanks or armed helicopters.
 The villain’s actions usually help us identify the action genre
as well because they usually develop some weapon that can
threaten the world in one way or another such as a nuclear
strike or WMD situated on a satellite in space.

6. Narrative Structure
 Todorov’s theory is applied to most action films in the narrative structure.
 The equilibrium is that there is the protagonist going about his job, whether
it be a normal everyday job or an actual ‘action man’ job.
 The disruption is usually the villain developing a plot to destroy or take over
some society or civilisation.
 The recognition of the disruption occurs when the plan of the villain starts to
take place and changes in normal day to day life occur.
 The attempt to repair the disruption is usually the protagonist who goes out
to find out the source of the disruption and finds a way to stop it from going
any further.
 The climax is usually a face off between the protagonist and the
antagonist, the antagonist is usually defeated and their plans are foiled.
 The new equilibrium is that a change has occurred in a society and it is just
accepted and life goes on or that the initial equilibrium returns and
everything is back to normal.

7. Character Types
 The protagonist, usually a ‘hench’, fearless He-man who goes all out to put
a stop to the antagonists actions.
 The antagonist is usually an evil and highly intelligent mastermind who has
a plot to affect a vast amount of people in some way. They don’t usually
match the stature of the protagonist but are intellectually superior.
 There is usually a ‘sidekick’ to both the protagonist and the antagonist. The
protagonist’s sidekick is usually treated more equally and is respected by
the protagonist, whereas the sidekick of the antagonist is usually a buffoon
who does everything the antagonist wishes without any say to the
occurrences of the plot.
 There is always a love interest to the protagonist who needs help in one
way or another by the protagonist because she is caused trouble by the
antagonist.

8. Themes
 World Domination
 War
 Terrorist Attacks
 Mass crimes or heists
 Disaster
 Greek or Roman Historical
 Government Plots
 Spies