2. SOUND
CONVENTIONS
Used to create fear in the audience.
Used to create tension in the audience to
build up to a battle or a death.
Needs to have a good movie theme that can
be recognised by people who haven’t seen
the film and may want to make them watch
the film.
Music needs to be present during fight
scenes as otherwise it would be boring.
Sound Effects are essential as they make the
film exiting and engaging for the audience.
3. EDITING
CONVENTIONS
Smooth cuts add to a good effect as it
will excite the audience.
Shorter cuts also add toward a general
tension among the viewers.
Sound effects are also important as
without them the film would not be as
realistic e.g. no epic music during the
final battle between the protagonist and
the antagonist.
4. MISE EN SCENE
CONVENTIONS
The costume needs to show
characters up to fit whom
they are meant to be e.g. in a
war film the soldiers need to
be wearing camo.
Props can include
MacGuffins that the whole
film is based around
obtaining.
The setting has to reflect the
mood of the film e.g. The
Dark Knight in Gotham`
5. CINEMATOGRAPHY
CONVENTIONS
Shots help to add action to the film and
can help bring the audience into the film
with close up shots or POV shots. For
example on a chase scene a POV shot
can be used to put the audience in the
shoes of the victim.
The angle and position of the camera can
answer questions on status to the viewer
as in the beginning when they do not
know who is who they can help get a
better understanding just from the angle
and position of the camera.
The movement of the camera is also key
as it helps to make the film more
important for the audience so they can
get more exited by the film.
6. CONVENTIONAL PLOT
The plot needs to be action packed to fit the
‘thriller’ genre as if the plot is not exciting then no
one will want to watch it and it would not be a
successful thriller film.
Has to have at least several big fight scenes in
order to entice the audience and make them want
to watch more of it.
7. CONVENTIONAL
LOCATIONS/SETTING
Locations are usual big spaces that
can fit many fight scenes.
A city where all the characters live
e.g. Gotham for batman.
Dangerous places such as on top
of sky scrapers where a
confrontation could be.
9. REPRESENTATIONS OF MALES
Males are usually thought to be ‘main’
characters
They are typically stronger and save the day.
They are either the Protagonist or Antagonist.
Save the women characters from the antagonist
or their goons.
Cocky
10. REPRESENTATIONS OF
FEMALES
Females are usually weaker characters.
Only in some movies are they the main
characters such as Clarice Starling in
The Silence Of The Lambs who is an
example of a strong female character.
Damsels in distress.
11. NARRATIVE
This is the way the story or plot unfolds.
Is the story an open or closed structure?
A closed structure means the story ends satisfactory as in most
films- This is known as closure.
An open ending means there is no final conclusion to the story-
a television soap has no final ending, it just has minor endings.
Some texts have an interactive structure e.g. Big Brother.
A multi- strand structure means there are several narratives
running at the same time. This is very common in television,
such as Holby City, and The Bill.
Other narrative structures include point of view (POV).
(Documentaries often do this)
A popular narrative device is the enigma. The plot constructs a
puzzle that the audience is asked to solve while the characters
act out the story.
12. TYPES OF NARRATIVE
Linear
-Follows a straight line- Starting at the beginning,
moving to the middle and proceeding to the end of the
story.
Non- Linear
-Events are portrayed, out of chronological order.
Parallel Editing
-Parallel editing involves cutting between two or more
separate scenes (remember, a scene is shot in a single
location) that are happening at the same time in the
story. This means that the different storylines unfold in
parallel (at the same time but in different locations
13. NARRATIVE THEORISTS- TODOROV
Todorov suggests there are five stages to how the narrative
progresses:
1-The equilibrium has to be carefully shown (otherwise the
disruption may not be dramatic enough to create a strong plot).
2-There is a disruption.
3-There is a recognition that a disruption has happened.
4-There is an attempt to repair the damage done by the
disruption.
5-A new equilibrium is achieved.
14. NARRATIVE THEORISTS
Propp
Propp studied folk tales and he proposed ways of grouping characters and their actions
into eight broad character types or ‘spheres of action’
The Villain
The Hero
The Donor- Provides an
object with some magic
or property.
The Helper- Aids the
hero.
The Princess- Hero’s
reward.
Her Father- Rewards the
hero.
The Dispatcher- Sends
the hero on has way.
False Hero- Lays claim
to the princess but is
unsuitable and causes
complications.
Star Wars Example-
Villain- Vader
Hero- Luke
Donor- Obi-Wan
Helper- Han
Princess- Leia
Father- The Rebels
Dispatcher- R2D2
False Hero- Vader
