Representation of teenagers in action films

You have one lesson to complete this task (period 1 Monday 16th January). You should be able to complete at least one female and one male representation. Students who fail to do so will receive a detention.

• Think about the representation of teenagers in action films (e.g. Maze Runner, Divergent, Spiderman, The Hunger Games etc). 
• Are the representations stereotypical or not? Offer examples from any films you can think of.
• Think about how male and female representations differ. Write down some of the differences from the films you have seen.
• Is there anything in particular that you notice about the representations?
• Do this work in your books - illustrate with images.

In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is represented as being very resourceful. One example is that she is highly skilled at climbing trees. This helps her numerous times in the film, most notably when she flees from Cato's group whilst injured. She has the sense to tie herself to the branch so that she won't slip and fall if she drifts asleep. This shows the audience she is adept at surviving outdoors and that she should be taken seriously by the other competitors in the Hunger Games.

This should be one of many things you could write about Katniss. You need to do this, or similar for all the characters you write about. Some characters will require less detail than others depending on how important they are to the plot of the film.

10W - Work to do

Do the following:
Finish the 'What are the codes and conventions of Action Adventure Film?' task by the end of this lesson.
If this is unfinished then complete for homework (It's already on SMHW).
If you finish, move on to the extension task.

Extension task:

• Think about the representation of teenagers in action films (e.g. Maze Runner, Divergent, Spiderman, The Hunger Games etc). 
• Are the representations stereotypical or not? Offer examples from any films you can think of.
• Think about how male and female representations differ. Write down some of the differences from the films you have seen.
• Is there anything in particular that you notice about the representations?
• Do this work in your books - illustrate with images.

In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is represented as being very resourceful. One example is that she is highly skilled at climbing trees. This helps her numerous times in the film, most notably when she flees from Cato's group whilst injured. She has the sense to tie herself to the branch so that she won't slip and fall if she drifts asleep. This shows the audience she is adept at surviving outdoors and that she should be taken seriously by the other competitors in the Hunger Games.

This should be one of many things you could write about Katniss. You need to do this, or similar for all the characters you write about. Some characters will require less detail than others depending on how important they are to the plot of the film.

What are the codes and conventions of Action Adventure Film?

Narrative

• 12/15 certificate, maximising youth audiences. What certificate is your film?
• Often hybridised with Sci Fi/Adventure/Romance. What other genres are used in your film?
• Major Hollywood studio produced and distributed. Who produced your film?
• High production values including CGI FX. Fast paced editin.g Is CGI used in your film?
• Classic Hollywood 3 act narrative structure.
• Predictable chain of events – cause and effect. Describe the plot of your film.
• Single stranded, linear, closed narrative.
• Dramatic non-diegetic sound (soundtrack music). 
• Clear binary oppositions (good v evil). Explain in relation to your film.
• Star Marketing: Audience identification/expectations .(Cruise/Pitt/Johnson/Thurman/Jolie/Tatum/Craig/Di Caprio/Damon). Does your film feature any stars? Who are they? What types of film are they best known for?
• Generic Typecasting and Secondary Persona apply (stock characters). Are any stock characters Used?
• Romantic sub-plot, humorous dialogue. Does this apply to your film? When/ how?
• Relationships with new technology (youth audiences). Is this evident in your film? Give examples.
• Use of close ups.
• Dominant representation of gender: male/female action hero. Is the hero male or female? Does the hero conform to gender stereotypes?

• Narrative led films contain tightly woven story arcs, where the dialogue drives the plot rather than builds character.
• An action adventure film is essentially one long quest with a succession of different chase sequences, each one more death defying and seemingly impossible than the one before. The trick for the producers is to ramp up the tension as the film progresses to a storming end sequence. Will our intrepid explorers make it, or will the evil antagonist get there first.
• A strong story ark of a quest for treasure, or an incredibly valuable object, or an item which has occult power.
• Love interest that both hinders and supports the main quest.
• A fast moving narrative with constant set backs that are overcome one by one, leading to fairly complex plots.
• In many respects this genre of films derive their energy from being more exciting, more adult and much more dangerous versions of children’s stories of adventure such as Enid Blyton’s Famous Five or Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons.
• Thrilling action where the protagonist saves his fellow travellers through a variety of non realistic but apparently logical escapades.

Characters and locations

• These are not realistic films, although the characters must be believable. They are set in a stereotypical world of the not too distant past e.g the 1930s, or the fictional world of storybook adventures e.g. A high tech, futuristic maze. Where is your film set?
• A main protagonist who is a seen as a 'normal' person and who just happens to have amazing powers of endurance in the face of extreme danger, and is also very clever. James Bond is a Secret Service agent. Captain Jack Sparrow is at first an ordinary good for nothing pirate with incredible agility and luck, although he later takes on supernatural powers.Explain how the main character or characters in your film are 'special'.
• There are always helpers who are a team of innocent characters who happen to get caught up in the action. Who are the helpers in your film? Explain what they do to help the main character.
• Humorous dialogue often diffuses taught and sometimes frightening situations.
• The characters take the twist and turns of the plot very seriously as they are often in mortal danger from an assortment of unusual animals, machines and monsters orchestrated by an evil antagonist. Describe some of the situations the characters find themselves in.
• Exotic locations where the characters have to contend with extremes of climate, as well as evil forces.What locations were used in your film? Describe some of them.
• The aim is to please the audience by keeping them on the edge of their seats through a series of mind-boggling chases, exotic locations and hair-raising adventures in historically inaccurate but somehow elementally possible settings. How was your film exciting?  Describe some of the exciting moments in your film.
• Action Adventure films are designed to create an action-filled, energetic experience for the audience who can live vicariously through the exotic locations, conquests, explorations, struggles and situations that confront the main characters.

Task: Having read through this description of the action adventure genre (characters and locations), apply each area to an action film of your choice. 
The questions are in red in the first and final section. In the middle section you need to apply them on your own.

The film must be from the last 5 years.

Explain your points, using examples from the film as evidence to support your ideas.

Christmas homework - create a font specimen sheet

Your homework is to create a font specimen sheet. You need to have a different font for each letter. You can use the ideas in the Chip Kidd book (above) or you can take the fonts from any appropriate source - this may include the following:

• magazines
• newspapers
• takeaway menus
• tickets
• flyers (one sheet print adverts)
• pamphlets
• carrier bags

When you return after Christmas you will have a page with 26 letters, A-Z - all in a different font. Yours will hopefully look similar to the one above.

Deadline: Thursday 5th January

10W - Work To Do (Monday 5th December - Thursday 15th December)

This week (5th - 7th December) your lessons are with Miss Marvin (Monday period 1) and Mr Ford (Wednesday period 5).
Next week (12th - 15th December) your lessons are with Mr Ford (Monday period 5 & Thursday period 3 ) and Miss Marvin (Tuesday period 2).

You should have already done the following:

• Completed all the research tasks here
• Completed audience profiles here
• Flat plan/ mock up of both posters (teaser and full)
• Added all your text to both posters
• Found an appropriate background image to use on both posters
• Found appropriate images of actors (make sure images are large)
• Added the images to your posters (pay attention to size of each image)
• Decided who your own star will be
• Taken photos of your star (take at least 20 photos)
• Added the star image to  your posters

You need to use the first three lessons this fortnight to finish your draft posters.

The final two lessons will be devoted to answering the draft evaluation question.

ALSO

1. Remember to use your checklist - tick off the different pieces of work as you complete them and add them to your folder.
2. Keep looking at real posters for ideas
3. Keep looking at real posters for size comparisons of text and images

Draft Poster Evaluation Questions

Answer the following questions. Refer to both your draft posters (teaser and full poster)

You need to include as much detail as possible for the following areas:

• Colours - Why did you choose them? What effect/mood do you think they create?
• Text - Consider its placement and the decision making process you went through. Why did you place it where you did? Why did you choose those fonts? What size worked best?
• Images - Write about the styling of the image, either on the photoshoot or in post production with PhotoShop effects. Why did you place the images where you did? How did you decide on the background imge? Are any images found images and not original? Why did you choose them?
• How can the audience tell that this is a poster for an action/adventure film? 
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your work?

10W - Work To Do (Monday 21st November - Thursday 1st December)

This week (21st - 23rd November) your lessons are with Miss Marvin (Monday period 1) and Mr Ford (Wednesday period 5).
Next week (28th November - 1st December) your lessons are with Mr Ford (Monday period 5 & Thursday period 3 ) and Miss Marvin (Tuesday period 2).

You should have already done the following:

• Completed all the research tasks here
• Completed audience profiles here
• Flat plan/ mock up of both posters (teaser and full)
• Added all your text to both posters
• Found an appropriate background image to use on both posters

Over the next two weeks you need to do the following:

• Find appropriate images of actors (make sure images are large)
• Add the images to your posters (pay attention to size of each image)
• Decide who your own star will be
• Take photos of your star (take at least 20 photos)
• Add the star image to  your posters

ALSO

1. Remember to use your checklist - tick off the different pieces of work as you complete them and add them to your folder.
2. Keep looking at real posters for ideas
3. Keep looking at real posters for size comparisons of text and images