AS Media Studies Foundation Production

In our group we discussed many different ideas for our film opening such as horror and action thriller. By looking at previous film openings as examples, we gained some inspiration from them in terms of choosing a genre for our film openings. In our group, we finally settled on making our film opening an action thriller because we felt that this was the best genre for us to conform to the codes and conventions of it.

Our research into similar movies such Dark Knight and Heat benefited us because it provided us with inspiration for possible storylines for our film opening. This helped us settle on a linear narrative storyline with inspiration from the film Heat, which involves a similar plot line to our film opening.

The action thriller genre is present in films such as Casino Royale (2006) and The Dark Knight (2008). The aim of this genre is to intrigue the audience and to keep them interested in the film with the use of violence and fast-paced action scenes.

General conventions

An action thriller film usually has a male protagonist that has to prevent an antagonist, who is usually a terrorist or psychopathic criminal mastermind, from causing mass destruction or death in a metropolitan setting.
Films with this genre usually have a plot twist to surprise the audience
Low-key lighting
Fast-paced music
Jump-cuts
Cross-cutting
A love interest of one of the protagonists is usually captured, threatened or killed by the main antagonist
The film is usually based on a real-life event or a scenario that could happen in the real world

Character and Setting conventions

The protagonist is usually a male working for a secret service or police force. However, in more recent films such as The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the protagonist can also be a vigilante that wants to bring a criminal to justice.
The antagonist is usually a criminal mastermind or the head of a terrorist organisation with intentions of causing mass destruction or death for their own personal gains.
The film will usually take place in a setting that resembles a metropolitan city in the USA to make the story seem more realistic and broaden the appeal for the audience watching the film.
The antagonist will usually be from a foreign country to the USA, for example, in most Hollywood films, the main villain would have a British accent.

Camerawork conventions

Establishing shots of the metropolitan setting may be used at the start of the film so the audience knows that the majority of the action will take place across different parts of the city.
Tracking shots would be used when filming car chase scenes to track the movement of the protagonist's vehicle
Low angle shots with low-level lighting could be used to restrict the identity of the antagonist in order to create mystery and enigma surrounding the character

Editing conventions

Cross-cutting would be used to show two different narratives of the protagonist and antagonist happening at the same time but in different settings. This would end in a conflict between the antagonist and the protagonist meeting at the same setting.
Jump cuts in certain scenes would be used, for example, flashbacks that give us a background story on a certain character. However, they could also be used to unsettle the audience watching the film
A graphic match would be used to show a confrontation between the antagonist and the protagonist

Music and Sound conventions

The soundtrack of the film usually speeds up to create tension or during important/key scenes
Most of the diegetic sound in action-thriller films is dialogue between the characters, gun shots and car noises such as the engine revving and the burning of rubber against tarmac when characters perform handbrake turns during car chases