The Codes and Conventions of the action genre.

Camera shots and Techniques.

       -     Might have low lighting on the villain, or including shadows on their faces.

       -     Normally have fast paced cuts to keep the audience engaged during action scenes.

       -     Action Thrillers also have extreme close up of the characters faces to show expressions.

Symbolic Codes.

-        The characters might have blood on their body, which shows they have been close to the action and the drama.

-        The characters often start with clean clothes, and finish with their clothes being scruffy and torn, which is a symbol for their situation.

 

Written and Audio codes.

-        Action thrillers have fast paced and dramatic music to help emphasise the tense movements to create suspense and to match the action.

-        Action Thrillers often have music to suit the characters personality, e.g. when a villain enters the frame the viewer would hear dark music symbolising the characters ‘evil’

Overall Codes.

     -        More narrative action codes than enigma codes, clear binary oppositions.

     -        Star Marketing: audience identification/expressions (Cruise/Pitt/Willis/Jolie/Craig/Stallone)

     -        Romantic Sub-Plot, humorous dialogue.