Action Genre Research

What Defines the Action Genre?

The action genre is a genre in which the main protagonist encounters physical violence and and fighting in order to progress the story further. The action genre has become one of the biggest movie genres today, with large movie franchises such as Marvel and Mission Impossible being some of the largest grossing movies the past few years. Some of the biggest directors today are also action directors, such as Stephen Spielberg and James Cameron, making iconic action movies such as Jurassic Park and Avatar.

Content:

When it comes to the content of most action movies, there tends to be a main male lead or a few male leads. This can be seen in movies such as Die Hard, The Terminator, and James Bond. In these movies, the main protagonist is up against a villain or antagonist, which usually leads to a big final battle between the two. The main target audience for this genre are young males around the ages of 16-25. This can be because of the amount of fighting and explosions in the films, and are very fast paced, which many younger people enjoy. In many action movies, there seems to be a lack of female main characters; however, more recently, there have been more female leads in action movies, in films such as The Hunger Games, Wonder Woman, and the upcoming Black Widow Movie, which helps appeal to the female audience.

Production Techniques:

Certain production techniques can help tell the story in a action movie and keep the plot moving. Some techniques that are commonly used in the action genre is the use of lighting. Most action sequences are shot in very large and open areas, so it is important to have a good amount of lighting to capture the entire set, and also to be able to see the fighting sequences that are taking place. Sound is also a very important part of the action genre. Using fast-paced soundtracks during action scenes help evoke a feeling of suspense in the audience and helps captivate the audience into the scene that is being played. For example, in the Avengers movie, when the Avengers Theme Song plays when all of the characters are getting ready to fight the aliens that are taking over New York City. Quick scene cuts throughout fight sequences can help keep audiences interested in the fight, instead of just using the same clip for the whole sequence.

Marketing:

Action movies would not make the same amount of money and would not get the views they do without good marketing techniques. These techniques include trailers being released and played on live tv, press tours with the cast, and movie posters. Trailers involve showing clips from the movie that will peak the audience's attention, such as fighting between characters and fast action shots, while not giving away any major plot points. A common theme that many action movie posters have is that the main protagonist is in the center of the poster, with the other characters and side characters behind or next to them. The posters are usually very bold and use reds and oranges to stand out to the people looking at them. Many movie posters include the protagonist also holding some sort of weapon such as a gun to show that there will be fighting and action within the movie.

Movie Examples:

The movie John Wick (2014) is about a highly skilled retired hitman returning back to his roots and seeking revenge from a group of gangsters who broke into his house and killed the dog his deceased wife left him. It follows Wick (Keanu Reeves) around New York City as he hunts for the people who killed his dog as they try to kill Wick themselves, but Wick will stop at nothing to get vengeance, killing anyone and everyone that gets in his way. The film uses quick cuts during fight scenes and low lighting to evoke a sense of suspense and make the scenes more intense and captivates the audience more. The film uses violent fight scenes, shootouts, stunts, and car chases to make sure the film is action packed and entertaining to the audience. It also includes the usual main protagonist vs antagonist fights that were discussed earlier that is usually used in action movies. The film uses darker colors and a night setting throughout most of the film to give it a darker and more violent tone overall. The poster uses big and bold fonts to display the title and main actor, and Wick in the poster is holding a gun and is looking and walking towards the camera, which shows that he is ready to fight. The background is not completely visible, but there is broken walls and machinery and sparks that can be seen in the back, showing the destruction that John Wick leaves in his wake.

The movie Die Hard (1988) follows New York City police officer John McClain (Bruce Willis) as he travels to California to visit his wife (Bonnie Bedelia) at her work building during a work Christmas Eve party. However, things take a turn when a group of German terrorists led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) locks and takes over the building and holds everyone in the building as a hostage, making McClain the only person that can stop the terrorists and save the civilians and his wife. Throughout the movie, McClain has numerous shootouts, sets of explosions, and has aggressive fights with the terrorists, all while sneaking around the building trying not to get caught by Gruber, making for fast-paced and thrilling action. The low lighting used throughout the film help portray the exciting and dark action in the movie. The poster uses bright and bold fonts and colors in the font of the title, using a bright red to make the title stand out to people looking at the poster. McClain in the poster is shown mid-shootout against the antagonists in the film, showing the action that is taking place within the film.