Analysis of Codes & Conventions

Choosing the genre for the film was quite challenging. Following the codes and conventions of that certain genre and actually pulling off the right genre outcome was the challenging part. Having been asked to undertake some research into the the codes and conventions within a variety of genres, there was then the request to narrow down the genre types to one or two.
After specifying two types of genre and assigning the generic codes and conventions to them, it was then time to make the decision of the chosen genre. A certain type of research was approached to aid the assigning of the generic codes and conventions, picking out three different films along the lines of the chosen genre or chosen hybrid genre. In the case of the chosen genres for my film was a hybrid genre; Action/Adventure.

The three films that i had chosen to evaluate against my chosen genres were: The Matrix: Reloaded (an Action/Sci-fi), The Condemed (pure Action) and last but not least Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones (Sci-fi). The main reason of doig these evaluations are to pick out the signifiers of the genre.

THE MATRIX: RELOADED
The Genre of The Matrix: Reloaded is an Action/Sci-fi, it is mainly based around the action side of the genre due to all the intense and countless fighting scenes. The Sci-fi elements during the opening 3 minutes of the film are shown as detailed green (alien like) colours this usually represents the SCI-FI genre. Other codes of the Sci-fi genre are advanced alien like technology, the symbols or codes that are shown in the opening come together to form a clock, this shows that something important is going to happen at this time. Security Gaurds signify the authority and protection of which is about to be breached. The noise of the motorcycles engine is a phalic symbol of power and attention, which in tie leads to the the breaching of the authority with an immense explosion. The explosion is portrayed as a symbol of power taken away from the authority, this links into the Action side of the genre. Still on the action side of the evaluating, Trinity is chased out of a window 29 storys above the ground. She is chased by an Agent who is trying to kill her, as the Agent fires his 9mm Barretta (this is a phalic symbol of extreme power). The bullets that are fired continusly out of the Agents gun are shownin slow motion, this gives off that action and heartbeat effect. Now the camera shot is a very excelent shot. It is a precise tracking motion shot, it follows the bullet and pans around it until it penetrates Trinity's chest.

THE CONDEMED
The Condemed is a pure Action genre based film. Concentrating on the complete amounts of violence in the film. The openning three minutes of the film starts of by showing establishing shots of a jungle. This signifys that the action takes place in the wild. Another establishing signifier is of the barbed wire that lingers atop the walls of an establishment, these are also controlled by men with Ak-47 machine guns. These are phalic symbols of containment and overcoming power to who ever is being contained. Prison cells show that the setting of the contained men is a prison of shore. Heartbeat music signify Action and tension in a film and the muscle bound men show power, strength, fear in weaker men and intimidation.

STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones is a Sci-Fi, yet again in the openng credits the same green alien like colour is used to represent the Sci-Fi image. Another classic Sci-Fi code is the scaling text that srolls away from the screen just like Star Wars has done. The setting shown in the openning is of space, one of the best Sci-Fi generic codes and conventions. The music behind the space scrolling text signifies that the film is about a battle that becomes victorious. With the music becoming sinister and a low panning shot towards a planets surface, with federation starships entering its atsmosphere this shows and represents importance. The surface of the planet is ulluminated by light, on side red and another white. This shows that the planet is pure but filled with danger at the same time. The senitor that departs from the ship is surrounded by personal body guards signifying alot of authority and protection around this one important person. The explosion seconds after that shot shows the climax of the Action genre take place, the explosion alone takes away the authority, the power and all protection with one blast.

Having evaluated these three films it had came to my attetion that Sci-Fi and Action are a great combination but very difficult to create and achieve. From that point my final Hybrid Genre I had chosen was an Action/Adventure.