Rebekah Moore, Alla Ivanova, Keuren Holloman Action Rebekah Moore, Alla Ivanova, Keuren Holloman

Action Action is a violent film genre where in the story is told through physical action as opposed to dialogue. The plot of action films centers around a struggle of a hero and a villain. Typically the protagonist wins and the movie ends with a happy end.

“Action Film” Though action has long been an element of films, the "Action film" as a genre of its own began to develop in the 1970s. The genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film genres.

The Beginnings of Action This film element “action” began with the silent era's serial films around the time of Edwin S. Porter's classic action- western “The Great Train Robbery” (1903). And it has remained strong throughout all of cinematic history. Action films then expanded in the 80s and 90s, with the growth of special effects techniques and in response to jaded audiences who demanded faster plots (coherent or not), greater violence, and stimulation.

Well-known Action Actors Prominent action actors include Bruce Lee, Steven Seagal, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Chuck Norris, and Jean Claude Van Damme.

Women in Action Women in action films usually play the roles of accomplices or romantic interests of the hero. However, contemporary action films from the 1990s and 2000s have featured strong female characters to broaden demographic appeal, glorifying the strong female archetype. For example, “Lara Croft” and “Kill Bill.”

Target Audience Action films have traditionally been aimed at male audiences, ages 13 to the mid-30s in both American and world-wide markets. While action films have traditionally been a reliable source of revenue for movie studios, relatively few action films garner critical praise.

Classic Action Scene James Bond: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRwnwq8v4DU

Classical Mise-en-scene Low key lighting Only a few close-ups Trees help guide eyes Camera at different angles, follows skiers Action in center or moving toward center Mostly loose framing

Contemporary Action Scene The Bourne Trilogy: Bourne Ultimatum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uN0tYzONQY&feature=related

Contemporary Mise-en-Scene Eye is first drawn to Jason Bourne because of his movement as he runs down the hallway and because he is framed by the walls. Lighting changes at a fast rate with the different shots from the bright outdoors (and nearby windows) to the dark lighting inside the building. Shots changes every five seconds (or less).

Continued… The angle stays for the most part leveled on the fighting although at a few parts it changes to show the gun falling on the floor or someone getting pushed against a wall/floor/furniture piece. (One aerial when they first enter the bathroom). The height of shots constantly change, at times it is level with the gun in the assassin’s hand or Bourne’s feet as he leaps from one building to another. The Dominate color in here is a tan color although it is quite often accented with a bluish green (i.e. the assassin shirt, or how the shadows look on the walls).

Continued… This is a moderately detailed scene because there are objects in the background but the action demands most of the attention. This is a very closed scene in that the shots are tightly closed on the fighting between the actors. At times the framing can be someone loose, but fot the most part it is tight shots. The shots consist of Medium shot, medium close up, and close up shots.