First Assignment

Unit 10-BTEC Media Film Assignment (Josh Pool)

Task: An analysis of the narrative and stylistic codes and conventions of different film genres using detailed examples to illustrate points.

Action/Comedy Movies

    Props such as guns, high speed chases and people related to the law are stereotypical conventions of an action movie. An example of this is the film Bad Boys II, which stars Martin Lawrence and the very popular Will Smith. The later character alone would suggest comedy and action would be in the film, making comedy and action a convection like feature of Will Smith. Both Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are detectives that carry guns and are involved in high speed chases in the film.

    Another example of the conventions of an action/comedy film is 22 Jump Street. Jonah Hill is infamous for being a comedy actor, and he stars along with Channing Tatum in the film. When the audience notice Jonah, if they know him, it may be correct to presume it is an action/comedy film. In the film, the pair are undercover police officers who are sent to a college to find the supplier of a drug. In order to fit in, the pair go to both classes and parties with students they make friends with.

    An obvious comedy scene in the Action/Comedy movie of 22 Jump Street occurs roughly half way through the film, where roughly four and a half minutes are dedicated to the following morning of work after Jonah’s character Schmidt and his family, go out for a meal with his new girlfriend who he met at college, and her family, who turns out to be his Captains daughter. In the office, after Jenko, Channing’s character, realizes why there’s so much tension, he makes it fairly obvious to the rest of the office that his partner is dating the captain’s daughter, along with a thing or two they have done with each other. This scene in particular is ment to enforce the humor of the film to the audience, and reengage or even further engage them to the film.

    A major difference between the two Action/Comedy films is the settings in which they are set. 22 Jump Street may appeal more to an audience of those who go to college, as that is where it is mainly set, compared to Bad Boys II. Bad Boys II follows the two detectives all over Miami as they investigate the flow of ecstasy, therefore making the film involve the public much more than 22 Jump Street.

Sport Movies

    One of the main convections of a sports film is the rise from the bottom to the top of an athlete/ group of athletes. Examples of this include the movies The Karate Kid and The Waterboy. This convention of a sport movie is probably the maid one, which is the most obvious throughout the film.

    In The Karate kid, Daniel, played by Ralph Macchio, is bullied by other children his age after moving from Newark, New Jersey to Los Angeles, California. The maintenance man in their new apartment complex named Kesuke Miyagi, who teaches Daniel karate, in order to prove that he can’t be bullied anymore, by beating the main bully in a karate competition final.

    In a particular scene in The Karate Kid, Daniel reveals he is more than disappointed with moving away from Newark. Whilst smashing his elbow several times of a wall and grabbing his head, Daniel states “I hate this place! I hate this place! I want to go home!” Because of the words he uses along with the manner he does it in, it is obvious Daniel is very uncomfortable with the drastic change his life has taken as he still refers Newark to home. Furthermore, he makes his mother feel guilt by explaining everything seems perfect to her whilst he “hates this place”.

    In The Water Boy, camera angles emphasize that he, Adam Sandler, called Bobby Boucher in the film, a usually funny and entertaining character, is bullied and picked on by others in his school, including the school’s football team who he is the water boy for. This particular shot is both a head and shoulder shot, and an over the shoulder shot, which includes two characters, one being Adam Sandler and the other being one of the football players. The facial expression of the football player gives the opinion that he doesn’t like the waterboy, as well as thinking he’s weird, due to the stutter in his speech constantly. The image below is another example of how the water boy is bullied by the football team. To the left of the water boy, it is clear how much effort he puts into keeping the payers hydrated during the game by lining up several cups, as well as carrying a tank of water on his back with several cups, which in this scene, a plyer uses to spray water all over Adam.

    Another convention in sports films usually involves a rise from the bottom to the top, which happened in the karate kid also. In fairy tale fashion, the water boy was used by the coach as both an offense and defense player, playing in almost every position for the last game of the season, resulting in the team winning the Bourbon Bowl 27-30, with himself being named MVP, after arriving at the game, from the hospital, at half time with his team down 27-0.