Analyse the genre conventions of this trailer, and explore how have they changed over time
Introduction
- Definition - Genre conventions refer to the typical elements which make up a genre.
- Argument - Genre is essential, as it allows audiences to understand the ideologies of the producer before even watching a film, and it allows producers to create media products more effectively. However, sticking to genre conventions can limit creativity and can be boring for audiences.
- Context: film trailers are used to appeal to potential audiences, ad to attract people who may not normally engage with the featured genre.
Plan
Generic paradigms
Action film: diegetic sound, loud, fast paced, exciting, explosions
Thriller: MES of guns and violence
Guns function as a proairetic code, suggesting violence
Range of beautiful women, hegemonically attractive
Disfigured, disabled villain. Reinforces binary opposition between good and evil
Attractive women: male gaze
Action scenes, acts of violence, car chase
Conventional action thriller
Todorovian narrative: disruption and equilibrium
Violence is used as a spectacle for the target audience
Male, heterosexual, middle aged target audience (but mass audience)
Must target mass audience! Pre-existing audience
Star appeal
Lexis 'die': proairetic code. Aggressive and violence, clear genre convention
Steve Neal: repetition and difference
Content
Point
No Time to Die is a highly conventional action film, and contains many key paradigmatic features of the action genre.
Evidence
- Fast paced editing creates a sense of excitement and engagement for the audience
- MES of expensive, luxurious cars is symbolic of danger and luxury, and conforms to action genre conventions
- The use of loud, aggressive and exciting diegetic sounds positions the audience in an exciting mode of address
- Pleonastic sound: exaggerated and overly loud
- MES of protagonist's clothing is symbolic of his middle class status. Provides escapism to target working class audience
- Hand held M/S tracking the protagonist. Immersive mode of address for the audience
- L/S of bond riding up staircase, combined w/ high key lighting conveys magnitude of situation
- Luxurious, almost fantastical settings appeal to a working class audience
- Hegemonically attractive and 'exotic' women again are used to provide pleasure to a heterosexual male audience. MES of the actor's high cut dress is symbolic of sex and sexuality