Target Audience

Target Audience

The film that we are making is an action film that is based around a man who is a debt collector for a loan shark. On one of his jobs he is told to kill his brother. He decides against doing this and he and his brother try to escape the country to avoid being found and killed.

The audience we are aiming to attract is Males and Females aged 16-30. However we would expect a secondary audience of Male and Female 30-60. This is because the film is full of action, older teenagers tend to go watch films full of action. like this one. The film has themes of money problems and debts which would only really be understood by people 18 and over who have a full time job and understand the importance of money. This is why we are aiming our film at people 16-30. We're not targeting older audiences as they don't visit the cinemas as often as teens or young adults because they have other commitments or other interests. The target audience includes both males and females as the film doesn't have any features that makes it a just male or female film.

We would expect a slight Northern bias in terms of geographic audience. The film is made in the north so we would expect people to go and watch it because it is local. Also we would expect more people to hear about it in the north.

The film is an Action/Thriller film. People that are fans of Action film would be expected to watch the film. The film also has a slight gangster theme to it, so people who like gangster films like Gangster Squad might go to watch our film. The Debt Collector is a film very similar to ours, we would expect people who liked this film to come and watch it.

Our film features lots of strong and detailed violence but it does not dwell on the injury. The film also features strong language through out. It does not contain any sexual references/nudity or drug taking. However the film would be expected to have a BBFC certificate of 15.

Characters in Action Films

Characters

In action films the characters are very similar. While they are not all the same people in every film, the types of character are similar. In action films you generally have a male main character, the protagonist, the character who the film is about. This is generally a person who has a sad back story or a tough life and they have become a special agent or a police man.For example James Bond is an orphan who was recruited when his parents died. The film follows this person throughout this film.

Then in most action films you have the bad guy, the antagonist. This is the person that wants to destroy something to get revenge. This is the person that the protagonist has to stop and the film is based around this. The antagonist is generally a male and had a backstory not too dissimilar to the main character, just instead of going into law enforcement he decides to get revenge. Skyfall is based around James Bond stopping the former agent from killing ‘M’.

Finally then other character you would expect to see in an action film is the support character to the main character. This is generally a woman who the protagonist saves or helps and then they finish the story helping each other. This character generally ends up in an on screen romance with the main character. This is essentially like a ‘Bond Girl’.

After this in most action films the other characters are just support roles. Not all action films follow this role. Depending on the story line and the sub-genre there can be many different types of characters. If the film was a crime action film you would expect the main character to be someone from a gang or from the mafia.

Some actors can be related to a specific genre. Arnold Schwarzenegger would be associated with action films as most of the films he has been in are action films.

The Dark Knight rises is a stereotypical action that has characters you would expect from an action film. (Shown Above)

Iconography of Action Films

Iconography

The definition of iconography is visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these. In films his would be the images that you would expect to see in films

In action films there is certain things that you would expect to see in them that could be seen as icon of the action genre. These things would be violence and combat. In action films you would expect to see lots of combat. This means that you would expect to see many shots of weapons such as guns and knives. You would also expect to see many shots of characters covered in blood and wounds. Recently in action films car chases are becoming more and more popular in films.

Mis-en-Scene of Action Films

Mis-En-Scene of the genre

The mis-en-scene of a film is the recognisable attributes of a film. These are the things you would expect to see. The mis-en-scene can refer to many aspects to a film like the props, makeup, the content and the location.

In terms of the content in action films there is a lot of similar things in the many action films made.

In action films you would expect to see lots of combat between characters.

You would expect the film to be slow to start but pick up in the middle and then calm down at the end again .

A typical action film would have many scenes where the action in the film is minimal, not much happening just conversation and some background music, then you would expect it to suddenly pick up and lots of action to start being shown to you.

Action films have lots of short shots that flash on the screen to give the film a fast flow.

A typical action film would be something like the new James Bond film Skyfall

Skyfall involves a lot of fist fighting and gun fighting between characters it has a lot of short fast paced shots when the action is in full flow but when it isn’t the content is just generally conversation.

In action films props are used lots. All films should use props such as costume and general setting in the location to make the film more believable. But action films use more things like weapons and transport. These are generally used throughout action film. These props are used to make the film more realistic and to add to the suspense and anticipation. In a Western action film like a Fist Full Of Dollars a shotgun or revolver weapon and a horse would be used to make the film look more realistic. But in an action crime you would probably expect things like handguns and AK-47’s to be used as well as cars. The Star Wars films use props like lightsabers and laser blasters throughout. These films are sci fi action films set in the future, so modern weapons like these would be expected to be used and therefore make the film more believable and enjoyable to watch.

 

Makeup is used extensively through many film especially action films. Makeup is used in films to make injuries like bullet wounds, scars and bruises look real. This makes an action film look better as there is lots of combat in action films and the use of makeup will make the combat look more realistic. This is the main use of makeup but it could also simply be used to change the complexion of someone skin. For example you could make a character skin paler which would make them look like they are dead/dying or just different which could say something about a character.

 

Locations are a big part of films. Locations help make the film more realistic.In terms of locations within the action genre it depends on the sub genre. In action films in general you would expect lots of combat and car chases so you would expect a location where all this could be possible. An ideal location for an action film would be a city like New York and London.

The Sweeney is set in London as it is a action film about police. In the film you would expect to see gun fighting and car chases, London is a big city with many roads places for a gun fight,this makes it a good place for the film to be located as it would seem realistic to the viewers.

However if the film has a sub genre the ideal location would be different. If the film was a action crime film you would set the film in place in which there is massive amounts of crime like the Favelas of Brazil. This is because these are places in which you would expect to see crime happening so the film becomes more realistic. The main part of Fast and Furious 5 is set in favelas in Brazil.Dom and his gang are hiding away until the steal the safe from Brazilian drug lord. While escaping we see a scene in which a shootout happens in the open in the favelas of Rio De Janeiro

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting

In terms of lighting there is not much you would expect from an action film other than the standard lighting. In action scenes you would expect the lighting to be darker. Actions scenes generally involve fighting and etc. So darker lighting would help make this look better as darkness connotes danger which you would expect action scenes to be. Also darkness helps hide things this will keep the audience guessing and and build suspence which is what an action film tries to do.

If the film was a action crime film you would expect the lifting to be darker because in a crime film you would expect someone to be hiding from something and darkness helps people hide also you could say darkness connotes danger which is a main theme in action crime films.

Where as of the film was a action comedy film like Tropic Thunder you would expect the lighting to be fairly bright most of the time because it is a comedy film and a lot of comedy is done visually so you need bright lighting to be able to see what is happening on screen.

Music in Action Films

Music

Music in action films doesn't really follow any conventions and it isn't all similar throughout all action film. It varies a lot. The only thing you could say you would expect an action film to have music wise is fast paced music, music with a fast beat when there is action on screen. Fast paced music would help give the film a fast flow in action scenes which is what you would expect. Star Wars uses music to good effect. All the music is composed by a orchestra which allows the director to sculpt the music around the film. When not much is happening the music is slow and calm and then suddenly the music would pick up and become faster giving the action scenes a fast flow which keep the audience guessing and on the edge of their seats.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlvJIj7MyZY‎

Star Wars Action Scene.

StoryLines in Action Films

Storylines

Storylines within the action genre vary. However most of them do follow a certain trend. In a typical action film you would expect it to be slow to start. The start would be the time where we get an overview of the main character, who they are? what they are doing?.

This would then carry on to put the main character into a dilemma in the middle of the film. Like someone wants to destroy something of someone wants the main character dead.

The film would continue to follow the main character through the dilemma and the solution to it. This is where the action would start, the car chases and gunfights. The action would not finish until the dilemma is resolved. The film will be fast paced and tense through this period of the film.

The dilemma would be resolved at the end of the film and it would finish. However the film sometimes leaves the film unfinished or with some loose ends to the story. This would lead into a sequel. It is rare to see a film end on a cliffhanger or with loose ends and not have a sequel. The original 1969 Italian Job leaves the story unfinished when we leave the film when the bus full of gold is balancing over a cliff edge.

The film Tropic Thunder, starts off by showing us something about the characters in the film. They are actors and we see trailers to their films. We then get shown about how the characters are all in a film together. While filming the actors get put alone in a jungle as part of filming. They have no camera crew as there are secret cameras all over the jungle. They have to follow instructions given to them to finish filming and get out. In a series of events the director gets killed, the group split up and one of the characters get taken hostage by a Vietnamese gang in the jungle. The rest of the film shows how the others rescue the captured actor and their escape from the jungle.

Storyline of Itallian Job from Imdb

Charlie's got a 'Job' to do. Having just left prison, he finds one of his friends has attempted a high risk job in Italy right under the nose of the Mafia. Charlie's friend doesn't get very far so Charlie takes over the 'Job'. Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jaguars and a bus, he hopes to bring Torino to a standstill, steal the Gold and escape.

Similar Films

Similar Films

The film that we are making is an action film that is based around a man who is a debt collector for a loan shark. On one of his jobs he is told to kill his brother. He decides against doing this and he and his brother try to escape the country to avoid being found and killed.

The Debt Collector is a very similar as the name suggests. It is about a man who is the debt collector for a loan shark who has to overcome the problems that his job has got him into. It is similar in the way that both of the films have a similar storyline and similar characters.

Knight And Day is another film that is similar. This is about a secret agent who has gone rogue and is disobeying his orders. He takes a woman hostage and takes her with him as he is trying to track down someone, so the agent can collect something and escape the country. This is similar because a big part of the film involves the two running away from the police to find something and escape. Something similar happens in our film.

The Transporter could be seen as a similar film. This film is about a man whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules. This is similar to our film in the way that they both have a man who have to do what they are told by their boss, no matter what and both involve the character breaking the rules and facing the consequences.

Taken is slightly similar. It is about a retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris. This is similar to our film as they both involve someone trying to escape from someone else and death.
BourneLegacy is also a film that has some similar themes. This film is also an action film and features a similar storyline. In this film we see a man get targeted for termination and desperatly attempts to escape death, like in our film when the debt collecter is targeted for termination by the Loan Shark. 
Casino Royale this film is loosley similar to our film idea. Casino royale is based on a man who is a secret agent and is set out on missions to find info or kill. This man has a similar job to the main character in our film who is a debt collector. Also in the film the man is constantly trying to escape death like in our film. 

The Debt Collector Trailer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsTs15cdRI‎

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0159401/?ref_=nv_sr_1

2 minute storyline

2 Minute Storyline
A man visits a loan shark to ask for some money to pay off some debts. He goes into the loan sharks office and asks him for £10,000. The loan sat behind his desk with his feet up asks some questions about why the man wants the money. Before the man can answer the loan shark decides he can have the money but he only has 3 months to pay the money back in full. The man say thank you and swiftly leaves, as he leaves the loan shark reminds him he only has 3 months to pay the money back. The screen fades to black and picture appears with the loan shark sat behind his desk talking to someone about the man who borrowed the money 3 months ago and hasn't yet paid. The camera switches to a man who is identified as the loans sharks debt collector, he asks the loan shark who the man is and where he works, the loan shark says 'take care of him'. The debt collector leaves and the screen fades to black. When the screen reappears we see the debt collector enter a work yard and walk around to find the man who owes the money. He finds him and tells him 'the loan shark sends his regards'. The man pleads for more time, but the debt collector tells him he knew the deal. The man tries to run away but the debt collector pulls out a gun and shoots him. The debt collector then walks away. The camera then switches to a random man who has seen everything that has just happened. The random man then runs to a phone and the screen fades to black.

Action Films

Action films are a film genre where action sequences, such as fighting, stunts, car chases or explosions, take precedence over elements like characterisation or complex plotting. The action typically involves individual efforts on the part of the hero, in contrast with most war films. The genre is closely linked with the thriller and adventure film genres.

Current trends in action film include a development toward more elaborate fight scenes in Western film. This trend is influenced by the massive success of Hong Kong action cinema, both in Asia and in the west. Asian martial arts elements, such as kung Fu and karate can now be found in numerous non-Asian action films. Now, a distinction can be made between films that lean toward physical, agile fighting, such as The Transporter, and those that lean toward other common action film conventions, like explosions and plenty of gunfire, such as Lethal Weapon, although most action movies employ elements of both. In these action films the props that used are weapons and cars, these show power and manly things to show the severity of the film.  

Action Genre Related Films

GENRE: Action Similar films to this would be ‘Transporter 3’ where Frank Martin puts the driving gloves on to deliver Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of a Ukrainian government official, from Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea. En route, he has to contend with thugs who want to intercept Valentina's safe delivery and not let his personal feelings get in the way of his dangerous objective.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129442/

Final Film Idea

Final Film Idea

Genre: Action/Crime

This is a film about man (based in England) who is working as a debt collector for a loan shark. After previously owing the loan shark money he decided to pay his debts by becoming a debt collector.

The film starts with a man visiting the loan sharks office and begging him for money. The loan sharks says he can have the money but he wants it all back with interest in three months.

After four months the money hasn’t been paid, so the loan shark calls his debt collector to go and kill the man. He finds his place of work, confronts him and shoots him. After the debt collector has walked away, we see a man that has seen the action and dials a number on the phone.

As the debt collector carries on his work, he one day get a job from his boss to kill someone who hasn’t paid there debt for months. This person is his best friend. The police are becoming more suspicious of his actions after a handful of recent money related deaths. He has two options. He can kill his friend and finally pay of his debts to the loan shark, or he can collect his friend and run away to exile into another country and start a new life. But of he does this a bounty will be set on both of their heads.

He decides to run away. He needs to travel with he is friend to London to get a plane to the USA. On their travels they encounter many people trying to kill them and collect the hefty bounty that has been set on them. After surviving many attacks from bounty hunters, wounded, they arrive at the airport. But there is one man waiting there for them. With a gun to both of their heads, they surrender. A mysterious gun sound comes from the distance and the bullet hits the bounty hunter in the chest. The two quickly run inside the airport and board the plane.