GCSE Media Studies, Action Adventure, SOW, Yr 11, OCR

1. Thursday, 06 March 2014
Codes and Conventions
LOs:
• To consolidate knowledge of
codes and conventions of the
Action Adventure genre
• To analyse the opening of an
archetypal text

2. Re-cap
How do we define action adventure?
What are the differences that each
word represents?

3. A film that features set pieces focusing on action
(car chases, explosions, stunts) which follow an
adventure narrative (a hero undertaking a quest)

4. How many of these films have you
seen?
In pairs, see if you can decide which are
Action Adventure films.

5. Restoration of a
New Equilibrium
- Where
normality is
restored.
Equilibrium - A
sense of
normality, the
calm before the
storm.
Narrative –
Tzvetan Todorov
Attempt to
repair
Disruption - The
point where the
story changes: a
death, an event,
a situation.
Recognition of
Disruption

6. Vladimir Propp’s seven spheres of action:
Hero: Individual(s) who's quest is to restore the equilibrium.
Villain: Individual(s) who's task is to disrupt the equilibrium.
Donor: Individual(s) who gives the hero(s) something, advice,
information or an object.
Helper: Individual(s) who aids the hero(s) with their set task.
Princess (Prince): Individual(s) which need help, protecting and
saving.
Dispatcher: Individual(s) who send the hero(s) on their quest.
False Hero: Individual(s) who set out to undermine the hero's quest
by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the film

7. Activity
• Pick a well-known fairy tale from the list:
–
–
–
–
Snow White
Sleeping Beauty
Jack and the Beanstalk
Cinderella
• Apply Todorov’s narrative theory:
– Equilibrium – Disruption – Restoration
• Apply Propp’s character types and comment on their
traits.

8. Watch the Following Clip
• Fill in the work sheet.
• Commenting on the narrative structure of the clip –
apply Todorov’s theory.
• Commenting on the different character types that
you can see. Are they stereotypes? Apply Propp’s
theory.
• Are these conventional of the genre?