Genre- Adventure
According to Critic Don D'Ammassa “An adventure is an event or series of events that happens outside the course of the protagonist's ordinary life, usually accompanied by danger, often by physical action.” Therefore the genre encapsulates films which involve various exotic settings some action scenes and a plot focused around a journey or a quest.Genre conventions –
Films that fall within the category of Adventure often contain a heroic Protagonist. Often this character will be accompanied by a partner or even a group to complete the journey or quest they are faced with. Characters within this genre are also often a male and often have attributes of intelligence quick- thinking and cleverness. When one thinks of some of the most popular Adventure films of all time one might think of Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean one can see that the Jack Sparrow and Indiana Jones are both male characters and they are posed as the heroic protagonist. They also share the aforementioned attributes as they are both clever and quick thinking. These are only a few of the many example of popular adventure movies. Furthermore, the plot is usually surrounded around a specific quest or journey which they must complete for example in Indiana Jones the plot surrounds a journey he entails to find a powerful religious relic. The same journey or quest can easily be identified in any other films within this genre. In addition to the plot and the characters adventure films are known for being shot in different locations. As the plot is centered around a journey, in order to make the film visually appealing and interesting these films often incorporate several different settings and locations. Throughout the films main characters will also be likely met with danger and action in the process of completing their quest or journey.
When it comes to the production of films under the genre of adventure one of the main features is that the production takes place in exotic and sometimes dangerous locations. There are even production companies that specialize in adventure productions because they have experience working in exotic places that provide difficult situations to shoot in. Since Adventure films are placed in exotic locations establishing shots are common throughout the course of these productions. They are also necessary in this genre since the location is subject to frequent change and an establishing shot allows the viewer to understand where the story is taking place. The first few shots of a scene often establish the location the characters and what they are doing. Due to the fact that action is heavily incorporated in movies within the genre of Adventure several of the shots in action sequences are fast- paced and may include dramatic close-ups. This genre also incorporates long shots to provide a full view of the scene and also allow the viewer to see full movement and the setting.
Institutional conventions –
The adventure genre is marketed in several ways as the other genres are as well. The two main forms of marketing for adventure films are trailers teasers and movie posters. Often, the movie poster for films which fall into this genre consist of the male heroic lead as the focus point of the advertisement or at times it will consist of the main character and a group of other assisting characters. Trailers for adventure movies often have several main features such as several establishing shots and long shots to accentuate the exotic settings and to show full range of movement as well as some action sequences and intense dramatic music.Film/magazine sample #1 –
Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark- Indiana Jones is one of the most recognizable films when it comes to the adventure genre. As previously described, the genre of Adventure surrounds itself around a plot which is focused on the completion of a journey or quest. Indiana Jones adheres to this as the plot of the movie consists of the main character finding a powerful religious relic before it falls into the hands of the wrong people. The main character of the movie is also evidently a male lead. The main character is played by Harrison Ford, the characters is also characterized as a witty and quick- thinking clever person. As adventure movies are almost always led by male roles and are characterized as having qualities of someone who is alert and has good judgement Indiana Jones fits right into this mold. Furthermore, the main character often is paired with a partner or even a specific group of people to aid them in the process of completing whatever journey or quest that they wish to achieve. In this case Indiana Jones is accompanied by Marion Ravenwood who accompanies Indianna throughout the course of the plot and is often a key part in the success of his journey. The main character is often also met with a variety of dangers throughout the course of the movie such as Nazis, snakes, and German thugs amongst other dangers. Many action scenes are also incorporated as several scenes show him brawling with those who are in his path such as the Nazis and the German thugs. As for production the movie was shot in several different locations including Tunisia, Hawaii, California, France, and Hertfordshire. Throughout the fighting sequences attributes of fast paced shots during action sequences and an abundance of establishing shots were clearly incorporated throughout the entire film. The marketing for this film was also very fitting towards the genre of Adventure as most posters where close ups of Harrison Ford joined by Marion Ravenwood and some of the antagonists of the movie. As for the trailer it begins with a long shot setting the scene within the desert, followed by various other shots including close-ups, bits of action sequences, and paired with dramatic music followed by the iconic Indiana Jones theme song.Film/magazine sample #2 –
Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of the Black Pearl- Pirates of the Caribbean is another well known example of an adventure film as well as one of the most iconic pirate movies of all time. The main character is played by the famed Johnny Depp. Again this is an example of another Adventure film where the leading role consists of a male part who is characterized as witty and clever. The film also incorporates the feature of the main character being supported by other characters as Jack Sparrow is accompanied by a crew consisting of Will Tuner, Ragetti, Pintel and others throughout the duration of the film. Pirates of the Caribbean in specific is an adventure film which has a larger group of assisting characters than most adventure films, however the group still fulfills the role of assisting the main character in achieving his final goal in this case pursuing the pirates who kidnapped the daughter of the governor Elizabeth Swann who holds a valuable coin linked to a dangerous curse. This is another example of how adventure films surround the fulfillment of one quest or journey, Throughout the course of the plot, as any adventure film the main character is also faced with several dangers including Barbossa's crew, Blackbeard's crew, the kraken, and mermaids amongst other things. Furthermore, in regards to the production, Pirates of the Caribbean was also shot in various exotic locations including Los Angeles, California, and Windward Islands. The series of shots and sequences incorporated throughout the film were also resemble of production techniques used in most adventure films as they consisted of various establishing shots as well as long shots, and several action sequences between pirate crews and the several dangers that Jack Sparrow faces throughout the film. The marketing of this film also consisted of posters where the male role was the central point of the frame, however many of the posters also incorporated members of his crew as well as the antagonist of the plot and their crew. The trailer for Pirates of The Caribbean also followed the same basics of any other trailer within the Adventure Genre as it began with several establishing shots of a pirate ship in the sea pared with suspenseful dramatic music in the background and a series of fast- paced action sequences.
Other film examples:
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Jurassic Park
The Mummy
The Mark of Zorro
