Portfolio Project Genre #2

In my last post I went over one genre I was considering doing for my final project in Aice Mediastudies. Now I will be discussing the second genre I was considering doing for my Final project. The second genre I was considering making was adventure.

Adventure themed films and productions usually appeal towards men and young boys (ages 15-30). This is achieved using a main character who is seen as heroic or sometimes contains main characters who make sacrifices for their ultimate goal. An example of the latter is Interstellar. The protagonist is forced to make large sacrifices for what he was sent out to achieve in the end. Another example of a film that appeals to the target audience is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. For this particular film the protagonist is actually a superhero with the goal of stopping a villain or antagonist. The protagonist, or Miles is forced into difficult situations and has to make sacrifices to reach this goal, much like Interstellar. Doing so, this appeals towards men and young boys by showing them a figure that makes sacrifices and pushes towards their goals no matter what.

This leads to some conventions that films have in this genre. In most adventure films the main character is forced into an adventure where they get pushed to their limits, that being mental, physical, or emotional. They get pushed to their limits by having to explore new territories or experiences causing the protagonists to experience a stage of growth so they can reach their ultimate goal. Although not all the time, many times the main character is placed within a group of characters who support the main character or who have the same goal as the main character. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is an anime that falls under the genre of adventure. Frieren is a good example of the basic adventure conventions as the characters adventure new lands and new experiences and go through periods of self-discovery and growth. In addition Frieren, the main protagonist, travels in a group that faces challenges that pushes them to their utmost limits. Although there is not a clear goal in mind in Frieren, the production still follows many other genre conventions found in adventure shows.

Adventure films usually include a variety of wide-angle, establishing shots. This is done to show the remote areas that the protagonists must traverse through to reach their goals. In addition the editing in adventure films are usually fast paced with high frequency cuts during intense scenes, building tension and suspense. When considering lighting, natural lighting is typically used to keep the adventurous and fresh aspect of the scene.

There is a common narrative image in these types of films. That is the main character going on a quest usually for treasure, to rescue someone, or to explore the unknown in their world. In addition these journeys typically end with the main character experiencing a large amount of growth, whether that be mentally, emotionally, or physically. Films such as these usually market by showing life or death situations that the main character must face and show high stakes, emotional journeys.