TASK1.

4GENREMAPPING

ForthistaskIwillchoose4genres,pick6filmsfromeachgenre,takeastillfromeachfilm
andidentifytypicalnarrativerituals,archetypesandthemes.AswellasthisIwillresearchthe
top5grossingfilmsworldwidefromeachchosengenreaswellashavingsecondaryresearch
aboutthegenresconventions.

SCIFI

StarWars:EpisodeIVANewHope
Lookingout
tospacefromaspaceshipatthedestructioncaused
byconflict,acommonthemeinscififilmsbasedin
space.

Inception
Thisshotshowssupernaturaldestruction
toaseeminglyhumanenvironment,thisiscommon
asitfeelsasifamisunderstandablealienlikeforceis
makingthesechangesanditishardtocomprehend.
Thethemeoftheunknownandnotunderstandingis
presentinalotofscififilms.

District9
Seeingalienexistence,wedonot
understandthem,andbecauseofthisithardto
understandtheirmotivesastheirareoftenimmediate
misconceptions.Thisisacommonthemeinscifi
films.

StarTrekIntoDarkness
Classicscifishotof
extremelycleansedenvironmentinaspaceship,
environmentslikethisarecommoninscififilmssetin
spacesuchasStarTrekandStarWars.


Oblivion
Lookingoverdestructedenvironmentfrom
futuristicwarships,fightingoverlandterritoryisa
recurringthemeinscifi.

ET
Supernaturalactivityinhumanenvironment
(cyclingonabikeintheairfrontofthemoon).Thisis
commonplaceinscififilms,basedonEarth.

SciFiNarrative

Archetypes:
Aliens,Interferinghumans,Powerfulevilindividuals+Organizations

Rituals:
Goingtospace,Destructionofotherenvironments,Alienscomingtoearth

Themes:
Space,Supernatural,Territory,Heroism,Evil,Segregation

TOP5GROSSINGSCIFITITLESINTHEUSUPTO27/01/2015

MOVIE

DOMESTICBOXOFFICEGROSS

Avatar(2009)

$761M

StarWars:EpisodeIThePhantomMenace(1999)

$475M

StarWars:EpisodeIV:ANewHope(1977)

$461M

TheHungerGames:CatchingFire(2013)

$425M

TheHungerGames(2012)

$408M

Source:
http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=sci_fi&sort=boxoffice_gross_us,desc
(WithoutSuperheroCrossovers)

SUPERHEROFILMS

SpiderMan2
ShotofSpidermanlookingovercity,
thisconnotesheisaboveeveryoneelseandasthe
protagonistherohemustprotectthem,thisshot
demonstratesheiswatchingoverthepeoplethisisa
recurringthemeinsuperheromovies.

DarkKnightRises
Batmanlookingovercity,this
connotesheisaboveeveryoneelseandasthe
protagonistherohemustprotectthem,thisshot
demonstratesheiswatchingoverthepeoplethisisa
recurringthemeinsuperheromovies.

SupermanReturns
ShotofSupermanwithLoisLane.
ItiscommonintheSuperherogenreforthemalehero
tobewiththegirltheylove,butoftenonlyastheiralter
ego.

IronMan2
ShotofIronmanflying,common
inthesuperherogenrewhereweseethosewith
powersusingthemandinthiscaseshowing
themoff.


TheIncredibleHulk
Hereweseethe
Hulkdemonstratinghislargeamountsof
strengthandimmensepower.Wecansee
hecouldeasilypunchthepersonbelow
him,sothecommonthemeofwithgreat
powercomesgreatresponsibilitycomesto
mindthatisrecurringinsuperherofilms.

CaptainAmerica
HereweseeCaptainAmericabeing
celebratedwhichisnotunusualtoseeinsuperhero
films.Especiallywheretheyseemtoactascivil
servantsfortheircountrywhichalsoseemstobethe
caseinothersuperherofilmssuchasSpiderman.

SuperheroNarrative

Archetypes:
Hero(mostoftenmale),villain(mostoftenmale),damselindistress(mostoften
female),Olderwisemalewhoguidesthesuperheroes

Rituals:
Gainingsuperpowers,fightingevil,protectingpeople,balancingnormallifeand
alternativesuperherolife,Villainoftenalsohaspowers

Themes:
Power,Responsibility,Protection,Romance

TOP5BESTSELLINGSUPERHEROTITLESUPTO28/01/2015

MOVIE

LifetimeGross/Theaters

Marvel'sTheAvengers(2012)

$623,357,910

TheDarkKnight(2008)

$534,858,444

TheDarkKnightRises(2012)

$448,139,099

IronMan3(2013)

$409,013,994

SpiderMan

$403,706,375

Source:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?view=main&id=superhero.htm&p=.htm


ACTION

DieHard
ThismidshotshowsJohnMcClanewitha
machineguninavestwithhismuscularfigureondisplayas
heseemstobeinthemiddleofagunfight.Thisiscommon
inactionfilmsastheyoftenrevolvearoundmale
protagonistswhoareveryphysicallycapable.

TheSweeney
HereweseeGeorgeCarterwithapistol
gun,justasthediehardstilldemonstratesgunsarea
centralpropinmanyactionfilmsastheyarecommonly
usedforconflicttoattempttoresolveissues.

Skyfall
Thisshotshowsafightontopofa
train,anelementofdangerandbeingonthe
edgeispresent,whichiscommonwithinaction
movies.

FastandFurious5
Hereweseeanotherexampleof
Physicalcapabilityastwocentralcharactersrunthrough
thefavelasinRio.Itiscommonascharacterspush
themselvestotheirphysicallimitsinactionfilms.

MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol
Herewesee
physicallimitsbeingpushedwiththeaidoftechnology,
thisisarecurringthemeinactionfilms,andis
demonstratedinotherssuchastheJamesBondseries.


Taken2
Thisstillshowsthemaleprotagonistofthe
filmfightingofftwomenatthesametime,showinghe
istrained,intelligent,strong,andfastthinking,whichis
acommontraitofheroesinactionmoviesastheyare
requiredtobementallyandphysicallyfit,whichhelps
advancethenarrativeinmostcases.

ActionNarrative

Archetypes:
Hero,Villain,Damselindistress,

Rituals:
Fightingevil,Protectingpeople,Carchases,Shootouts,Fightsequences,Chases,
escape

Themes:
Protection,Revenge,Kidnapping,Justice

TOP5USGROSSINGACTIONTITLESUPTO01/02/2015

MOVIE

DOMESTICBOXOFFICEGROSS

Avatar(2009)

$761M

AvengersAssemble(2012)

$623M

TheDarkKnight(2008)

$533M

StarWars:EpisodeIThePhantomMenace(1999)

$475M

StarWars:EpisodeIVANewHope(1977)

$461M

Source:
http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=action&sort=boxoffice_gross_us,desc

COMEDY

YouDontMessWithTheZohan
Thisshotshowsrole
reversalaswehaveastraighthairdresserworkingina
woman'shairsalon.Thisgoesagainststereotypical
norms,whichiswhathelpsmakeitfunny.Thereisclearly
alsoacrudesexualconnectionwhichcanbehumorous.
Thesetraitsaresomeofthefeatureswhichhelpmake
thefilmacomedybychallengingcertainstereotypes.

TheInbetweenersMovie
HereweseeSimonandJay
playingadrinkinggamewhichisclearlydangerousand
canbeseenasstupid.Howeverthisispartofwhat
makesupthecomedygenre,characterstakingrisks
whentheaudiencecanclearlyseewhatseemslikea
greatideatothecharacters,butinrealitycanchangefor
theworst.

TheDictator
Thejuxtapositionofthisshotis
whatmakesithumorous,anoppressiveleader
goingthroughthestreetsofNewYork,America,a
democraticsociety,whilstpeopleareprotesting
againsthim,thepolicetheypayforareprotecting
him,inmanysensesthispointsoutalotoftruths,
observationcanbekeytocomedy.

Zoolander
JustlikeZohan,Zoolanderchallenges
stereotypicalnormsinthisshot.Zoolanderhereisseenin
amine,howeverunlikeastereotypicalminerwhowould
notcareabouttheirappearancewhilstdoingthishard
labourjob,Zoolanderisposinginsuchawaythatnoone
wouldimagineaminerdoing,theopposingimageryof
tryingtobeafashionmodelinamineiswhatmakesthis
funny,andanaspectofwhatmakesupthecomedy
genre.


TheInterview
WithhisshirtoffnexttotwoNorth
Koreanmilitarypersonnel,hisgestureisclearlymocking,
andthesituationisclearlycringeworthy.Heisclearly
makingamockeryofhimself,andshowingyourselfupis
anotherrecurringthemeincomedyasitisyetanother
waytomakeanaudiencelaugh.

ShaunOfTheDead
HerewecanseeShaunand
companyareclearlyimitatingzombies.Thisismade
morehumorousbythefacttheyaresurroundedbyreal
zombies,andalthoughwithinthenarrativethisisalifeor
deathsituation,itamusestheviewerasthesituationis
unsettlingastheyaretryingtofitinthisoftenhappensin
comedywhenpeopletrytobesomethingtheyarenot.

ComedyNarrative

Archetypes:
Havinglittleknowledge,Offendspeople,Buttofallthejokes,Obnoxious,Crush

Rituals:
Doingthingsunproffesionally,Makingmistakes,Spoof,Tryingtogetwithagirl

Themes:
Romance,Humility,Doingthingswrong,Satire,Slapstick,UnrealisticSituations

TOP5USGROSSINGCOMEDYTITLESUPTO01/02/2015

MOVIE

DOMESTICBOXOFFICEGROSS

Shrek2(2004)

$436M

ToyStory3(2010)

$415M

Frozen(2013)

$401M

FindingNemo(2003)

$381M

DespicableMe2(2013)

$368M

Source:
http://www.imdb.com/search/title?genres=comedy&sort=boxoffice_gross_us,desc