// THREE ACTION ADVENTURE QUESTIONS //

Q1. Explain two ways the characters and/ or events fit the action adventure genre.
In the film "The Hurt Locker", the characters, environment and props in the movie show popular conventions of the action/adventure genre. One of the main focuses that show conventions of the film being action adventure is the explosion that happens in the movie. This section of the extract fits the events that are usually found in the conventions of an action adventure film, as it adds tension and action towards the main plot of the film and the extract as a whole. Also, the section of the film shows the protagonist's bravery and daring personality, which also fits the main common conventions that are found in war action adventure movies.

Another feature in this scene that shows obvious connotations to this movie being action/adventure is the environment that the scene is set in. The setting that the scene is in looks very run down, with a large open area that is where most of the action happens with in the scene. By this scene being put in this setting, the plot is aided by it, as everything that happens - along with the setting - matches all of the conventions of the action/adventure genre. One main feature that sticks out is that the film is set in the middle east, which is a common convention that is found commonly in action adventure movies. This is because it is perfect for the tension in the scene, as all of the characters, including the protagonist, are put under a lot of pressure by the suicide bomb situation.

Q2. Explain how each of the following is used to create effects:
Soundtrack:
Although The Hurt Locker doesn't have any non-diegetic sound such as soundtracks, it does have a bit of diegetic sound along with dialogue, but the way that the dialogue is put across by characters are used to create an atmosphere for the intense scene. The way diegetic sounds, such as ambient sounds, are connected together with sound bridges to let the synchronous sounds to match up to the scene that has been cut to, so that with all the cuts, realism is still kept intact. The sounds that are usually found within action scenes help the audience watching the film understand that the scene is intense and serious, also giving connotations towards chaos being experienced by the scene.

Editing:
A lot of cuts are used in The Hurt Locker as it creates the effect that the action keeps going on and on, yet also brings across the fact that everything is intense and chaotic. The reason why the scene is put across like this is so that the audience does not lose focus in the action scene. Shot-reverse-shots are also used in the film to create the effect that you can see in the scene from a characters perspective without using point-of-view shots. These shots also help to carry on dialogue with continuity editing, yet also show the scene as a whole.

Camerawork:
Establishing shots are used a lot in The Hurt Locker to help give a wider perspective of the situation in the clip, yet it also helps to demonstrate to the audience the intensity of the scene . This also often helps to show the size of the area in which the scene is taking place in. Point-of-view shots are also used towards the right at the start of the action scene, to help the audience "step into the protagonists shoes" and create the effect that the situation that the main character is in is personal, to help it feels more intense, yet, it also helps you to understand how the protagonist is feeling - nervous and scared. Towards the start of the scene,

Mise-en-scene:
At the beginning of the extract action scene from The Hurt Locker, the main character is dressed in a large 'Juggernaut' costume that is used for defusing and extracting bombs in a war scenario. This costume helps the scene to be set, as it gives a more tense and controlled feel to the extract scene. Altogether, the outfits of the army soldiers make the scene look a lot more believable and realistic, as it gives the audience an idea of a real situation like this one. Body language and facial expressions are also a large part of the scene, as it shows the soldiers looking stressed, worried and scared which is a massive contrast from the protagonists facial expressions which show confidence and leadership qualities.

Q3. Discuss the ways in which people are represented in the extract.
The protagonist in The Hurt Locker is represented as the highest in command of his squadrant by the huge armored costume that he wears throughout the extract, along with his authoritative tone and commanding actions that he uses. It is also quite obvious that the other soldiers are seen as less important to the main protagonist, due to their similar costumes and willingness to help their commander. Also, every other soldier in the scene seems to be quite young and inexperienced compared to the leader, who is shown as more adult and older which makes him suit the leader role better than being younger, which is shown by the way he represented. Furthermore, all of the soldiers seem to be American and of white and black decent, which shows diversity in the soldiers too, which shows that they are all quite inexperienced with the situation in the extract whereas the protagonist is not. There is no real big stereotype that sticks out when looking at the extract, except that all of the soldiers look quite well built and are in classic camouflage uniform. However, another stereotype is that all of these soldiers - including the protagonist - are all male with no exceptions within the scene.