Portfolio Project Genre Option #1 - Adventure

     Adventure productions are action packed, exciting, diverse, suspenseful, and mission-driven. These films are usually created for all ages, however the majority of the audience are young adults from the ages 18 to 24. The reason being is that they enjoy the thrill and inspiration of relatable characters journeying into the unknown. This escape from reality creates a sense of comfort for this age group.  this genre features exploration, impressive stunts, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. In fact, adventure stories were popular even before the creation of movie making. These stories were read through books and comics. For instance, the Indiana Jones series was based off of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" novel by Campbell Black from 1981.

       In addition, the main genre conventions in content usually includes a hero, a quest, a team of friends who help the hero on their journey, a dangerous villain or setting, funny dialogue to create comedic relief, and finally, the discovery of treasure or victory in the end. The characters undergo a set of challenges that test their ability to succeed through their journey. Mysterious worlds or lands are also discovered, which can create difficulties for the protagonist.

        Many Disney films fall under the adventure category. The Disney movie "Moana", for example, is an adventure film. Moana is the hero, her quest is to restore the heart of Te Fiti, the dangerous villain is the lava monster Te Ka, and at the end of the movie, Moana successfully restores Te Fiti's heart and saves her island.

       Furthermore, some of the conventions with techniques and editing may include dramatic non-diegetic sound, close up shots and insert shots, eye-line matching, and high key lighting. Parallel editing is countlessly used, especially during action sequences where we can see what different characters are doing all at the same time.

Check out this example of parallel editing used in "Inception": https://youtu.be/KmptU7vEkNU?si=rjfy6WmHkZ9beF5W

       It is impactful when editors use suspenseful or dramatic non-diegetic music because it increases the state of the emotion and the immersion of the production for the audience. Some of these auditory techniques include the use of a violin bow to emphasize that danger is near.

      Typically, these movies require a high budget, especially for the sets and locations they need to film at. Other factors include mise-en-scene such as special costuming, detailed props, and makeup. This is because most of these productions contain fictional characters and worlds that do not exist. That being so, the editing process takes extremely long because they need to add in CGI and special effects to create an alternate universe that looks believable.

Check out this Behind the Scenes of the Special Effects for the production Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4P8FuQJIdM

      The Jumanji movie and the Percy Jackson tv show series are great examples of adventure productions. These creations both follow a hero's journey plot structure, which is an abundantly popular institutional convention in this genre. The hero's journey includes a chronological structure of a call to adventure, the introduction to mentors, enemies, and allies, challenges along the way, the final battle, victory, and finally, the return to their homeland. This narrative image is very often used because it evokes the audience to connect with the emotional conflicts and the character development of the protagonist. The viewers can relate their own lives and experiences as well through themes of failure, growth, self-discovery, and identity.

   After reviewing my research, making an adventure themed film opening would look amazing if done well. However, due to the fact that these types of productions require lots of mise-en-scene elements (costumes, cool locations, makeup, props) and tons of characters, it would definitely be difficult to produce. I will have to pass this genre as I don't have the funds for all the elements I would need to incorporate to make the product look well done.

Resources:

Indiana Jones. (2026, January 4). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_Jones

Gellard, H., Borger, R., & Dicker, N. (n.d.). Themes and motifs. Children’s Adventure Genre Guide. https://childrensadventuregenreguide.wordpress.com/themes-and-motifs/

Paolo. (2023, December 21). Cinematic consumers: A study of movie audience demographics. Gruvi.tv. https://gruvi.tv/post/movie-audience-demographics/

AutoCrit. (n.d.). 8 iconic action-adventure tropes that help shape the genre. AutoCrit Online Editing. https://www.autocrit.com/action-adventure-tropes/

Webb, L. (2012). Editing action adventure [PDF]. Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/doc/96961649/Editing-Action-Adventure/

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Hero’s journey. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 22, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey

Hellerman, J. (2023, September 18). Unraveling the concept of the Hero’s Journey in filmmaking. No Film School. https://nofilmschool.com/the-heros-journey