# Action — Genre

> Films built around physical conflict, set pieces, and kinetic spectacle.

## Defining elements

- Physical conflict central
- Set pieces drive structure
- Hero with skills
- Clear stakes
- Visceral experience

## Sub-genres

| Sub-genre | Example |
|-----------|---------|
| Action thriller | Bourne Identity |
| Martial arts | The Raid |
| Western action | Hell or High Water |
| War action | 1917 |
| Heist | Ocean's Eleven |
| Action comedy | Bad Boys |
| Action sci-fi | Mad Max Fury Road |
| Buddy action | Lethal Weapon |
| Revenge action | John Wick |
| Spy action | Mission Impossible |
| Disaster | Twister |

## Structural conventions

### Set pieces every 15-20 min
- Major action sequences spaced
- Build in scale
- Variety in type
- Climax = biggest

### Hero competence
- Established early
- Demonstrated through small action
- Skills set up = pay off later

### Clear stakes
- What happens if they fail
- Personal stakes alongside larger
- Time pressure often

### Pacing
- Fast cuts in action
- Breath moments between
- Build-explode-recover

## Voice / Style

### Visual
- Kinetic camera
- Wide + close mix
- Geography clear (audience must understand space)
- Practical preferred when possible

### Sound
- Score driving
- Impact sounds visceral
- Music + SFX layered
- Quiet moments contrast

### Dialogue
- Tight
- Quips ok in lighter action
- Less than drama
- Earned moments of stillness

## Action mechanics

### Set piece structure
1. Setup (location, threat, stakes)
2. Engagement (action begins)
3. Escalation (worse, harder)
4. Climax (peak danger)
5. Resolution (outcome)

### Geography
- Audience must understand SPACE
- Where is hero? Where is threat?
- Wide shots establish
- Close shots impact
- Don't lose audience in chaos

### Hero competence + vulnerability
- Hero is good at thing X
- But threat can hurt them
- Tension = real

### Setup / payoff
- Skill shown in Act 1
- Used in Act 3
- Rule of Chekhov's gun

## Sample action scene

```
INT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

ELDAR (35), ex-military, moves silently through the shadows.
Six ARMED MEN somewhere in the building. He has one knife and
the element of surprise.

He pauses at the corner. Listens. Two voices nearby.

GUARD #1 (O.S.)
He's got to be in here somewhere.

GUARD #2 (O.S.)
Boss said don't kill him. Yet.

Eldar moves. Three quiet steps to a tool bench. Lifts a wrench
silently.

He waits.

Footsteps approach his corner.

GUARD #1 enters frame from left.

Eldar moves — wrench across the temple. Catches the body before
it falls. Lowers it silently.

GUARD #2 (O.S.)
Adil?

Pause.

GUARD #2 (O.S.)
Adil!

Eldar takes the unconscious guard's gun. Checks the magazine.
Half full.

He moves.

A hallway. Three doors. He picks the middle one.

The middle door = the wrong one. Two guards inside, immediately
firing.

He drops back into the hallway as bullets pepper the doorframe.

ELDAR (under breath)
Always the middle door.

He pulls the pin on a smoke grenade he stole from Adil. Rolls it
in. Closes the door.

Counts: three, two, one.

Bursts in. Smoke fills the room. Two muzzle flashes — wild fire.

He fires twice precisely. Two thuds.

He moves through the smoke. The fight is on.
```

This works through:
- Geography clear (corner, doors, hallway)
- Competence demonstrated
- Stakes (boss wants alive — for now)
- Tools / improvisation
- Pacing varied (slow stalking, fast burst)
- Specific detail
- Self-deprecating humor (middle door)

## Common mistakes

- Choreography unclear
- Geography lost (where are they?)
- Hero unkillable (no stakes)
- Set pieces without escalation
- Forgetting character through action
- Too much shaky cam
- Quips overdone

## Best action films reference

- Mad Max: Fury Road (kinetic, visual)
- John Wick (choreography, world)
- The Raid (martial arts)
- Mission Impossible: Fallout (set pieces)
- Heat (drama + action)
- Die Hard (single location)
- The Bourne Identity (grounded)
- Skyfall (modern Bond)
- Hell or High Water (modern western)

## When to write action

- Studio commercial appeal
- Star vehicle
- Spectacle desired
- Theatrical release
- Sequel/franchise potential
- Genre audience

## Production realities

Action ranges:
- Indie action: $1-5M (use smart set pieces)
- Mid-budget: $20-60M (set piece spectacle)
- Tentpole: $100M+ (massive scale)

Choreography quality > budget.

## Combination with other genres

- Action + Thriller (Bourne)
- Action + Comedy (Bad Boys)
- Action + Sci-fi (Mad Max)
- Action + Drama (Heat)
- Action + Horror (Resident Evil)
- Action + Romance (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)
