Superhero Revision Pack
Superhero Revision Pack
Superhero Revision Pack
CHARACTER VOCAB
H ero leader of the quest, many skills, knowledge, bravery, attractive _________________
A ntagonist(s) main villain will create the problems/obstacles, corrupt, power hungry____
L ove interest of hero beautiful, young, damsel-in-distress_________________________
V ictims/ innocents need helping/protecting, links to hero___________________________
S idekick(s) will aid the hero, offer humour, team-work, maybe expendable____________
M inions/ baddies will aid the main villain, usually numerous, expendable_____________
EVENTS VOCAB
F ights stunts, choreography, explosions, weaponry, outnumbered, death______________
E scapes from dangerous places/situations, trapped places________________________
C hases close shaves, fast pace, stunts__________________________________________
R escuing damsel, difficulty, obstacles_________________________________________
D omination The attempt of the villain for global/local/personal control and domination
CAMERA
S hot size establishing shot of HQ, hero dominates with CU, ECU, so audience identify
with his feelings, LS, MS, ELS, _______________________________________________
A ngle - dutch, birds eye, opposites of high/low villain often dominates by looking down
M ovement - pan, tilt, zoom, crane, exciting and fast movements for action scenes_______
D epth of field Rack focus/Focus pulling some things out of focus, some in, changes
during shot, to change emphasis of subject______________________________________
SOUND
M usic/soundtrack - emotive, powerful, tense, triumphant, heroic orchestral, theme music
D ialogue - active, tactics, hero commands/orders/directs as does villain, oneliners________
S ound fx/ silence loud, explosions, hits_______________________________________
EDITING
P ace quick cuts and short shot duration for action scenes, long take/short take_________
C ross-cutting - show opposing sides, different angles on things, 2 locations/events at once
S hot reverse shot used for conversations, creates a relationship e.g. hero/villain, hero/girl
R eaction shots responding to largeness of event/place i.e. explosions/villain approaching
S pecial fx/ CGI - spectacular sets/monsters, superpowers energy blasts, flight_________
Representations
Gender Male = Hero/Female = Damsel
Ethnicity Non-White = Baddies/sidekicks
Sexuality Hero = Heterosexual male
Nationality USA = Heroes
Other = Villains/Alien
Age Hero = Young, friendly & Positive
Villain = Old, Bitter & Corrupt
Moral Dilemmas
Relationships/Family
Secret Identity
Guilt/Redemption
Terrorism/Discrimination
Heroes are rarely old, but youthful, attractive and good-looking, whereas the villains are
often older, uglier and their experience has made them corrupt, wanting more control, and
power.
Heroes are usually classless and everyman figures, even when nobility, so audience can still
identify with them. Villains are of a higher class sometimes, to again highlight their
corruption and power obsession.
Ideologies A system of values/beliefs
American Supremacy and leadership Responsible for saving the day. Characters
like Spider-Man often pictured with the American flag or wearing costumes including
the colours of the flag.
Fascism The fight against an oppressive fascist regime is often found in the genre.
E.g. Captain America fighting the Nazis. V in V For Vendetta fighting the fascist
regime Norsefire with their corrupt police.
Communism - Found in X-Men: First Class which is set against the backdrop of the
Cold War.
The promotion of these ideologies are often achieved through the use of propaganda within
the film. i.e. political posters and broadcasts in V for Vendetta
Review Lines Think about the type of language used for review lines on posters & DVD
covers for Superhero films. Spectacular Amazing Fantastic Marvellous as
opposed to Glorious A triumph Riveting. How does the language used link to the
type of film being advertised and its audience? ____________________________________
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From the makers of How does saying from the makers of Batman or From the
Studio that brought you Iron Man help attract audiences? _________________________
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Actors Names How important is displaying the names of the stars in selling superhero
movies? Is the character, the superhero, more important than who is playing them? If the
actors are more important, then why are their faces often covered with a costume/mask on
the posters/DVD covers? Does having the names at the top allow the makers to prioritise the
character in the main image? Or is it only important to have names when they are big stars?
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The use of Stars Think about how important having a star in a superhero film is. Does it
give the film a better reputation or attraction than if it was just a superhero film with no
stars? Does it help attract a bigger audience than just comic book fans? What kind of stars
are generally attracted to superhero films? Would the likes of Brad Pitt do this type of film?
Does it require a fun type of actor/actress to fit the genre? Why is that? _________________
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The use of colour How is colour used in the marketing of Superhero films? Think about
DVD covers/Posters/Clothing being the same colour as the main character, e.g. The plastic
case for the DVD of the Hulk (2003) film was green. Iron Man t-shirts tend to be red to
resemble his costume. Also think again about how the use of Red, White & Blue (American
flag) is used in the marketing are these seen as heroic colours? ____________________
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Teaser Posters
Thor (2011)
DVD Covers
X-Men First Class (2011)
Watchmen (2009)