Process

Outrun is expansive, that much became apparent as I searched for good reference material. The first task at hand was to compile a massive list of potential source images/videos. From there, I boiled down the genre's tropes to its essentials, which I determined to be:

1. The 80s - The visual motifs that lend Outrun it's charm: retro, cartoony violence and special effects, arcade machines, cars that look like hot wheels and the idea that nothing is more serious consequence-wise than a Saturday Morning cartoon.

2. The Damsel - The person, object, or scenario that the protagonist is attempting to protect, rescue, or woo. Note: The damsel is not necessarily a person, or even female, but represents something beyond the protagonist that has value worth risking your life over.

3. The Danger - The force that threatens ultraviolence upon the damsel or the protagonist. Sometimes, the protagonist IS the Danger.

4. Retro Ultraviolence - Outrun, in contrast to the larger encompassing genre "Retrowave" has an intrinsic link with wanton ultraviolence, as it is the manifestation of the violence seen on cartoons, video games, and movies, contextualized in Outrun's version of reality. A distinguishing feature of Outrun's ultraviolence is that it focuses on a macabre, over-the-top sense of spectacle in its violence, and style in its action.

5. Catharsis - The period of somber, almost sobering silence following the ultraviolence, used to contrast the mood of the ridiculous violence showcased prior. "Catharsis" is where the realities of the violence that occurred become "real," or where the audience is returned to normalcy.