Thriller genre analysis

The thriller genre is a very wide category that includes aspects from all angles. the conventions of a thriller include:

• suspense
• cliff-hangers
• villain driven plots
• twists
• scored soundtracks to influence an audience

Crime Thrillers often focus on the criminals and their leading up to a crime, then solving the mystery or tracking down the criminal. the sub-genre consists of fast paced scenes and fiction based plots, they emphasize on the action over psychological elements. the themes include serial killers, murderers, robberies, chases, and heists.

Mystery Thrillers relate to crime thrillers as the plot is crimes that must be prevented, these include: assassinations, terrorism, serial or mass murderers. it typically focuses on an investigator or a detective trying to undercover the crime. This sub-genre allows the audience to find out information and try and undercover the mystery for themselves.this causes a more dramatic effect and suspense to follow the conventions of the thriller.

Psychological Thrillers a heavily focused on the mental levels of characters, and how danger is exposed to them mentally rather than a physically. this genre includes elements of mystery, drama and often horror. this genre usually consists of two or more characters preying up one another by playing devilish games or physically trying to destroy each others mental state. the plot tends to play with the audiences minds to make them think something when rather its the other, which causes suspense within the audience.

Science fiction Thrillers consist of manipulation to sophisticated technology. it includes elements of action and science fiction, creating a more realistic approach as typically the plots revolve around technology. the themes of this genre include futuristic technology and high tech weapons.

Supernatural Thrillers consist of elements that are mixed with suspense, tension and twists. the typical plot involves one of the characters having supernatural powers that lead them to the source of the problem. the powers are usually caused by demons, devils or ghosts which slightly links to the religious thriller. 

Thrillers have 'restricted narration'. It offers minimal information regarding the narration to create a suspense effect. The narrative structure is complex with false paths, clues and resolutions which creates apprehension for the audience. Narrative often includes riddles and problems that are there to be questioned whilst being solved. The narrative will build towards a dramatic climax. Narrative will often show the evil in society, that no one else seems to notice or see.

Mise-en-scene:
The settings of thrillers are normally presented in normal everyday places. This is to create the feeling of not knowing what's going to happen, which creates suspense for the audience. The props are very important in a thriller as they can reveal a lot about the characters. They create a sense of danger to the audience and also creates a tense and uneasy feel to it. The costumes and makeup make the characters seem more realistic and fully identified. Makeup is used a lot in thrillers as it helps to highlight and create their disguises. Lighting is such an important factor in thrillers as it can immediately display to the audience what kind of genre it's going to be. Colour is also key as they can show the wide range of different emotions to the audience. Sound within a thriller is sectioned into two different categories, diegetic and non-diegetic. Diegetic sound is the sound that within a frame, for example a character talking or screaming because they are scared. Non-diegetic is a sound that has been added in post production, for example theme music or voice overs. It plays a huge part as you would need to create suspense for something such as a gun shot or a door slamming. You can also tell what kind of atmosphere the scene is going to be by how loud/quiet the volume is, and the pace of the sound- whether it is fast or slow.

Evaluation

Media Preliminary Task Evaluation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-SRml-sk3s&feature=youtu.be

Our preliminary task was to create a short clip by filming and editing a sequence of a person entering a room and speaking to someone else.

For our clip we started off by introducing a dark corridor with a silhouette of a person walking down in a head on shot, this is creating mystery to find out who that person is. The lighting changes as we move into a room in another location. Whilst this mysterious character is walking down, we show clips jumping from another room back to the corridor. In the other room you see another character, this time in full light, trying to get into some cabinets, perhaps trying to find something. By jumping to and from the different settings it starts to build the tension and make the audience wonder what is going to happen.

You see a hand reach for a door handle, we focus only on the hand to show a range of camera techniques and to keep the tension building. As the door opens you see the look on both characters faces, one startled, one confused and annoyed. We are shown this by the different camera angles. We used an over the shoulder shot for character 1 and a head on shot for character 2.

As the two characters quarrel about why one character has betrayed the other the shots flick back and forth from each character to show the conversation is just between the two of them, we then see a change in mood as character 2 offers character 1 a biscuit. The atmosphere changes as we jump to a scene where both characters are shown sat down with a cup of tea.

The editing worked well as the clips roll smoothly from one scene to another, however to improve our video next time we could work on how our conversation could have more versatility. The conversation would have more range if we included different tones of voice and we had more expression and belief in our overall performance.

Sub-genres

Sub-genres

Action

• Taken
• Speed
• Red eye
• No country for old men

Pschological

• Silence of the lambs
• Se7en
• Momento
• The shining

Sci-fi

• Alien
• District nine
• Inception
• Terminator

Crime/Gangster

• Shallow grave
• The departed
• Goodfellas
• Bound

Noir Thriller

• Double indemnity
• The big sleep
• Sin city
• Touch of evil

Religious

• The omen
• The body
• Constantine
• Stigmata

Erotic

• Basic instinct
• Fatal attraction
• Eyes wide shut
• Unfaithful

Supernatural

• Paranormal activity
• What lies beneath
• The ring
• El orfanato

Political

• Ideas of march
• Enemy of the state

Dystopian

• Hunger games
• 1984
• The matrix



Thriller Conventions

Thriller Conventions

Camera Work
Typical shots used are establishing shots to show location, mid-shots to show characterization, close-ups to show disorientation and claustraphobic behaviour. The composition shows key props, while the framing creates the suspension. The camera movement and angles can vary for example high or low shots to show power/status. Depending on the perspective of the shot it can change the way we feel about it, eg. first person showing empathy.

Editing
Depending on the narrative it can show a complex narrative, which builds tension as the story converges. The editing can add tension eg. straight cut can build suspense and the pace. By adding flashbacks it can show key moments and also show the viewers connection to the story.

Thriller Opening Conventions
Within the first 2 minutes you need to add the drama by building tension and create an atmosphere, use of music is good for titles, name of the film, the crew and directors. It sometimes works well as an opening if you ask the viewers a question.

Sound
Sound is used to add atmosphere to the film. By using ambient sounds, music and noises it really sets the scene. A voice over creates a backstory and its better to avoid dialogue.

Mise-en-scene
For a typical thriller setting it is realisticially iscolated. The costumes don't always have to be 'scary' but are stereotypically ripped or bloody. When casting, the actors for villains are usually male, and the victims tend to be female. Props used would stereotypically be weapons such as guns or knives, and the lighting is low key, not much is shown and there are a lot of scenes which are based in the shadows.

Narrative
The start of a thriller can be part-way through the scene, which makes it disorientated. Flash backs, and even flash forwards add a certain element that draws you into the film, and they dont always have to be in chronoligcal order.

Sub-genres
-action
-crime
-psycholgical
-conspiracy
-religious
-disaster
-eco
-dystopia
-medical

Shutter Island

Shutter Island

 

The introduction to the film is not the normal paramount music, this is suggesting an eerie feel to the film. it starts off as what we see to be a white screen, which we then realize is thick fog, with a ship beggining to emerge.

In the opening scene to shutter island we notice that the man whom will play the main character is facing down. at this point we don't know who he is. as he is throwing up into a sink, he then looks up int a mirror and begins talking to himself. He is trying to boost his confidence, as we notice he is on a boat and is feeling a little sea sick.There is a plaster on his head and we dont yet know why, but this could suggest that he has been in some kind of fight.

as the scene changes we move to the deck of the boat where he is accompanied by another man. The other man says: "alright boss". This tells us that the first character is higher up than the one that has just been introduced to us.

the second character makes a comment about the boss' wife, which leads to a flashback of him with his wife. he is wearing the same tie that he is wearing on the boat, and it is not until a few seconds later that we realize why. it is told that his wife died in a fire, which may be the reason for having the same tie on- a memory of his wife perhaps?

They begin to approach the island. It is very dark, and grey so you can't see much detail. They are told there is only one way on and one way off. At this point a very threatening tone of music comes on and makes the atmosphere tense, here is a slow zoom into the island which makes it look extremely un-inviting.

As they step off onto shore they are greeted by a court marshall, and to show us the importance of him they show us a close up of his badge. all the shots of the court marshall are from a low angle, there are never any straight on close ups. there are a lot of mid-shots of the other two guards as the court marshal is talking to the two characters we were first introduced to.

as they are in the car on the way to their destination the court marshall says to our first character: "you seem a little on edge", that is then replied to by our first character by saying: "right now, we all are".
As they approach the building there is intreging music playing. The music makes you think something is about to happen, but nothing does. As they get closer they can see that it has electric fencing around it, there are lots of guards around and as they are at the gates and get out the car they are made to surrender their firearms, as this happens there is a close up of one of the men fumbling around with his gun whilst taking it out of his pocket. There are three buildings, one for males, one for females, and one for the insane.
There is a shot taken through the barbed wire, which gives the impression that they are the ones being watched. The music playing suggests that something is about to happen, and then stops. This is drawing you in to make you watch more of the film.