“Thriller” refers to the adrenaline inducing genre of film that keep the audience in a heightened state of suspense throughout the duration of the film. They create emotions of apprehension, excitement, breathlessness, tension to generate a “thrill” within the audience.

History of thriller1920’s-30’s- Alfred Hitchcock is perhaps the most acclaimed director of Thriller, his first Thriller- ‘The Lodger’ being produced in 1926. It was a silent and suspenseful film following a tale of Jack the Ripper. One of the earliest spy films was ‘Spies’ produced in 1928 by Fritz Lang.

1940’s-50’s- In this particular era many thrillers followed the popular style of ‘film noir.’ These films heavily featured low key lighting, cynical or sexual motivations and were almost always black and white. This style was perfect for creating the dark and mysterious atmosphere that make a thriller so thrilling.

1960’s- The 1960’s film ‘Psycho’ directed by Hitchcock, brought on a wave of films that were far more psychologically thrilling. Films such as ‘Cape Fear’ (J Lee Thompson) and ‘Charade’ (Stanley Donen) were extremely popular and demonstrated thrills on a far more, subtle and disturbing level.

1970’s-80’s- This decade saw a dramatic increase in violence featuring in thrillers. Some examples of this are: ‘Frenzy’ (Hitchcock) and ‘Duel’ (Steven Spielberg)

1990’s-present- whilst films within this era encapsulate influences from all of the above, the two most common and popular themes seem to be obsessed villains; ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle’ (Curtis Hanson) and FBI/ detective heroes; ‘Se7ev’ (David Fincher)

Hybrids and sub-genresConspiracy thriller: The protagonist confronts a large group or organisation who’s intentions are only apparent to him/her E.G; ‘Awake’ (Joby Harold) where the main character, Clay discovers his doctor’s conspiracy to murder him. Crime thriller: These hybrids provide the audience with a suspenseful account of a criminal act in which the narrative is usually from the criminals perspective as opposed to the police E.G; ‘The Score’ (Frank Oz)Erotic thriller: An emphasis is placed on eroticism and the key role in the film is often a sexual relationship E.G; ‘Lust, Caution’ (Ang Lee) Psychological thriller: Characters are dragged into a dangerous situation in which they cannot use their physical strength to overcome the antagonist, instead engaging in a mental and emotional conflict E.G; ‘Shutter Island’ (Martin Scorsese)Spy thriller: Typically the protagonist is an agent who must take violent action towards rival agents or, in a more modern theme, terrorists E.G: ‘Spy Game’ (Tony Scott)Supernatural thriller: Otherworldly elements are brought onto the film to create unnatural and tense plot twists E.G; ‘What Lies Beneath’ (Robert Zemeckis)Slasher-thriller: this is a hybrid between slasher and Thriller typically portraying a psycho serial killer usually mentally and/or physically scared at a young age e.g; Freddy Krueger in ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ who is severely disfigured after being burnt alive. This is typical over slasher-thrillers as it makes the character far more unsettling.

Narrative themes and conventionsFilm narrative is defined as “a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time” (Bordwell & Thompson) There are many theories on typical plot structure. One is Todorov’s 5 stage theory of narrative;1)Equilibrium- equal balance between any powers2)Disruption of equilibrium- something occurs to unbalance the power. Genres are often defined by this disruption3)Recognition- the main protagonists realise the disruption has taken place4)Attempted repair- the protagonist(s) attempts to reinstate the initial equilibrium5)Reinstatement- the equilibrium is restored often due to the capture of the antagonist An example of a Thriller that follows this particular structure is ‘Anatomy’ with the equilibrium being Paula’s acceptance into medical school, the disruption being the dead body she is expected to dissect, the recognition being the discovery of the ‘anti- Hippocratic society’ and the reinstatement being her eventual escape. Another is Syel Field’s 3 act theory of plot structure;The set up- of genre, characters, narrative, locationConfrontationHero and victoryOften thriller structures are complex with false paths, clues (such as McGuffins) and resolutions, keeping the audience in suspense. Crime is usually at the core of the plot (for example ‘Collateral’ in which the film follows a hit man and the murderous crimes he commits)which will build into a dramatic climax- in the example of ‘Collateral’ Max murdering Vincent. A key convention of thriller is restricted narration which causes the audience to question and work at the plot. This is often achieved by not showing the audience the villain, just implying their presence or through close up camera shots so the audience cannot see all the details and goings on.

Thriller character profilesNarrative is usually developed through characters. The villain causes the narrative problem and the hero solves it. Some characters are associated with specific sub-genres E.G; the ‘final girl’ stops the psychopath in slasher-horrors and in cop films characters will often be paired in a duo e.g: Shutter island (DiCaprio and Ruffalo)Antagonist- The ‘bad guy.’ These characters are often convicts, criminals or psychopaths this makes them unpredictable (twists and turns, audience kept in suspense) and very intelligent whichmakes them difficult to catch. The characters identity is often hidden to create mysteryand elusiveness such as Vincent in ‘Collateral’ who wears sunglasses to keep his identity secret as he is a hit man.Protagonist- The ‘good guy.’ These characters are often innocent victims who are unwillingly dragged into a threatening situation. In many cases they have dark pasts providing them with a flaw which the antagonist can exploit. The thrills are achieved by placing the protagonist in dangerous/ life threatening circumstances.

Mise-en-sceneMise-en-scene is French for “placing on stage” and is created through a variety of different conventions:Iconography- the use of specific objects we expect to see within the mise-en-scene of particular genres e.g; guns are often used as props in crime thrillers such as ‘Pulp Fiction’ the divine intervention scene. Guns are used here both to create suspense through wondering if they are going to be used and to indicate authority. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSmqxPuF-Xk Setting- the setting is key in creating the atmosphere and sets both the emotions of the scene and the geographical location which can often hint at the narrative e.g; the secluded setting in ‘The Shining’ aids the narrative with the idea of being cut off and trapped.Props- props heavily contribute to the narrative e.g; the brief case in Collateral. They can also indicate genre and offer information about a character for instance, the brief case in ‘Collateral’ is key to the narrative as it holds the hit list but also offers us information about the character Vincent and the fact that his job is secretive. McGuffin props are also used in Thrillers to lead the audience down a false path. An example of this is in ‘Strangers on a Train’ where your attention is draw to a suitcase through the use of close ups, indicating it’s importance to the storyline. However you later come to realise it is irrelevant. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bjA-4no1ZY Costume- the use of costume is usually key to establishing the historical and geographical context. It can also be used to emphasise a particular character or their status within a scene and can often be symbolic of a significant change within a character.Expression- facial expression tells the audience a lot about a characters emotions and can often hint at the narrative. The characters body posture is also used to convey emotion and depending on their proximity to another character can indicate relationships and status. Lighting/colour- both of these are vital in conveying a mood or atmosphere and can often have significant connotations e.g something red may symbolise warning. Typically in thrillers, scenes are desaturated to create a dark atmosphere. Shutter Island is a good example of colouring with much of the film being desaturated and tinged blue to evoke a cold, detached mood.

Mise-en-scene ‘Brick’ opening scene example

Location/setting: the opening scene is set in a storm drain in America, it looks dark and remote and gives a very negative impression. This is typical of thriller as it is a very urban setting that is remote and hidden.Lighting/colour: the lighting in the scene is very low key with much of it being in shadow. It is also desaturated with a blue tint to it. This is typical of thriller as it creates a very negative and mysterious atmosphere and the blue tint gives the whole scene a very cold feel, reflecting the cold act of killing. Costume/character appearnace: the male lead appears very casual in jeans, he’s also wearing glasses and a watch which could suggest low status and hints maybe at his practical or intelligent personality. Female body is wearing a skirt and is blonde, this highlights her femininity and is typical of a ‘victim.’

Technical aspectsCamerawork Establishing shot- this is typically at the start of a scene to establish the location and/or the characters. It can be either static or moving. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDifF2_Csk this establishing shot in Shawshank Redemtion is an aerial shot of the prison. The shot not only establishes the location but also makes the prisoners seem powerless and insignificant, looking small in comparison to the scale of the prison itself. Wide angle shot- this is typically used to illustrate spacial distance between actors/subjects. The subject takes up the full frame with a ‘safety room’ around it. Long shot- a shot that shows all or most of a large subject and usually much of the surroundings. There is normally distance between the subject and the camera POV- the audience ‘sees’ through the characters eyes, placing the audience directly in the action. This technique provides you with the perspective of the character but also creates an attachment and empathy between the audience and that character. APOV- the camera is placed behind the subject which creates a voyeuristic feel and is more detached than actually seeing the scene through the subject’s eyes. Close up- the subject takes up the entire frame to provide lots of detail and emphasis on a particular element.Extreme close up- this provides extreme detail and focuses our attention on something specific. It can often provide a very claustrophobic feel such as in ‘The Blair Witch Project’ where the camera is held close to Heather’s face to restrict our information and keep us focused on the emotions she is experiencing. This creates tension as you cannot see what is going on around you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66RpatHajQ

AnglesHigh angle- the camera is above the subject looking down. This effect makes the person being looked down on, appear very small and vulnerable/weak. Low angle- the camera is below the subject looking up. This effect makes the person being looked up at, appear very powerful/ dominant.Aerial view- the camera is directly over head to give a clear view.Hand held- the camera is hand held by someone in the scene to place the audience in the action. It creates a shaky image, creating a sense of urgency.Tilt- the camera is static on a tripod or axis and is simply tilted up or downPan- the camera is static and is simply moved left or right.Tracking- the camera is parallel to the action whilst following the subject using a dolly. Reverse tracking- the camera is moved toward the subject as the lens zooms away from it (or visa versa) to create a very unbalanced and unnatural effect. It is also referred to as the “Hitchcock Zoom” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB4bikrNzMk

Editing Cut: this is the change from one camera shot to anotherEdit: the selection of shots and sounds linked in a continuous sequenceThe most majority of films are edited using invisible editing where the cuts go relatively unnoticed. This creates a smooth ‘realistic’ transition from shot to shot and keeps the characters at the focus of the scene. It does not dominate or distract from the narrative. Fade: this type of transition is where the shot gradually appears from or disappears to a blank screen. It can suggest time lapses and often creates a peaceful feeling. Dissolve: this techniques means fading out one picture whilst fading up another on top of it. Defocus or ripple dissolves are sometimes used to indicate flashbacks. Slow motion: the action is slowed down within a sceneSuperimpose: the overlaying of two separate images to increase the amount of information the viewer receives in one shot. Graphic match: the change between two shots seem smooth as there is a familiar relationship between the two. For example;

Graphic contrast: when the next shot is in obvious contrast to the previous in order to create impact.Match on action: when the cut is made in sync with the action

SoundSoundtrack: containing all sound sources used in the filmDiegetic: sound that has naturally occurred within the scene regardless of whether we can see the source or not http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRI15yhjeNQ in this example there are loads of diegetic sounds: the closing of the door, footsteps on the street, phone ringing, music in the club, chatter in the club, glass against the table. Dialogue: the speech between actorsVoiceover: a voice over images generally used as an introductionSFX: sound effects added to create a desired mood http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KUZVwsjTvw&feature=related Theme: a key and recurring passage of music linked to specific elements within the filmPleonastic: sound that reinforces the on screen actionContrapuntal sound: sound that contradicts the scene to create disharmony http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqpaxL2G2Zw in this scene the soft classical music contrasts the violence. Volume: the level of soundPitch: the range of sound

Thriller audiencesWhen creating a thriller film, many things need to be considered in order to define your target audience. These include social class, gender and age. The aim is to attract as large a target market as possible in order to boost profits. Thrillers cover a wide range of audiences, however-stereotypically- thrillers appeal to a fairly young audience (15-45) and mainly attract males though this has a lot to do with the sub-genre and unlike some other genres, appeals to both males and females fairly equally. Age especially needs to be taken into consideration in order to give the film an accurate certification. These are applied according to a guideline based on content. The BBFC (British board of film classification) is the British board that sets these guidelines. Thrillers often range from classification 12- 18 with most being classified 15. It also can depend on the sub-genre or hybrid for example: an erotic or psychological thriller will be rated higher than perhaps a crime thriller.

Looper sub-genre: action/ sci-fi hybrid (elements of sci-fi with time travel/ low key lighting/ mainly urban setting)Certificate 15Drugs: Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable. Looper: drug taking is shown however the topic is not lingered on or promoted in anyway. Neither are the effects shown in detail. Language: There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable. Looper: moderate swearing is used however not very often. Sex: Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable. Looper: an encounter with a prostitute is touched upon however the act of sex is not shown.Violence: Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification. Looper: the nature of the film (hit men) means that violnce is necessary to the narrative however the violence shown is not graphic nor is it sadistic or sexualised. http://www.bbfc.co.uk/classification/guidelines/15-2/

Source CodeSub-genre: mystery/ sci-fi thriller hybrid (sci-fi element with time travel, limited narrative, audience empathises with main protagonist) Certificate 12A The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.Violence: Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification. Source Code: moderate violence however not graphic and not lingered on.