Conventions: Thrillers...

- “By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job”.

In order for a thriller film to “thrill”, certain conventions are usually followed.  The most basic of these are things such as atmosphere. Thriller atmospheres are usually menacing, violent and mysterious. Through atmosphere comes tension, which is vital in a thriller film. Atmosphere can do many things, such as make society look like a corrupt and dangerous place to live in, and it can manipulate emotions and mood.

The way in which mood and emotion is manipulated is very important, and can be what ultimately defines the film as a thriller. A thriller must cause arousal, and make the viewers adrenaline rush. The viewer should be anticipating the next big twist in the plot, and must be kept at the edge of their seat. One way in which thrillers do this is by covering up important information from the viewers. This can create anxiety, high expectations, and even terror.

Moreover, different thriller sub-genres have various different conventions that they follow. For example, crime thrillers will consist of ransoms, heists and revenge. Psychological thrillers may contain mind games, stalking, and obsessions. A mystery thriller would usually have investigations, and the “whodunit” technique commonly used. There are many sub-genres in the thriller genre, and each one has their defining conventions.

Other features typical to thrillers are the type of characters in the film. Characters will usually be criminals, stalkers, innocent victim, psychopaths, police and more. Plus this depends on the sub-genre of the film too. Another thing worth noting is that thrillers typically take place in ordinary cities and environments. This is so that the viewer is easily able to relate to the area, therefore making the film more psychological.

General Questionairre.....

I handed this questionairre out in Bromley. Around 14 was given out, equally between men and women. I found many different bit of information, like many people who watched films were between the ages of 21 to 30. Action films were the most popular, aswell as comedies. Reasons put for action films is that they enjoy the fast pace action that happens, whilst reasons for comedies were generally along the lines of sitting back and having a laugh with their friends. Around 8 of the people went to cinemas, the majority 1-2 times a month, with one of them going 3-4 times a month. Around half the the participants admitted to downloading and pirating films, whilst the other half rented or bought theire films.
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- What gender are you?
Male/Female
　

- What age group are you in?
11-18    19-30    31-40    41-50    51-60    60+
　

- What film genre do you enjoy watching?
Comedy     Romance     Thriller     Horror     Action     Sci-fi     Other

Please explain why:
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- Do you go to the cinema often?
Yes/No
　

- How often do you go to the cinema per month?
Less often     1-2 times     3-4 times     5-6 times     7-8 times     9+ times

　
- Which method do you take to watch films?
Rent     Purchase new     Purchase pre-owned     Download/watch online     Pirate

Specific Questionairre.....

I done this questionairre in Bromley, to get an idea of what people liked in there thriller fims. I handed out 12 of them, and in all cases, every one had watched a thriller film atleast once in their life. The age of the films they watched correlated with the age they were; for example, older people watched films such as Psycho, whilst younger people watched films such as Saw.
Responces to "what makes a good thriller" was a mixed bag. One responce stated "it must be attention grabbing, and hook the viewer into it so they keep on guessing whats coming next". Another responce i got was "it has to be scary". With the reponces to the opening sequence question, i got "something that'll get me interseted in the film without giving too much away"
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- Have you ever watched a thriller genre film?
Yes/No
If so which ones?
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- What is your favourite Thriller sub-genre?
Action thriller Comedy thriller Crime thriller Psychological thriller Other
　
　
- In your opinion, what do you think needs to be included in a film to make it a good thriller?
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- What would you expect from the opening sequence of a thriller?
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Advertisment Analyses...

Lincoln MKZ 2010 Commercial VS Volkswagen Passat 1988 Commercial

These two commercials clearly show that each car is targeted at different target markets. The Lincoln advert has more of a flashy, more upbeat style, which its purpose is to emphasize speed and modernity. The VW advert is more focused on highlighting the high level of luxury and comfort the Passat is able to offer, with its calm music and fade shots.

The first thing that can be noticed in the Lincoln advert is that the MKZ shoots down from out of space. This suggests the car is extraordinary and out of this world. This will appeal to business men still in their younger years, who want something special for their money. The sci-fi sound effects also add to the idea that the car is out of this world.

There are fast cuts in the Lincoln advert, which lays emphasis on the speed of the car. There are also fast cuts in the VW advert; however, the purpose of the fast cuts in this commercial is to show just how hectic and busy the city environment is. The loud sounds of a man shouting and traffic also add to this frantic effect. This all changes though, when the Passat slowly drives along the road halfway through the advert, whilst the camera follows. Combined with the composed music, it gives off a relaxed vibe, as if it has come to rescue the father and daughter from the frenzied city. The woman driving the car looks calm and collected, plus the daughter looks happy too. High class business people with family would find this alluring, as they would be looking for this level of comfort when they are coming home from a busy day in the city.

In contrast with the relaxed approach of the VW advert, the Lincoln commercial has many different camera angles, editing and lighting effects. The camera is never still; it is constantly swinging around, panning, zooming and more. This gives the impression that the camera is trying to keep up with the car, once again putting emphasis on the rapid speed of the car. This is also the effect of the lighting.

The Lincoln advert uses many close ups, so that the viewer can witness the design of the car. Editing has been applied to the car to enhance what it looks like, such as extra gloss and lighting. As a result, the car will probably not look like this in reality. These advanced editing effects are not present in the VW commercial, as it was created in 1988, a time where technology was not as advanced as it is today. The VW advert uses many different camera shots, including medium shots and close ups, to convey the emotion on the citizen’s faces, and the father and daughters faces as well.

Music-wise, the VW adverts’ music has a classical feel to it, and classical music is usually used for relaxing to. This relaxation helps to ensure that the Passat is as “reliable” as the advert states it is. In contrast, the Lincoln commercial has a much more modern, upbeat tune playing in the background, which goes perfectly with the fast-paced nature of the advert. The different types of music also help us to get a feel of who the cars are targeted at. The more classical sound of the VW advert implies that the car is marketed towards the more upper class society, whilst the upbeat sound of the Lincoln advert implies that the car is marketed towards a younger audience.

Case Study...

Crime Thrillers

Crime thrillers are a very popular sub genre within the thriller genre. It usually focuses on the criminal, not the police themselves, and focuses on topics such as serial killers, chases, shootouts, robberies, heists and more. Another feature that differs to other thriller sub genres is that they include more attention on the action aspects rather than the psychological aspects. Some films within the crime sub genre include:

No Country for Old Men: This film is about an ordinary man who is chasing after a fortune that is not his, as three men cross paths with each other in the desert landscape of 1980 Western Texas.

The Asphalt Jungle: In This film, the story is about a group of men planning and performing a jewel robbery. It is considered to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Rififi: This is a French crime thriller. The story revolves around a burglary at a jewelry shop in the Rue de Rivoli. Four men team together to commit what seems to be an impossible theft.

Case Study...

Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock, born 1899, was a highly regarded film maker and producer. He produced many films over his half a century career. He arguably revolutionised the way in which movies are filmed; he used techniques such as framing shots in a way to manipulate the feelings of the audience, and provoke fear, anxiety and empathy. His stories included themes such as violence, sex, murder and crime. Some of the films he has made include:

Psycho: Considered one of Hitchcock’s best films, Psycho follows an encounter between a secretary who is hiding from her employer, and the owner of the motel she is staying in. It has one of the most famous scenes in cinema history, “the shower scene”.

Vertigo: Another film from Hitchcock to be considered one of the greatest films of all time, Vertigo follows a retired acrophobic police detective, hired as a private investigator to follow the wife of an acquaintance to uncover the mystery of her strange behaviour.

North By Northwest: This film is about an innocent man followed across the USA by agents of an unknown organisation. They are attempting to put a stop to his interference in their plans to smuggle out microfilm, which contain government secrets.

Other films include ‘The 39 steps’, ‘Notorious’, ‘The birds’ and many more.

Film Analyses...

Analyses of Mimic Opening Scene

- Sound

Mimic opening scene has various different sounds. The music is mysterious, and can be almost frightening to some when it goes loud. There are also strange voices in the background. These voices are too distorted for the audience to hear, and can be very bewildering. The audience will ask, what are these voices, and what have they go to do with the film? Very psychological; this is exactly what the thriller genre is all about. Sounds of children playing can also be heard. When combined with the mystifying soundtrack, these noises can cause much emotional concern in the audience.

- Effects and Lighting

The majority of the scene is fast paced and quick. This is to keep the audience confused, and too get them to try and work out what going on. The scene is also very “flashy”, lighting-wise. There is lots of darkness than lightness, and flashes. You can see bugs, and even bugs that are moving; this can frighten the audience, further adding to the psychological undertone of the film. All these effects will make the audience think what’s going on, and this is what an effective thriller should do.

- Other Details

Another quick effect worth noting is when the title is quickly multiplied to fill most of the screen. This is mimicking, just like the title of the film is called. It’s hard to explain, but u should get the point. The same is goes for when there is multiple butterflies on the screen at once almost like a grid. What's more, during the scene there are photographs of children. Mixed with the soundtrack, these photographs connote abduction, trouble and danger.

Film Analyses...

Analyses of Vertigo Opening Scene

- Sound

In this opening scene, sound comes mostly in the form of music. The music is very mysterious, and can even provoke intrigue and fear in the audience. Mixed in with the effects of the scene, it is very effective at having a psychological effect on the audience.

- Colour

When the eye widens, the whole shot turns a tinted red. This red combined with the widening of the eye connotes murder, mystery and shock. Then there’s the multi-coloured spirals, which contrast greatly with the dark and mostly black background. These spirals can cause confusion, and get the audience thinking – what are the symbols representing? These psychological features are very important in the thriller genre.

- Other Details

It is worth noting the extreme close up on the face. This may get the audience to ask, who is this person, and what has she got to do with the films plotline? Also, some effects are used with the credits, such as the titles coming out the eyes of the person, and the spirals too.

Some Camera Shots...

Over the shoulder Shot

This shot consists of looking from behind the person at the subject. This shot helps to get the feel of looking at someone or something from the person’s point of view, plus it helps to establish the position of each person. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, swapping between the views of the different speakers.

Long Shot

This shot consists of the subject or person taking up the whole frame. The persons head and feet should be close to the edges of the shot. A long shot is also called a Wide Shot.

Mid Shot

This shot consists of a person or subject being viewed in more detail whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel like they’re looking at the whole subject or person. These usually are taken when the person the purpose is to deliver information, and they also allow for hand gestures and a bit of movement.

Film Analyses...

Analyses of Dexter Opening Scene

- Close Ups

There are many close ups utilised in this opening scene. For example, the extreme close up on the bacon. This is done in a very special way, which tricks the audience into thinking it is human skin. Then there’s the close up of blood; this can represent many different things such as murder or pain, but really he is just shaving his face. Psychological trickery is an important part of the thriller genre.

- Sound

Music used in this opening connotes mystery, giving the impression that the person in the scene is up to something menacing. The cutting and “squishing” noises give a sense of uneasiness, and can make the audience feel uncomfortable. Really though, he’s just making his breakfast. So the use of sound is very successful at playing with the audiences mind.

- Lighting

The lighting in most shots is dark around the actual subject, therefore putting more emphasis on the subject. This means there are no distractions, and allows for the director of the opening to control what the audience is able to see. For example, when the man is slicing the orange in half, the area around it is dark and blurred, and only the orange is in focus.

- Pacing

The pace is quite fast, with rapid transitions. This method is used to keep the audience from fully working out what’s going on and to cause confusion. More specifically for this scene, quick transitions are used to keep the audience from realising just what it is that the man is actually doing, and causing them to believe that he is doing something much more sinister than making breakfast and getting ready to go out.