Research: Common conventions in Thrillers

In the thriller genre the narrative often will centre on a crime. Many popular thriller films revolve around a serial killer on the loose. The films try to convey a lot of action in order to the audience. This will often involve ordinary situations where extraordinary things occur.

Often, the protagonist will have an exploitable weakness that the antagonist will take advantage of. This may lead the protagonist to get involved in dangerous situations in order to build up suspense and action in the movie.

Throughout the movie, the antagonist will drive the protagonist deeper and deeper into an intricate, often sinister plot, leaving the protagonist feeling hopeless. This will continue until the climax of the film when the protagonist finds a solution or a method to defeat the antagonist.

Characters in thrillers include criminals, stalkers, assassins, innocent victims (often on the run), menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, police, private eyes, people involved in twisted relationships, psycho-fiends, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.
Thrillers will often introduce an enigma (or series of enigmas) in the beginning of the movie, and then complicate them throughout the story until the climax. Enigmas are essentially mysteries of the plot this can range from the audience not knowing the true identity of a killer, to the audience finding out the identity of the murderer immediately, but then the characters in the story have to find out who they are. This plot device is known as dramatic irony and is also used in thriller-genre films to build suspense, as the audience knows more than the characters in the story, and then is able to be fearful for them.

techniques and conventions of a thriller

AS Media Studies- Foundation Production Portfolio

• What are the common techniques and conventions of a thriller?

Techniques of a Thriller Film:

Titling:

Most of the films I've studied have seemed to have their credits done over a black screen with some non diegetic music playing in the background to set the scene. It is also common for some films to start with a particular event before titles start to show, my examples include Terminator 2, Kill Bill vol1 and The Departed which all before beginning show you a clip of what probably the film will be about. Another convention of titles is that usually the most important film companies or actors in the film are shown first in the credits.

Camera movement:

Tracking and Pan shots is what’s commonly used in the beginning of thriller films, particularly a certain group of people who we should be interested in as the audience. An example is the bank heist scene in The Dark Knight where the camera tracks the group at certain points. Zooming in and out was a rarity that was only seen in Dark Knight during an action scene.

Framing of shot:

The most typical shot used in thriller films seems to be the close up, greatly used in both films Se7en and Kill Bill vol 1 to build suspense and mystery in the beginning. Long shots have also been a commonality among thriller films being used in both Dark Knight and Terminator 2 to set the scene and show the audience where the action will be taking place in the upcoming events of the film.

Camera angles:

Things that seem to be quite common are the low levels of framing and the high angles at certain points, the high angle is used mainly to show those in a powerful position but they might also be used such as in Terminator 2 with the first arrival of the terminator shown to be in control and having most of the power. There seems to be main characters in the beginning which seems to have the majority of power and this is shown through the camera angles.

Mise en scene:

The general location used in the thriller movies I've studied depends on the story of the movie themselves and because of that there’s a lot of difference in location. Lighting is a key aspect used in most of the films such as Terminator 2, Kill Bill and se7en where they all use lighting but for different reasons, while trying to set up a particular overriding tone or atmosphere for the upcoming film. Such as Terminator 2 using lighting with machinery to set a Sci-Fi thriller theme.

Editing:

Jump cuts become a commonality during thriller films as they were used in two of my films, both Terminator 2 and Dark Knight. This is usually because multiple things are happening that we’re unaware of and the jump cuts fill us in, they allow us as the audience to make assumptions on what the story or characters will be like. While the jump cuts are built up in both Dark Knight and Terminator 2 they eventually draw to a close, however the cutting rate seems to increase which ultimately seems to lead to a miniature climax of the introduction.

Sound:

All films analysed had non diegetic music playing in the background creating a sound bridge to create a certain atmosphere. Some films such as Dark Knight or Kill Bill use dialogue, even if not that much - this usually gives us an insight to the characters motives or their relationships with other characters in the film. Silence and sonic exaggeration are 2 techniques used in both Dark Knight and Terminator 2, This is very thought provoking and does well to build up tension, which seems to be a strong convention for thriller films.

Actors positioning and movement:

The intro is our first introduction to a character so they normally tend to be in the middle of the frame, this is the case for Kill Bill and Terminator 2. Their movement however seems to be very dependent on the situation they’re in at the time, while some like in Terminator 2 and Dark Knight seem to be quite organised in what they’re doing so their movement seems to be quite co-ordinated although sometimes erratic. A characters movement usually tells us something about the person, and through the movies analysed i can see some move frantically while others are slow and calculated. So it seems a convention for their to be two different groups with two different movement patterns.

Conventions of a Thriller Film:

A thriller is a movie genre which follows specific devices in order to build a certain effect on the audience. These days, many thriller-genre films possess a hybrid set of conventions; however, they still share a set of the same characteristics of the generic thriller-genre. In a thriller-genre film, often, the narrative will centre around a crime. Many popular thriller films, for example, revolve around a serial killer on the loose. The films try to convey a lot of action in order tothrill the audience.

Often, the protagonist will have an exploitable weakness that the antagonist will take advantage of. This may lead the protagonist to be thrust into perilous situations in order to build up suspense and action in the movie. This is shown in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” where, in one particular scene in the movie, the protagonist, Det. John Ferguson is chasing after his lover up a bell tower, despite being a sufferer of acrophobia. Due to his fear, he is unable to continue after her, and sees his lover plunge from the top of the tower to her death when he becomes paralysed by a surge of vertigo – this is sometimes also a characteristic of the thriller-genre, where the movie is named after a difficulty of the protagonist. Throughout the movie, the antagonist will drive the protagonist deeper and deeper into an intricate, often sinister plot, leaving the protagonist feeling hopeless. This will continue until the climax of the film when the protagonist finds a solution or a method to defeat the antagonist.

Thrillers will often introduce an enigma (or series of enigmas) in the beginning of the movie, and then complicate them throughout the story until the climax. Enigmas are essentially mysteries of the plot – this can range from the audience not knowing the true identity of a killer, such as in “Psycho” to the audience finding out the identity of the murderer immediately, but then the characters in the story have to find out who they are. This plot device is known as dramatic irony and is also used in thriller-genre films to build suspense, as the audience knows more than the characters in the story, and then is able to be fearful for them. These points are the general fundamental driving factors in a thriller-genre film.

Research into relevant key text- Collateral

The sequence of collateral begins with a medium slow motion shot of tom cruses character; this adds suspense and tension especial as we can hear his footsteps which are diegetic and have been enhanced and made louder. We know that Tom Cruse’s character is the one that we should be focusing on as he is framed in the centre of the shot. His character’s costume also makes the audience feel like he is more important than anyone else that we can see as he has a silver suite and silver tie on which makes him look “official” or someone that holds a high position. He also looks very mysterious as he has dark sunglasses on even though he is inside. Cross cutting is used to show the two characters walking towards each other, the audience waits in anticipation as we know that something is going to happen but we don’t know what. The other man is also wearing suite but seems less “official” as he doesn’t have a tie on and his suite isn’t as sharp as Tom Cruses character. We then see the two characters bump into each other and a bag drops on the floor this is shown with a medium shot and makes the bag become a key crop and brings up some enigmas about the bag and its importance to the rest of the story. The drop of the bag is also accompanied with a “woosh” sound as it is falling to the ground and a “bump” sound as it hits the floor this makes it more intense and dramatic. When the two characters have dialogue between each other we notice that one man has an American accent and the other has an English (London) accent this could be a clue to where this is taking place, we the hear the English man say “enjoy your time in LA (Los Angeles)” this informs the viewer where this is taking place. There is another medium shot as the bag is being picked up to draw our attention to this key prop again, this creates more enigmas.

Research into relevant key thriller text- Psycho shower scene

The scene begins with a long shot of the female protagonist in the bathroom; this sets the scene, from denoting her bathrobe a shower we get the idea that she is going to wash. We also get to build up some connotations of what the character is like by her appearance, we denote the blond hair, which could show that she is not clever; therefore move venerable of being a victim. Her glamorous look could also give the idea that she is seductive. Her costume adds to her character, she is wearing a silk robe, which sows here elegance and class. We also get a slow mysterious score playing, which adds tension. The camera then cuts to a close up of the toilet, and we see the women’s hand, which throws some paper into the toilet, due to the close up of the paper being thrown into the toilet it becomes a key prop. This shot of her throwing the paper on the toilet creates an enigma as the audience dot know why she has done it and are asking questions, which may or may not be answered as the movie continues. After she puts the paper in the toilet she flushes it, this is a diabetic sound that is synchronous at first but then becomes a synchronous as the camera shot is cut. We then have a medium close up of the women, the camera pans and follow her as she closes the door, the connotation are that she is safe and nobody else is going to come in.

We then see the women entering the bath, this is done with a close up of her taking off her slippers, then a medium shot of her silhouette through the shower curtain, which we see bend down. We then get a match on action with as the camera cut to a medium close up of the women bending back up. This section of the scene would have been very controversial when it was released, as it was looked down on too show women in this way, many critics thought it was distasteful. We also hear the sound of the show which is diegetic but switches from synchronous and asynchronous throughout the whole scene. While she is having a shower we see this through many angles of medium close ups, this shows her facial expressions on her face, we see her smiling which could gives connotation that she is enjoying it, which is an extreme contrast to how she feels when she is killed. There is also a jump cut editing during the montage of the camera scene, this is used to show an ellipses of time, so the audience can get the feeling that the lady was in the bath longer than we see her there for. We then get a medium close up of the women with her back to the curtain; with this show we are able to see a silhouette get closer to the curtain. The audience know that there is going to be danger however the lady doesn’t know, this is called dramatic irony. As the silhouette gets closer the camera zooms into the shower curtain to clearly show the human figure on the other side getting closer, this creates suspense and anticipation of what is going to happen next.

The silhouetted figure pulls back the curtain vigorously, which is synchronised with the non diegetic sound played over this. In this medium close up we can see the figure holding a knife which gives the connotations that it is going to attack the women in the bath. The figure begins to stab the women violently; this is shown through cross cutting from the knife to the women and the figure to the women, creating a quick cut montage of close ups that distorts the audience view. There are also various angles used, when the camera was from the attacker’s point of view it was usually an over head shot or a high shot, on the other hand when the camera was showing the attacker (the women’s point of view) the camera was at a low angle, this helps to show that the attacker is more powerful. The score being played over the top of this attack is pleonastic as some of the instruments seem to mimic the stabbing movements being carried out on the women; this makes the action much more dramatic and also adds rhythm. There also screams while the women is being stabbed, this sound is diegetic however they would have been added on afterwards, the screams make the women’s performance more dramatic as the audience can hear the pain and fear she is experiencing. When the attack is over a medium shot is used to show the attacker as they leave, the attacker appeared to be a women as they had hair that went down to their ears and they wear wearing a female styled coat, later on in the movie this turns out to be a red hearing as it wasn’t a women, it was a man dressed as a women.

After the attack the women falls slowly in to the bath, a slow and deep score is played, which emphasises the slow painful death that she is going through. As she slowly falls down into the bath an extreme close up of the women’s hand is shown as it slowly slips down the wall. Then it cuts to a medium shot of her back sliding down the wall, which then cuts to an extreme close up of her hand grabbing the shower curtain, it then cuts to a close up of the hooks of the shower curtain, which then rip off one by one, this indicates that the women had finally fallen. Then there is then a close up of the shower whole, the camera zooms in for an extreme close up then graphic matching is used as it fades into a shot of the women’s eye, this shows how her life is draining away. All of this is done very slowly, which adds drama, also the asynchronous sound of the shower continues throughout which gives a cold feel to the scene. The camera then pans across to show the next room and begins moving around freely, this gives the feel that you are seeing it through someone’s point of view; this may be the spirit of the women that had just been killed.

Research into the thriller Sub-genres

Research into the thriller Sub-genres:

The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres:

Conspiracy/Crime Thriller

Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. heT Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitaine Progression by Robert Ludlum fall into this category, as do films such as Three Days of the Condor, Awake, Flightplan, Snake Eyes, Edge of Darkness, Absolute Power, Marathon Man, In the Line of Fire, Capricorn One, and JFK.

Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasise action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include serial killers/murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, heists and double-crosses. Some examples of crime thrillers involving murderers include, Seven, A Perfect Murder, No Country for Old Men, Firewall, Hostage, Silence of the Lambs, Kiss the Girls and Copycat. Examples of crime thrillers involving heists or robberies includes The Asphalt Jungle, The Score, Rififi, Ocean's 11, Entrapment, The Killing and Reservoir Dogs.

Disaster  Thriller

Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Earthquake, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Poseidon, Knowing, Deep Impact and Twister.

Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Runaway Jury by John Grisham is a well known example of the type. Other examples include The Client, Fracture, A Time to Kill, Primal Fear, A Few Good Men, Presumed Innocent and The Juror.

Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this sub-genre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Extreme Measures, The Experiment, Anatomy, Coma and Pathology are other examples of medical thrillers.

Political Thrillers

Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this sub-genre. Examples include, The Constant Gardener, Rendition, The Good Shepherd, Topaz, Syriana, The Interpreter , Proof of Life and The Ghost Writer.

Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as are The Talented Mr. Ripley, House of 9, Phone Booth, Cape Fear, Red Eye, The River Wild, Psycho, P2, Breakdown, The Collector, Panic Room, Don't Say A Word, Frailty, The Good Son, Dead Calm, Funny Games and Misery.

Supernatural thriller: In which the film brings in an otherworldly element mixed with tension, suspense and plot twists. Sometimes the hero and/or villain has some psychic ability. Examples include, Lady in the Water, Possession, Fallen, Frequency, In Dreams, Flatliners, Jacob's Ladder, The Skeleton Key, Signs, What Lies Beneath, Unbreakable, Rosemary's Baby, The Others, The Gift, The Dead Zone and the TV series Medium.

Although most thrillers are formed in some combination of the above, there are some however that are formed with other genres, which commonly are the horror genre, spy genre and the action/adventure genre.

Research into the thriller genre

Research into the thriller genre

One of the earliest 'thrillers' was Harold Lloyd's comic Safety Last (1923), with the all-American boy performing a daredevil stunt on the side of a skyscraper. Edward Sutherland's crime/horror thriller Murders in the Zoo (1933) from Paramount starred Lionel Atwill as a murderous and jealous zoologist. And various horror films of the period, director Rouben Mamoulian's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) with Fredric March, and The Bat Whispers (1930), provided some thrills.

If the genre is to be defined strictly, a genuine thriller is a film that relentlessly pursues a single-minded goal - to provide thrills and keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax. The tension usually arises when the main characters is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Life itself is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting or unknowingly involved in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation. Plots of thrillers involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy.

Another closely-related genre is the horror film genre (e.g., Halloween (1978)), also designed to elicit tension and suspense, taking the viewer through agony and fear. Suspense-thrillers come in all shapes and forms: there are murder mysteries, private eye tales, chase thrillers, women-in-danger films, courtroom and legal thrillers, erotic thrillers, surreal cult-film soap operas, and atmospheric, plot-twisting psychodramas. Thrillers keep the emphasis away from the gangster, crime, or the detective in the crime-related plot, focusing more on the suspense and danger that is generated.

Opening sequence of key text “London to Brighton”

During the titles of the opening sequence of “London to Brighton” there is no sound; this creates an early unease for the view as there is an expectation for the sound to come in at one point. The tittles show the Distribution Company, Production Company and funding information e.g. sponsors such as the national lottery in the case of “London to Brighton”. The last title is a Tablean which sets the time and place for the viewer “London 3:07am”. The silence is suddenly broken as a woman burst’s through a door; the viewer is thrown right into the action. As the sequence goes on and the audience catch up we begin to denote things that create enigmas. We are wondering why the women has blood on her face, who she I running from as she is out of breathe and she pushes the door shut as someone tries to get in, why her daughter has blood on her face? Why they are hiding in a toilet at 3:07 in the morning, when most people with children will be in bed. There is also allot of kinetic camera work used this gives the film a more realistic feel and it makes it more edgy. The film is also fast passed as time jumps very frequently, the movement from location to location is not shown, using an ellipses of time we see the character go from the toilet to the fast food shop and back to the toilets within a few minutes, whereas in real life it would have taken much longer however in a thriller opening sequence they are trying to keep the high tension using fast moving story.