Research into the Thriller Genre Conventions
Characters: The characters in thrillers are often placed in menacing situations from which escape for the protagonist seems almost impossible. The menace is often abstract, uncertain or hidden until the end, in which the antagonist’s identity is revealed. History suggests to us that women are weaker and more vulnerable and in historical thriller films it is stereotypically a man that is the antagonist and the woman who is the victim. However recently in contemporary thrillers these stereotypes are being challenged with ideas such as women protagonists and antagonists with the modern idea of a ‘femme fettle’ rising above men.
Themes: The main themes of thrillers throughout history are stalking, murder, political conspiracy, espionage, dangerous and romantic liaisons. The more contemporary modern thrillers contain themes such as terrorism, war, crime/urban themes and even extraordinary unnatural suppressing forces that would come under extraterrestrial themes.
Common cinematic techniques in thrillers: Extreme close ups, quick cut montage and the use of profiles or silhouettes of characters are used extensively to create unnatural images that create tension or uneasiness that can be witnessed in Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ shower scene. Other use of cinematic techniques to create a thriller effect can be kinetic camera movements that create realism to make the audience feel anxious. Other thriller techniques can be zoom shots, prolonged cross cutting, and quick cutting.
Common sound techniques in thrillers: Sound is very important in the thriller genre, as Hitchcock demonstrated with his violin stabs in the shower scene in ‘psycho’, just using the right sound at the right time with the right pace can create suspense and tension. This can be efficiently done by introducing a slow placed, quiet and relaxing score, eventually increasing in pace and volume to a large climax that is synchronised to the climax of the actions in the film.
Monday 10 November 2008
Research of the Thriller Genre
History of the thriller genre
Alfred Hitchcock is regarded to as the original 'auteur' of the thriller genre. In his thriller films he would manipulate and exploit his audiences fears, his main techniques were to put innocent people into threatening situations. Hitchcock also played with the hierarchy of knowledge to create unbearable suspense as it waits for the audience.
Hitchcock was often responsible for pulling together all the elements of a plot, music, sound effects, visual effects, rhythm and pace of a film. To create many enigmas in his most famous films by causing mistaken identities, wrongful accusations and wrong choices. For example in Hitchcock’s "Psycho" the actress in the shower scene is naked and the fact that she is a woman implies she is very vulnerable. His use of piercing pleonastic sound of the violin stabs creates uneasiness also giving extra resonance to the stabbing actions keeping his audience tense.
In this scene we also witness the use of .………… when the masked killer is seen creeping up onto the un-expecting naked woman and the audience know what will happen but the character doesn’t, this is one of Hitchcock’s techniques to produce his famous tension. One other final way that Hitchcock incorporates visual effects to create his thriller genre is the use of certain cinematography techniques such as the ‘Dutch tilt’ or a canted view, where the camera is purposefully tilted onto its side creating a dramatic and unnatural effect.
Alfred Hitchcock is regarded to as the original 'auteur' of the thriller genre. In his thriller films he would manipulate and exploit his audiences fears, his main techniques were to put innocent people into threatening situations. Hitchcock also played with the hierarchy of knowledge to create unbearable suspense as it waits for the audience.
Hitchcock was often responsible for pulling together all the elements of a plot, music, sound effects, visual effects, rhythm and pace of a film. To create many enigmas in his most famous films by causing mistaken identities, wrongful accusations and wrong choices. For example in Hitchcock’s "Psycho" the actress in the shower scene is naked and the fact that she is a woman implies she is very vulnerable. His use of piercing pleonastic sound of the violin stabs creates uneasiness also giving extra resonance to the stabbing actions keeping his audience tense.
In this scene we also witness the use of .………… when the masked killer is seen creeping up onto the un-expecting naked woman and the audience know what will happen but the character doesn’t, this is one of Hitchcock’s techniques to produce his famous tension. One other final way that Hitchcock incorporates visual effects to create his thriller genre is the use of certain cinematography techniques such as the ‘Dutch tilt’ or a canted view, where the camera is purposefully tilted onto its side creating a dramatic and unnatural effect.
Research of the Thriller Genre
What is a thriller film?
A thriller is where a single minded goal is relentlessly pursued by a protagonist, in which usually there is an enemy force to fight against creating a fast paced narrative with frequent action. The film should keep the audience on the edge of their seats as the plot builds towards an intense climax, this could be done with literary devices such as suspense and cliff-hangers to achieve a slow build up to the climax of the plot. Horror films are often confused with thrillers, however horrors are more graphic and the audience will feel fear and disgust more than tension and suspense that is required in a thriller.
Thriller and suspense films are synonymous and have interchangeable categorizations. They are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, anticipation, high expectation for the climax, uncertainty and nerve-wracking tension.
Thrillers can come in many forms of sub-genre and hybrid genres such as espionage thrillers, crime/urban thrillers or action genres. Thrillers are not categorised by their content or subject matter but are defined by the producers approach in creating the film. The acclaimed Master of Suspense and the thriller genre is Alfred Hitchcock who managed to achieve characteristics of the thriller genre very efficiently.
A thriller is where a single minded goal is relentlessly pursued by a protagonist, in which usually there is an enemy force to fight against creating a fast paced narrative with frequent action. The film should keep the audience on the edge of their seats as the plot builds towards an intense climax, this could be done with literary devices such as suspense and cliff-hangers to achieve a slow build up to the climax of the plot. Horror films are often confused with thrillers, however horrors are more graphic and the audience will feel fear and disgust more than tension and suspense that is required in a thriller.
Thriller and suspense films are synonymous and have interchangeable categorizations. They are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, anticipation, high expectation for the climax, uncertainty and nerve-wracking tension.
Thrillers can come in many forms of sub-genre and hybrid genres such as espionage thrillers, crime/urban thrillers or action genres. Thrillers are not categorised by their content or subject matter but are defined by the producers approach in creating the film. The acclaimed Master of Suspense and the thriller genre is Alfred Hitchcock who managed to achieve characteristics of the thriller genre very efficiently.
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