Initial research

The brief

For my media coursework, I have been briefed to film and edit in a group the opening titles of a thriller film in which demonstrates a range of media filming techniques and displays a range of thriller conventions.
In lesson, the first thing that we started to do was to identify what exactly a thriller was and what the different genres of thrillers that existed. I learnt that thrillers are known to promote, suspense anticipation, heightened expectation, anxiety, uncertainty, intense excitement and tension. Thrillers films display similar characteristics and they follow similar conventions. The principal character is usually unaware or unknowing to the dangerous or potentially deadly situation that they may face which makes us as an audience feel tense and on edge by dramatic irony. The plots of thrillers typically involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy. The tension often reaches its climax when the main character(s) is placed in a challenging/difficult situation/mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission. Thrillers are often are fast paced, they include frequent action, resourceful heroes and they include villains. Devices such as suspense, cliffhangers are used to create suspenseful and tense atmospheres and this effectively keeps the audience glued to the screen.


I did some secondary research and used the internet to find out what were the kinds of character types that thrillers often include and below I have made a list of some of these characters

Convicts
Criminals
Stalkers
Assassins
down-on-their-luck losers
innocent victims which are often on the run or in hiding
prison inmates
menaced women
characters with dark pasts
psychotic individuals
terrorists
cops and escaped cons
Fugitives
private eye drifters
duplicitous
individuals/ people involved in twisted relationships
world-weary men and women
psycho-fiends

Popular themes terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder and these are often set in every day location and they seem realistic and possible unlike the horror genre that includes magical and horrific c creations that cannot formally exist. They also typically involve sudden plot twists and lots of red herrings, for example, keeping people unsure about what is going to happen, they are usually set in erotic settings.

The plots of thrillers can vary widely depending on the genre of thriller. Within the thriller genre alone, there are many sub-genres (often these genres interlink) and these genres include;

Action thrillers- which often features a race against the clock, violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. Examples of action thrillers include James Bond films and ‘The Transporter’

Conspiracy thrillers - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. Examples include The Chancellor Manuscript and Three Days of the Condor’ and ‘JFK’.

Crime thrillers - often the focus is on the criminal(s) rather than a police officer. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, and shootouts. Some examples include the films ‘Seven’, ‘The Godfather’, ‘Inside Man’, and ‘The Asphalt Jungle’.

 Disaster thrillers - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster e.g. floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc. Examples include ‘Stormy Weather’ and the film’ Earthquake’.

 Drama thrillers - In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. They are usually slow paced and involve a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include ‘The Interpreter’ and ‘The Prestige’.

 Erotic thrillers - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. The genre includes such films as ‘Basic Instinct’, ‘Fatal Attraction’ and 'In the Cut’

 Horror thrillers - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. There is a main element of fear throughout the story the main character(s) are often up against a superior force and they eventually become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Recent examples of this include the ‘Saw series’ of films and ‘28 Days Later’, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.

 Legal thrillers - 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 also their lives. E.g. ‘The Innocent Man’
Medical thrillers - the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnel’s working to solve an expanding medical problem. Films such as’ Awake’, and ‘the hot zone’ are examples of medical thrillers.

 Political thrillers - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. Examples include ‘Seven Days in May’ ,‘The Day of the Jackal’ ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and the film ‘ Agency’

 Psychological thrillers - In which (the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The audience are often left confused and unaware and they are often forced to examine the motivations and back stories of the characters to figure out the plot. examples include ‘Suspicion’, ‘Shadow of a Doubt’, and ‘Strangers on a Train’ and ‘The Sixth Sense’

 Spy thrillers- In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or terrorists. Examples include ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘24’

 Supernatural thrillers - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror ingredients such as ghosts, demons and psychic phenomenon. Supernatural thrillers are also are very good at sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability/ often in these films you will find the protagonists either battling a paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by something beyond explanation and beyond reality. Examples include the films ‘Carrie’, ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Torchwood’.

Techno-thrillers - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology is described in detail and made essential to the viewer's understanding of the plot. An example of a techno- thriller is the film ‘The Hunt for Red October’.