Task 4: My

Understanding of

Thriller GenreBy David James Bubb

Objective

I have been asked to do a presentation about

my understanding of thriller Genre and codes

and conventions This includes researching

about the different key aspects the audience

would expect to see and hear.

Definition of Thriller

A thriller is a type of genre which is aimed to

promote intense excitement, suspense, twists,

anxiety, and sudden shock.

Subs & Hybrids

The thriller genre contains many differentthemes that represent a film, which arecalled sub-genres. The sub genres are thefollowing: action thriller; psychologicalthriller; crime thriller; science-fiction thriller;religious thriller; horror thriller; comedy thriller;zombie thriller.

Some thrillers may include more than onesub genre in each film. This is called a Hybrid.A thriller hybrid can include action andcrime, horror and comedy, or zombie andpsychology.

Thriller themes

The typical themes a thriller may include are the following:

crime, police, fights, gunfights, car chases, terrorism,

warfare, investigations, supernatural events, country/state

forces, romance, stealth, agents, and spies.

Narratives

Most thrillers have a similar plot which first involve everything

being well balanced and then everything eventually leading

to a certain type of conflict, typically caused by

disagreement, debt, or hatred. Most thrillers involve certain

situations where a resolution may seem impossible, for

example when someone is trying to escape from a high

security prison. Thrillers are similar to horror films, because they

both may have some frightening scenes in their films.

However, thrillers are required to keep the audience thrilled,

excited, and interested and ‘out of their seats’.

Propp (Narrative)

There are various characters which each play a different role

in a film, which are the following: protagonist /hero;

antagonist /villain; protagonist’s helper; protagonist’s donor;

false hero; assassin; murderer; dispatcher; ; princess;

princess’s father; protagonist’s mother.

Todrov (Narrative)

There are certain sections in a thriller film which each

represent different events and atmospheres happening in the

film. These sections are important because thrillers need

different events happening in order to change the mood of

the audience. These sections are the following: equilibrium

(everything is well balanced); disruption (an outbreak

occurs); resolution (outcome to what has happened);

restored order (story reaches a conclusion); new equilibrium

(everything is well balanced again).

Binary oppositions (Narrative)

In a thriller film, there has to be a wide variety of different characters of

different sides, abilities and roles. The two most important characters

required in a decent thriller film are the protagonist (main character)

and the antagonist (main evil character). These are binary opposites –

a pair of terms or people which are opposite in meaning. There are

also other aspects which are opposite each other: good vs evil;

humans vs aliens; smart vs stupid; boys vs girls; space vs earth; known vs

unknown; black vs white; city vs country; land; vs sea.

Codes

& Conventions

Codes are words, signs, or symbols whichrepresent something or someone. Conventionsare certain ways in which something is done. Iwill now be writing about the different Codesand Conventions a thriller needs in order tomake it successful. The codes andconventions in a typical thriller are thefollowing: tension music; low key lighting;shadows; mirrors; flashbacks; black and white;quick editing; suspense; certain cameraangles, shots & movements; editingtechniques.

Setting

In a thriller film, there are certain places that the audience

would normally expect to see either at or near the start of the

film, which are included in the following list: dessert, inner city,

military base, space, space station, polar/arctic area,

seas/ocean, police station, prison camp, prison-of-war camp,

World War 1/2 trenches, misty areas

Iconography

In a thriller film, there are certain things the audience

would expect to see and hear either at or near the start

of the film, which are the following: police uniforms,

military uniforms, expensive vehicles, tension music, low

key lighting, missiles, firearms, bombs, violence, jet

fighters, camera movement, low camera angle, tilted

camera angle handheld camera, and quick cutting.

Mise En Scene

Mirrors: This is used to show acharacter’s soul or inner-self. Thisforeshadows darkness within certaincharacters.

Black and White: This is when thereis no colour and gives the use ofshadows. This makes a thrillerstrange, historical, frightening, ordark.

Flashbacks: When certain past of acharacter gives the audience aninsight of the his/her life.

Mirror - Black SWAN

Flashback

Bourne Ultimatum

Mise En Scene

Low-Key lighting: This is when the brightness on

the screen is low. This makes the thriller scary,

gloomy and dark.

Shadows: These are used to make the

audience think there is someone unknown.

Twist: This is used to completely change the

predictions the audience might of made.

Shadow – SE7EN

Evaluation

When putting this presentation together, I have

researched a range of different thriller codes and

conventions. This has allowed me to gain knowledge

that I will apply to my own Thriller Opening sequence. I

have learnt that thrillers have to keep the audience

engaged and on edge, and all the codes and

conventions within this presentation help to create

this.