Common Features of a thriller film

Common Features of a Thriller Film


-A thriller is a book or film designed to keep a reader or viewer in suspense.
-The aim for thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats
-A thriller provides the sudden rush of emotions, excitement, sense of suspense and exhilaration that drives the narrative

The primary elements of the thriller genre:

• The leading character faces death, either their own or somebody else's.
• The main storyline for the main characters is either a quest or a character who cannot be put down.
• The main plotline focuses on a mystery that must be solved.
• The film's narrative construction is dominated by the main actors point of view.
• All action and characters must be credibly realistic/natural in their representation on screen.
• Either by accident or their own curiousness, characters are dragged into a dangerous conflict or situation that they are not prepared to resolve.

Characters include
-criminals,
-stalkers,
-assassins,
-innocent victims (often on the run),
-menaced women,
-characters with deep dark pasts,
-psychotic individuals,
-serial killers,
-sociopaths,
-agents,
-terrorists,
- police officers ,
-private eyes,
-people involved in twisted relationships,
-world-weary men and women,
- psycho
-fiends

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Sub-Genres of Thriller:

-Action Thriller eg Die Hard, Kill Bill, The Bourne Identity
-Crime Thriller eg The Usual Suspects, Jagged Edge
-Film-Noir, eg The Sweet Smell Of Sucess
-Psychological Thriller, eg Memento
-Science Fiction Thriller, eg Aliens
-Religious Thriller,  eg The Ninth Gate

Thriller Movies

Anaylis of Shutter Island Screen Shots

-When we first look at this shot we can see that the main focus of the shot is only on the character which seems to create tension as the background is blurred.  Within this shot there is a medium close up which is halfway between a mid shot and a close up. They have the used a cold colour palette to create the feeling of isolation and to create a clear focus. This is in contrast to the child’s colourful, patterned dress. The young girl appears to make  no eye contact with the camera which shows that the child was looking at something which took her interest, however as an audience we cannot se what the child is focusing on which creates a sense of seclusion for the audience and does not allow a connection with the character. The angle of the camera is at eye level which is a fairly neutral shot. It calls less attention to the cameras presence and makes the audience feel like they are in the same space as the young  girl.

 


Within this  shot there is a close up which is a certain feature that takes up most of the shot. The close up helps to emphasize the characters emotional state and is useful for showing detail. Some parts of the shot are blurred out such as the background and the characters suit, which puts the main focus onto the characters facial expression. The male within the shot seems to be making full eye contact with the camera, from using the technique it would make the audience feel rather uncomfortable and would make it more personal. The angle of the camera they have used is a Point of view shot (POV), this would have created illusion that the audience is seeing through the subjects eyes, also they have used a oblique/ canted angle to suggest imbalance, transition and instability.   However as an audience we cannot see who the male subject is looking at which creates tension for the audience. We can see that the further you look down the shot the darker the tones which can create dramatic tension because the audience will feel unsure about what is going to happen next.

 With the use of a two shot within this image it is good for establishing a relationship between subjects and involves movement or action. It helps to focus on the two subjects and their facial expressions. Within this shot there is a close up which concentrates on the face of a piece of specific detail, however everything is a blur in the background. The use of the close up is to make the audience feel extra comfortable or uncomfortable about a certain character.  The use of a zoom lens was in order to get the required framing. The use of eye level shows no dramatic power between the subjects and is also placed at the subject’s height. Within this shot there has been a brighter colour palette used to portray the subject’s emotions.

 With the use of a medium close up it helps to show the detail of an action being done. From looking at the shot we can see that the background detail is minimum as the location has already been established by the audience, in addition the audience would have already known where the characters are and would mainly focus on the dialogue. The use of a cool neutral colour palette helps the audience to concentrate on the present scene but can dishearten at some points. There is a stronger light shining onto the older males face which helps to portray his emotions and his facial expressions. 

Mise-en-scene

- Editing
- Cinematography
-Props/costumes
- Non digetic sound

Feature

Costumes and props - What the characters will be wearing/ What is surrounding them
Editing- Putting shots together eg, cut and fade
Cinematography- How your shot is laid- eg, Shadows
Digetic sound- Music within the film eg radio, tv and singing
Non Digetic Sound- Music outside the movie ( Soundtrack, Sound effects).

Low Angle Shot 
- Taken from below the subject

High Angle Shot 
- Taken above the subject ( looking down at it )
- Gives a sense of helplessness and lack of power

Pan
- Sense of moving with action or speed
- Camera moves from left to right

Tilt
- Camera pans vertically- up and down
- Sense of size and height

Dutch Angle shot 
- Not straight towards the subject
- Sense of insanity

Zoom in and out 
-Highlight significant objects to audience

Steadicam / Handheld
- Moves around action
- Sense of realism( being part of the film)
- Creates tension and excitement

Crane Shot 
- High angle shot, looking down
- Sense of size and scale

Aerial Shot/ Birdseye View
- Positioned in a plane
- ELS ( High angled shot)

Editing

-Putting together film/video clips in an order to make sense of the viewer
- Joining clips together
- Adding special effects sound


Questions

- How many cuts are used?
- How long are the shots on screen for?
-Is the editing fast paced or slow?


Transitions
- These are the ways two shots are joined together
- The most common transition is a striaght cut- where one shot cuts straight into the next
-Keeps continuity and pace in the film

Dissolve
- A gradual transition from one shot to another- one shot fades into another

Fade to black/ white

- One shot fades ino or out to or from black to white
- Can create a sense of time passing or, if done quickly,flashbacks

Cross Cutting
- Action cuts between two sequences to create links, parallels or contrast between the two storylines and their settings.
- Can create tension

Coldplay- Clocks

1.When does the shot change
2.What is the effect of the editing
3.How fast/ slow is the editing


 The shot changes quite often onto different band members every few seconds.
The editing which includes jump shots would keep the audience engaged with the music video. The pace of the editing at the begining of the video is slow effect which gives you a chance to see what is going on and what are their surroundings. There is also a contrast between the type of pace used.

  Compostion and Framing

  Rule of Thrids

- When composing a shot, image a grid over the top of it
- Points of interest occur where the lines cross
- When composing a shot imagine a diagonal line over the top of it
- Points of interest occur.

Framing

- This is what you choose to include in the shot and what you might leave out
- A thriller shot might exclude objects to create tension

Extreme Long Shots

- The subjects are not clearly visible
- To show the subjects surroundings
- Used as an " estbalishing shot" ( First shot of a new scene)

Long Shot

- Shot takes up almost all of the full frame.
- Used to show a character in their enviroment

Mid shot
- Shows some part of the subject in more detail
- It is like seeing the person " in the flesh"

Medium close up
- Halfway between a mid shot and a close up

Close Up
- A certain feature takes up most of the shot
- Emphasizes their emotional state
-Useful for showing detail

Extreme close up
- Gets right in and shows the extreme detail
- Shows important detail on a object.

Cut away
- Shot that is usually of something other than the current action ( which could be a different subject)

Two shots
- Good for establishing a relationship between subjects
- Invloves movement or action
- Equal amount of space.

Over the shoulder shot
- Shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject.

Noddy Shot
- Shot of a person listening and reacting to subject
- Shooting interviews with one camera.

Point of View Shot
- To show someones point of view.

Media Languages- Genre

- Type of category of film
- Way of classifying a film to help us

To identify it so we can
        - Create it
        - Choose it
         - Understand it

Type of Genre

-Thriller ( Shutter Island)
-Horror  ( Orphan)
-Romance ( Titanic)
-Comedy ( White chicks)
- Musicals ( West Side Story)
-Chickflicks ( Wild child)
-Westerns ( Unforgiven)
- Sci-Fi ( Star wars)
- Ron-Cons ( Love Actually)
- Action ( James Bond)
- Documentry ( Supersize me )
- Spoof ( Scary movie)
 -Fantasy (The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe)
 -Gangster ( Donnie Brasco)
- Animation ( Disney )

3 Types of Genre

Major Genre- A dominent, important category
                         Obvious and easy to define.

Subgenre_ A minor category or subdivsion
                   Closely realted to its major genre

Hybrid Genre- Combination of major genres that sometimes creates another type of film
                      eg. Horror/ Western

Concepts of Genres

- Particular audiences likes certain type of film
- helps to anaylise film
- gives the film an identity
- attract a mainstream audience
-target a specific niche audience
-to sell a film
- to create a historical progression

Recoginising Genre

- Generic Codes
- Conventions
- Storyline
- Characters

Signifiers - Physical aspects that we see or hear in a film eg Clothes or Props.
                 - Used to create meaning

Mise-en-scene- is that which we see in the frame of the film. It is that which is " put into" the picture.
                        - Eg set, propes, costumes and landscape.