Research of a Thriller Genre

Media - Thriller Genre

Key: Menace and crime (often murder) which creates a high level of tension and suspense and also a high level of anticipation.

Narrative: How it's told; could show complex paths, clues, resolutions, happy endings and extraordinary events.  The story is what the audience works out from watching it. The plot comes from the key events and what we actually see.

The Protagonist: (The hero) usually dis empowered, becomes drawn into the 'web of intrigue'.

The Antagonist: (The antihero/villains) they usually put the protagonist in trouble.

Conventional Characters: The hero, the villains, the innocent victims, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, private eyes and spies etc.

Themes: Mystery, Crime, Detective, Horror, Si-Fi, Supernatural, History, Ghost thriller and psychological thrillers.

Settings: The location of the thriller is typically in another country, for example James Bond movies.

Key Elements: Cliff hangers, plot twists, red herrings, terror, adrenaline rush, anticipation, anxiety, investigations, obsession, mind games, stalking, hostages, revenge, paranoia, conspiracy, ransoms, chase scenes and cover ups. The protagonist defeats the antagonist.

Mise en Scene and Titles: Echoes or how the protagonist reflects their state of mind by the use of props, e.g. weapons or the use of crime.

Camerawork:
There are lots of camera angles and camera shots that can create suspense in a thriller genre. a 'bird’s eye view shot' or also known as high angle shot which is used to show the object being looked down on powerless and vulnerable, it shows the audience who is in control and has the power.
Another shot is a close up to show the emotion on the persons face, the audience can relate by seeing closer emotion and therefor catching importance in a specific scene.
Tracking/panning shots are used to give the impression that someone is being followed or watched creating tension as the moment can be fast or slow; this type of shot build up suspense as you don’t know what could be shown next.
A typical shot to be used in a thriller genre is a revere shot, to go back in time and show consequences of actions and why they are where they are now. They're also used for flashbacks.

Tilted camera angles are used to show some supernatural elements of the movie to create suspense, also used for the audience to see what the person in the thriller is seeing, makes it feel as if the action is actually happening.
Extreme long shot or long shots can be used to put into perspective of how deserted the location is.
Low angle shots show the power that someone has which can be intimidating and weak.
Held camera shots are used to make the thriller seem more realistic and make the audience feel included as they're seeing exactly what happens.
Over the shoulder shots are used to make dramatic effects and created suspense and fear. This type of shot is very effective and in reflections and mirrors, the audience can see what happens as soon as the audience does.

Sound: Music and sound is used to create suspense which makes the audience tense, scared or frightened. The music builds up a climax when approaching a scary bit of the film. Sounds are used to set the mood of the film, they are mainly used in the dark parts of the films and ‘eerie’ sounds are used, again to build up the tense part of the movie.

Editing: Titling is used in editing for the thriller genre to give more of an effect to the audience and an overview of what the film will be about, showing the creators, companies and some actors which are going to appear in the film. Frames of shots are also used, for example, close ups and long shots which show the upcoming events that will happen further on in the film. Camera angles are used to give off different effects, high or low to show power. Jump cuts are used a lot in thriller films. This is usually used to show all of the events that are actually happening, or also to remind the audience of what is going on, which builds up a bigger climax.     


 

  Hostage – Thriller Genre

At the start of the thriller there is a long shot to show the audience how much of a wide scale they're working around, which could suggest how hard their job is. The long shot shows where the place is implying what could happen and if it is all based in Los Angles or whether that’s the starting place. By telling the audience where it is, it may be a hint or something that they would remember later on in the film which could be used as a flashback to where it all started






Here, the main character Jeff Tally played by Bruce Willis is shown on the floor by a bird’s eye view shot showing the disorganization of where he is, unaware of where he is as it just shows him lying on the floor,  gives the audiences questions to ask of what he is doing and why he is there. The items on the floor are coat hangers, suggesting they could have false identities as they have to get changed or implying what type of business they work in as there are boxes too. The still doesn’t say much to the audience of what defiantly is happening, it leaves their minds open which is good to lead onto the next image as they don’t know what to expect.

The close up on Wills' face shows his emotions clearer than when it was a larger scale of things that was also in the shot which mainly focus' on his emotions and what he is doing. The red phone could suggest danger and that he is talking to someone dangerous or that is going to be harmful. His face here shows a type of shock and that he doesn't know what to do, implying to the audience that he is meant to be the protagonist with all the ideas but makes them unsure of what he is actually doing. His costume here doesn’t show much about him, the shirt and top shows he isn’t the typical hero in black or in uniform like the police are, suggesting he is something different to them, maybe more important which means that’s why he is on the phone and no one else is shown in this shot listening, he is dealing with something no one else is.

 An over the shoulder shot is effective here, again showing the scale of where they are working and what they're trying to find in a larger area. It makes the audience feel a part of the search or war as it's a close shot to the police officer in front. The houses are the type of houses that would be abandoned and that something else was happening in them. It gives off small clues about what is happening and where they are.

This still show is focused on two people mainly, called a two-shot, focusing in two people, either talking or discussing something important. The two men in this shot may have a type of relationship where they work together and are a part of a team. As the audience don’t know who they defiantly are yet and what they're doing they go on the costume that they're wearing, all black could signify strength and ability, but also a part of danger, seen by the guns they have. The police car in the back shows these people are a part of the chase and want to find people needed.

The low angle shot here clearly shows who has the power, Wills' and the other police officers. They are the main focus showing that they're looking for the people and they've got the control as here, the amount of people shown searching for them and also what weapons they have that they're going to be using.