1. Thriller Genre – Research.

2. Thriller Overview. The term thriller loosely refers to any film that generates suspense and excitement as a major part of their narrative. The main aim of a thriller is to keep the audience on the ‘edge’ of their seats as the plot builds. The majority of thriller include an ordinary person being placed in an extraordinary situation.

3. Narrative Themes and Conventions. There are five major narrative conventions of thriller films. These include: a crime at the core of the narrative, a complex narrative structure (to build suspense), a narrative that will often take surprising turns, the plot builds towards a climax, and a ‘restricted narration’ – depriving the audience of vital information until the very end of the film. According to Todorov’s theory of narrative, there are five stages: 1.A state of equilibrium at the outset 2.A disruption of the equilibrium 3.The recognition of the disruption 4.An attempt to repair the disruption 5.A reinstatement of the equilibrium An example of this would be in Collateral – the state of equilibrium is when Max is driving around the city, the disruption would be when Vincent gets into the taxi, the recognition is when the body falls onto the taxi, an attempt to repair the disruption is when the FBI get involved, and the reinstatement of the equilibrium is when Max kills Vincent.

4. Thriller Character Profiles. According to Propp’s character theory, there are 7 character types: 1.The villain 2.The donor (who prepares the hero) 3.The helper 4.The princess (person who the hero marries) 5.The princess’ father (usually dies before the end) 6.The dispatcher (who sends the hero off) 7.The hero/seeker hero – who weds the princess The antagonist in thriller films is often some kind of criminal/stalker – they’re usually very intelligent and their identity is often hidden. In Silence of the Lambs it could be argued that there are two antagonists – Buffalo Bill and Hannibal Lector. The protagonist is usually an innocent victim/someone with a dark past – they’re normally an everyday person, and have a ‘flaw’ that could be exploited by an antagonist. Thrills are maintained by the protagonist being placed in dangerous situations. The protagonist in Silence of the Lambs is Clarice – her ‘flaws’ (her dark past resulting from the death of her father) is exploited by Hannibal Lector in their later conversations.

5. Mise-en-scene: In most thriller movies, there’s a particularly negative mise-en-scene: - Props – the protagonist will usually have some form of weapon as a prop, but even the less important characters will have props to demonstrate their personalities/characteristics. For example, in Collateral, Vincent carries the mysterious briefcase around with him as a weapon. However, we see in the opening sequence to the film that in Max’s cab, he keeps a picture of a tropical island, showing that he’s a dreamer with different ideas for his life. - Lighting – The lighting will usually be de-saturated, with a blue tint, to reflect the depressing tone of the film. This lighting is most noticeable in films such as Brick and Shutter Island. - Setting – Thrillers are usually set in busy cities, such as New York, LA, etc, as the large populations are easy to get lost/hide amongst (perfect for criminals, authorities). For example, Drive is set in Los Angeles, and also features an establishing shot during the opening sequence to show how large the city is. - Costume – In modern day thriller movies the protagonists will usually be dressed in ordinary clothing (relating back to the theory that the main basis of a thriller movie is ‘extraordinary things happening to ordinary people’). In crime thrillers, where detectives may be main characters, an iconic costume (black/grey sharp suits, sunglasses, etc) would be worn to make their profession instantly recognisable. Traditionally, the male characters would appear more dominant by the use of darker toned clothing. For any injuries sustained in the narrative, fake blood would be used as make-up – this use of the colour red connotes danger, anger and pain. In the majority of the film Shutter Island, the characters Chuck and Teddy are dressed in iconic detective uniforms, however their different takes on the ‘detective’ stereotype shows their differences in personality. - Figure and facial expressions – The typical characters in thrillers portray suspense and fear by the use of their body language and actions. Heavy breathing and sweating are commonly used, and characters will appear very conscious of their surroundings. For example, in Brick, when Brendan discovers Emily’s dead body, he crouches in what appears to be the fetal position – this shows his vulnerability, fear, and upset.

6. Cinematography. A few important shots/angles/movement that are used in Thriller movies to create that all important ‘thrill’: - P.O.V/A.P.O.V – This shot will allow the audience to feel involved with the on-screen action and narrative, and feel emotions similar to a specific character. For example, in Brick, the P.O.V shot shows panic and paranoia; a reflection of what Brendan is feeling. - A lack of establishing shot – This reiterates the lack of information given to the audience, which relates back to the idea of ‘restricted narrative’. A Thriller without an establishing shot, for example Shutter Island, will create suspense and heightened emotions for the audience as they and the character have little understanding about the location they are based in. -Low/High angles – These demonstrate the amount of authority and power the characters have – for example, if a character is shot from above, it will usually show a loss of power, and newly-gained weakness. This will usually be used to make the audience sympathise with the weaker character, and provoke suspense for them. The high angle shot used in The Godfather (pictured below) shows which character has the higher status and power in the situation, and implies for the majority of the film this character’s power and authority will be a major part of the narrative. - Hitchcock zoom – This is used to disorientate the audience, and make them feel uncomfortable. For example, the Hitchcock Zoom is used in the rooftop scene of the film Vertigo, to create a feeling similar to the character’s in order for the audience to relate to. A high angle shot from the film The Godfather. Just before the Hitchcock Zoom in the film Vertigo.

7. Sound: Diegetic – Diegetic sounds are sourced from within the frame, e.g. Dialogue, slamming doors, footsteps etc. Non-diegetic – Non-diegetic sounds are edited in during post-production, e.g. Voiceovers, theme music. Ambient sounds – these are naturally occurring sounds from within the narrative, e.g. In Brick, during the opening sequence, we hear sounds such as the trickling of water, the ringing of school bells, and the distant talking of school children. Pleonastic sounds – these help reinforce the on-screen action, and are used a lot in Thriller movies. A good example of this would be in Psycho, during the shower scene: the high pitched bursts of music help to put the audience on edge, mimicking the feel of the narrative. Other methods of sound that are put to good use in Thriller movies are: the pace and also silence. During scenes based heavily on action, the pace of music will be used to reflect this – e.g. In scenes with suspense and slow cuts, the pace of music will usually be fairly slow to build up tension and suspense in the audience. Silence can be a very useful tool in Thriller movies – in slow-paced scenes (e.g. The protagonist hiding or investigating), silence could be used to create suspense once again – making the audience feel almost as uncomfortable as the characters. Silence may also be used when trying to create an air of mystery around a certain character (e.g. In Drive, Ryan Gosling’s character has no dialogue during the opening sequence, and the shots are used to reflect this: the character is not shown fully, only close-ups/extreme close-ups are used - this emphasises his mysterious character. Instead of dialogue, fitting music is used to set the scene for the upcoming action).

8. Editing: Editing is the act of placing seperate shots together. It’s often seamless (continuity editing), supports the plot, and is used to imply something in the narrative. However, when editing is noticeable, it’s usually to make you notice an act in the narrative and make you feel uncomfortable. There are several editing techniques that are often used in Thriller movies, these include: the 180 degree rule, match on action, shot reverse shot, and eyeline match. These are all part of continuity editing, however continuity editing may be broken in order to make the audience feel uncomfortable. 180 degree rule – used to maintain clear spatial relations, and clearly show the characters talking. In this technique, the camera will not intentionally pass the invisible line unless the shot is designed to make the audience disorientated. An example of this rule being broken is the bathroom seen in The Shining; the rule is purposely broken to make the audience uncomfortable. Match on action – A series of shots are connected by the replication of action, usually using several camera angles. For example, during the tumbler scene in the Batman film, match on action is used to show the vehicle shoot down a wall – a variety of camera angles are used to show the different steps taking place. Shot reverse shot – Another editing technique used to show a conversation taking place. This is a series of shots, either showing reactions or dialogue. The characters will be shown looking in opposite directions, but due to the nature of the scene the audience will assume they’re looking at each other. Eyeline match – similiar to a POV shot – shows what the character is looking at, usually proceded by a pan of the surroundings.

9. Target Audience. Although Thriller movies are certificated for certain ages, e.g. Psycho (15), Se7en (18), they have a very wide target audience... -The age groups that are likely to be target by Thriller genre movies are: young and middle (ranging from late teens to 50’s). -Both genders are targeted; females would watch Thrillers for the emotions they provoke, and also the strong male lead actors. Males would watch Thrillers for the action (chase scenes, fights, etc) and also the emotions they provoke. -A wide social class would also be targeted: with people from all levels of the class system finding reasons to watch Thrillers (e.g. Connecting with the antagonist’s intellect or enjoying the actions sequences). In summary, this wide audience would watch Thrillers mainly for the emotions (fear, thrills, suspense, etc) that are provoked by the climactic moments the movie presents.

10. Certificate 18 Exceptions: - where the material is in breach of the criminal law -where the material appears to risk harm to individuals/the community, e.g. Any detailed portrayal of violent/dangerous acts, drug use or sexualised violence - Explicit images of sexual activity (that cannot be justified by context) Silence of the Lambs: Sex/Nudity: -A man’s buttocks are partially visible as he is briefly shown masturbating – he then throws semen at a woman. -A man is shown dancing, naked, in front of a mirror with his genitals tucked between his legs – pubic hair is visible. -The ‘woman suit’ is shown – it has one breast and pubic hair. -There are some strong sexual references from different characters. Violence/Gore: -Most violence occurs offscreen, however some graphic scenes and injuries are shown (e.g. Cannibalism, blood covered bodies, etc) Language: - There are 23 uses of ‘fuck’, 2 uses of ‘cunt’, and several uses of milder profanities.

11. Certificate 15. Exceptions: Violence/Horror: Violence may be strong, but shouldn’t dwell on pain or injury. Very strong gory images are likely to be acceptable. Some threat and menace are permitted. Language: There may be a frequent use of strong language (e.g. ‘fuck). Stronger terms (e.g. ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Drugs: Drug taking may be shown, unless promoting or encouraging drug misuse. Collateral (certificate 15): Violence/Horror: -Within this film, there is a variety of violence/murders – bleeding corpses are shown, as is gun fire. There are many deaths shown throughout this movie, and for the duration of the movie the main character is held hostage by an assassin. Language: -There are 22 uses of ‘fuck’ throughout the film, and milder profanities (e.g. ‘shit’, ‘damn’, ‘bitch’) are also used. Drugs/Alcohol: - Some of the characters are involved in a narcotics ring, however they are never shown or discussed in detail. Alcohol is shown and used in a nightclub scene.

12. Certificate 15. Exceptions: Sex/Nudity: -Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. -Sexual activity may also be allowed without strong detail. There may also be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour. Violence/Gore: -Some threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised. Violence may be strong but shouldn’t dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Language: - There may be a frequent use of strong language (e.g. ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (e.g. ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the content. Shutter Island (cert. 15) Sex/Nudity: -Nudity is shown in varying degrees – in paintings, barely visible in the shower, shirtless men, and sex is also mentioned when a woman explains why she killed her husband. A passionate kiss between a man and woman is also shown. Violence/Gore: -Dead bodies are shown in various states of decay. -The gory face of a dying man is shown – another man watches the slow death and later comments that it was a botched suicide attempt – this scene is shown multiple times. -Dead children are also shown, floating face-down in a lake. Language: -There are approximately 14 used of the word ‘fuck’ and variations. -There are also 17 mild obscenities, 1 racial slur, and 23 religious profanities/exclamations/