Q7.) Which conventions of thriller will I include in my own and why?
I will use mirrors to portray the reflections of a person’s soul and their inner self, as they can also foreshadow the darkness within certain characters; expressing inside emotions they may not want to reveal. Moreover I like the idea of using a basement, or just a dark, claustrophobic room, as I think it can really add tension to the shot, and give it a very stereotypical thriller feel. Lastly, I like how they’ve made red symbolic, so I may incorporate the same idea using black as a powerful, authoritative and dangerous colour.
Above shows a worldle of why audiences are attracted to thrillers.
More detailed reasons why;
- They are all exciting and thrilling to watch; keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.
- The audience love the conventional aspects of thrillers, and the jump-scares that they include.
- The suspense builds as the film progresses, keeping them captivated.
- They are sometimes very ambiguous, which keeps them watching for a solution at the end.
- Finally they enjoy predicting the plot.
Q4.) Name 3 iconic thriller actors?
DANIEL CRAIG-
Date of Birth- 2nd March 1968, Chester, Cheshire, England, UK
Birth Name- Daniel Wroughton Craig
Daniel Craig has starred as “James Bond” in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).
Daniel Craig is an English actor. Craig trained at the National Youth Theatre and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1991, before beginning his career on stage. His film debut was in the drama The Power of One (1992). Other early appearances were in the Disney family film A Kid in King Arthur’s Court (1995) and the biographical film Elizabeth (1998), as well as in the historical war drama television series Sharpe’s Eagle (1993) and the action-adventure drama series Zorro.
KEY- Best known for his highly popular incarnation of James Bond in films like ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Spectre’.
Featured in:
‘Cowboys and Aliens’ (2011): Gross: $100,215,116 (USA)
‘The Golden Compass’ (2007): Gross: $70,083,519 (USA)
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011): Gross: $102,515,793 (USA)
‘Skyfall’ (2012): Gross: $304,360,277 (USA)
MATT DAMON-
Date of Birth- 8th October 1970, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Birth Name- Matthew Paige Damon
Damon attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and he performed in a number of theatre productions during his time there. He attended Harvard University as an English major. While in Harvard, he kept on skipping classes to pursue acting projects, which included the TNT original film, Rising Sun (1993), and prep-school drama, School Ties (1992). It was until his film, Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), was expected to be a big success that he decided to drop out of university completely.
KEY- As he has featured in ‘The Martian’ and ‘The Bourne Legacy’,
which are both crucial thriller films.
Featured in:
‘The Martian’ (2015): Gross: $228,430,993 (USA)
‘Jason Bourne’ (2016): Gross: $161,704,965 (USA)
‘We bought a Zoo’ (2011): Gross: $75,621,915 (USA)
‘True Grit’ (2010): Gross: $171,031,347 (USA)
‘The Martian’ was one of Matt Damon’s most talked about films.
JASON STATHAM-
Date of Birth- 26th July 1967, Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England, UK
Partner: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Parents: Eileen Yates Statham, Barry Statham
Upcoming movie: Fast 8
He got the audition for his debut role as Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) through French Connection, for whom he was modelling. They became a major investor in the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to audition for a part in the film. Jason must have been doing something right because after the success of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie for Snatch (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio Del Toro.
‘Fast and Furious 7’ (2015):
Gross: $350,034,110 (USA)
‘Gnomeo & Juliet ( Tybalt’s voice)’ (2011): Gross: $99,808,609 (USA)
‘Transporter 3’ (2008): Gross: $31,316,973 (USA)
‘Fast and Furious 6’ (2013): Gross: $238,673,370 (USA)
‘The Italian Job’ (2003): Gross: $176,070,171 worldwide, earned= $450,000
KEY= For being part of ‘Transformers’.
http://www.imdb.com/?ref_=nv_home
Q5.) Name three iconic thriller directors/producers?
https://prezi.com/ap5-ehx-ajp3/iconic-thriller-directors/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Alfred Hitchcock
(1899–1980)
Director | Producer | Actor
Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, Essex, England.
He was one of the first directors to dive into the genre that is thriller. The films he made were ground-breaking and shocked audiences all over the world; he did things people had never seen before. The first most recognisable film of his is ’Psycho’, made in the 1960’s. Its shower scenes, psychotic plot and chilling soundtrack, made the audience terrified- which is exactly what he wanted to achieve. Hitchcock was a master of pure cinema who almost never failed to reconcile aesthetics with the demands of the box-office.
KEY= He directed nine of the American Film Institute’s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies: Psycho (1960) at #1, North by Northwest (1959) at #4, The Birds (1963) at #7, Rear Window (1954) at #14, Vertigo (1958) at #18, Strangers on a Train (1951) at #32, Notorious (1946) at #38, Dial M for Murder (1954) at #48 and Rebecca (1940) at #80.
Quentin Tarantino
Born: 27 March 1963 Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
He came to fame through the crime-thriller ‘Reservoir Dogs’, which was his first film he directed and also written by him. In his career he won two Oscars, one from his most recent film: ‘Django unchained’. His film earnt critical acclaim and the director became a legend immediately. Two years later, he followed up Dogs success with Pulp Fiction (1994) which premiered at the Cannes film festival. At the 1995 Academy Awards, it was nominated for the best picture, best director and best original screenplay.
KEY= many people admire his work, and he’s been called: ‘the single and most influential director of his generation’
Directed-
‘Inglorious Basterds’ (2009)
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
Christopher Nolan
Born: July 30, 1970 (age 46)
Christopher Edward Nolan is an English-American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and editor.
KEY= He is one of the highest-grossing directors in history, and among the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century. Over the course of 15 years of film-making, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the biggest blockbusters ever made. He’s making impact on movie screens all over the world to this day. He’s directed iconic thrillers such as: “Insomnia” which was nominated for a golden globe award. He also directed “Inception” which was widely discussed as the best movie in 2010. The film won him four academy awards and to this day it is still considered one of the best modern thriller movies.
Directed:
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
Also produced ‘Man of Steel’ in 2013.
"Yes, to me that's one of the most compelling fears in film noir and the psychological thriller genre - that fear of conspiracy. It's definitely something that I have a fear of - not being in control of your own life. I think that's something people can relate to, and those genres are most successful when they derive the material from genuine fears that people have."
Christopher Nolan
10 thriller in the last 10 years
(above)
Please watch the video clips below:
Q1.) What is a thriller film?
A novel, play or film, with an exciting and captivating plot. Typically involving crime or espionage. They are defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings off suspense, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. They aim to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats.
Q2.) What are the key codes and conventions of a thriller?
http://www.slideshare.net/billiewilson_/camera-shots-and-angles-for-a-horror-and-thriller-film
Cinematography/ Camera techniques-
Close ups and extreme close ups are used when filming the protagonist and can often be used to focus on props which aids the narrative. It allows the audience to see the full emotions of the character, helping to create an unsettling atmosphere. Moreover its used to capture detail in an important scene. Shots of antagonists will be cut quickly and will aim to hide their identity, for instance a silhouette or shadow of the character. Furthermore high angle shots are used to make the figure or object being looked down upon seem completely powerless and vulnerable. Tracking and panning shots are used to connote movement, and gives a sense that the character is being followed or watched. It could also establish a scene for the audience and lastly as the camera is moving it creates suspense as the audience dont know what’s going to be shown next. Tilted angles are a good way of showing a different angle of an incident to the audience. Extreme long shots or long shots put into perspective how deserted the setting is. Long angle shots are powerful in showing how intimidating or scary a villain Is and this would make the audience and characters feel very weak and insignificant. Hand-held camera shots are used to add a sense of reality, which in turn makes the audience feel very involved in the action. Point of view shots are used to put the audience in the characters shoes, which makes the audience feel more emotionally attached and scared. Over the shoulder shots are very popular in the thriller genre as its perfect in generating suspense. It usually used with mirrors and reflections so the audience can see what’s happening as soon as the character does. It’s used a lot to show a victim stood behind a victim.
Editing techniques-
Jump cuts
Cross cutting= is key as it’s used for building suspense which is essential for a thriller.
Quick shots= frequently used to accentuate the feelings of tension and anxiety.
Flashbacks= contribute to a sense of time and space dis-orientation in a thriller and this confuses the audience. They also give the audience an insight into a characters past.
Black and white= highlights the use of shadows and can often appear quite eerie and dark.
Costume/props-
Protagonist in everyday clothing, to perhaps present a sense of vulnerability.
Antagonist in dark clothes, as black symbolizes danger.
Mirrors used to portray the reflections of a person’s soul and their inner self. Can also foreshadow the darkness within certain characters; expressing inside emotions they may not want to reveal.
Guns.
Cars.
Knives.
Settings-
Confined and claustrophobic spaces.
Exotic settings such as foreign cities, for example Jame Bond.
Famous cities, with landmarks in view, for example London with Big Ben.
Characters
Protagonist- often a brave male who seeks to restore equilibrium
Antagonist- has a hidden identity that the audience will uncover as the film progresses. Often the antagonist goes out for revenge from a past event.
The hero
The villain
Characters with dark pasts
Psychotic individuals
Terrorists
Spies
The innocent victims
Narratives-
Thrillers are often based around the genre of crime but it could be based on anything, with thrillers a lot of hybrids are involved where its two types of genre or a sub genre, you could have a thriller/horror or a thriller/action. Thriller’s narrative have often a complex structure, they like to keep the audience guessing on what will happen next and it has twist and turns. A lot of thrillers have a restricted narrative, questions and or riddles will be left unanswered until towards the end of the film. Sometimes the narrative is based around murder, where the theme is revenge, For instance in the movie ‘Law Abiding Citizens’; the protagonist is an ordinary man, who has his wife and child killed by two antagonists, meaning the theme of the film follows the ordinary man seeking revenge to find and kill the villains. Lastly, another major theme is the theme of identity.
Messages-
Thriller Movies are usually not meant for giving messages they’re just created to scare us and to create tension, and to leave the audience questioning the plot.
Holly Gorton
Thriller Research
