What makes a thriller a thriller? What sorts of characters, settings, narratives? According to thefreedictionary.com this is the definition of a thriller :
thrill·er
n.
There are many basic storylines or plots that act as guidelines for thriller films, and hence are thriller conventions. For example, a situation of a lone person or group of people that are found in an isolated area where there are not many other people around - isolation. The convention of isolation is widely used in thriller films, especially horror. Films such as 28 Days Later use this convention very well; the main character (played by Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital with nobody around, when he goes out into the streets of London he still finds nobody. The effect of isolation makes the characters the audience are watching seem very vulnerable and helpless to whatever may 'come and get' them. Other popular conventions are that of voyeurism; being watched or followed. Sometimes the viewer is made to feel like they are looking in on the characters, or that they are unwelcome perhaps by using the technique of filming the shot behind bars or a fence. Other times the viewer is simply observing the characters being watched or followed by others. This sort of convention raises questions in the viewers mind immediately, such as : Why are they following/watching them? Are they going to capture them? What's going to happen? This kind of engagement is exactly what film makers want to happen, so that the viewer is absorbed into the thrill straight away. Yet another widely used part of plot/storylines is the 'red-herring'. This is when there is partiuclar emphasis put onto perhaps certain characters of the film, leading the viewer away from what is truly going on. Thus leading to plot twist in the long run. In our own thriller film, there are parts where the camera is panning up the body while violent flashbacks interupt the panning. The flashbacks (due to their violence) make it seem like the body on the ground could easily be a corpse, however our character then wakes up and therefore is in fact alive - this was our version of a red-herring.
Popular groups of characters to be found in thriller films are often good guys and bad guys. This could be in the form of murder vs. victim, aliens vs. world, man vs. his mind, etc. There is often conflict. As a result, many a character found in thriller films are in fact murderers - either that of a human nature or otherwise. There are many examples of this, Mike Myers from Halloween (+sequels), The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Aliens from War of the Worlds, Jason from Friday 13th, etc. And of course there are victims to these killers, which in teen slasher films is often a mixed-gender group of teenagers (such as in Scream..). There are also the classic damsels in distress, and perhaps a person that is a victim of their own mind - as our character Rhys is. Of course not all thriller films go by this convention, as said above Crime/Detective films are also thrillers and these (as well as others) don't always play out with a murder and their vulnerable victim. There are also detectives, gangsters and other characters to consider - where conflict is a little less one sided in strength. There are of course many a different character in thriller films, but this is a brief and generic summary.
The items and settings are also a very important factor in making a thriller film what it is. Iconography would generally include things such as running water, bars/fences or perhaps street lamps. Running water is meant to be assoicated with death, as it may be draining away like a life or perhaps symbolises blood. Bars and fences give a sense of imprisonment and therefore isolation which links to the conventional atmosphere of a thriller. A type of setting that links into the idea of bars is that of a wood, as the trunks of trees with light shining through them could easily symbolise this - we in fact used this idea in our own thriller opening. And lastly street lamps, these (at night, of course) show only a small area of light in a frame which puts emphasis on the fact that there is a lot of darkness around. Plenty of darkness in a frame adds unease to the atmosphere, as no one can be sure what may be lying behind that darkness. Classic settings for thriller do heavily link to that which has already been mentioned - the feeling of isolation and imprisonment. For example locations such as woods, lakes, mansions and the like all have a daunting and creepy air about them - especially when it's night time. However usual locations are also used in thrillers, such as cities. Settings such as these I think are used in order to show that unusual and/or thrilling things can occur in a very ordinary and busy place. Psychological, crime or gangster films often take place in cities which seems to bring the madness closer to home; it makes the viewer feel like strange or violent things that happen within these films could easily happen in reality.
One that thrills, especially a sensational or suspenseful book, story, play, or movie.
Quite self explanatory.
A film under the genre of 'thriller' does tend to scare, excite or of course thrill the audience to which it is shown. Sub-genres include that of Horror, Psychological, Science Fiction, Crime/Detective and sometimes 'Action Thriller' - all of which tend to invoke the above feelings or emotions. So it goes without saying that there are many, many films out there that belong to this widely spread genre. However, what are in fact the characteristics of a thriller?
Conventions/Plot
There are many basic storylines or plots that act as guidelines for thriller films, and hence are thriller conventions. For example, a situation of a lone person or group of people that are found in an isolated area where there are not many other people around - isolation. The convention of isolation is widely used in thriller films, especially horror. Films such as 28 Days Later use this convention very well; the main character (played by Cillian Murphy) wakes up in a hospital with nobody around, when he goes out into the streets of London he still finds nobody. The effect of isolation makes the characters the audience are watching seem very vulnerable and helpless to whatever may 'come and get' them. Other popular conventions are that of voyeurism; being watched or followed. Sometimes the viewer is made to feel like they are looking in on the characters, or that they are unwelcome perhaps by using the technique of filming the shot behind bars or a fence. Other times the viewer is simply observing the characters being watched or followed by others. This sort of convention raises questions in the viewers mind immediately, such as : Why are they following/watching them? Are they going to capture them? What's going to happen? This kind of engagement is exactly what film makers want to happen, so that the viewer is absorbed into the thrill straight away. Yet another widely used part of plot/storylines is the 'red-herring'. This is when there is partiuclar emphasis put onto perhaps certain characters of the film, leading the viewer away from what is truly going on. Thus leading to plot twist in the long run. In our own thriller film, there are parts where the camera is panning up the body while violent flashbacks interupt the panning. The flashbacks (due to their violence) make it seem like the body on the ground could easily be a corpse, however our character then wakes up and therefore is in fact alive - this was our version of a red-herring. Characters
Popular groups of characters to be found in thriller films are often good guys and bad guys. This could be in the form of murder vs. victim, aliens vs. world, man vs. his mind, etc. There is often conflict. As a result, many a character found in thriller films are in fact murderers - either that of a human nature or otherwise. There are many examples of this, Mike Myers from Halloween (+sequels), The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Aliens from War of the Worlds, Jason from Friday 13th, etc. And of course there are victims to these killers, which in teen slasher films is often a mixed-gender group of teenagers (such as in Scream..). There are also the classic damsels in distress, and perhaps a person that is a victim of their own mind - as our character Rhys is. Of course not all thriller films go by this convention, as said above Crime/Detective films are also thrillers and these (as well as others) don't always play out with a murder and their vulnerable victim. There are also detectives, gangsters and other characters to consider - where conflict is a little less one sided in strength. There are of course many a different character in thriller films, but this is a brief and generic summary.Iconography/Setting
The items and settings are also a very important factor in making a thriller film what it is. Iconography would generally include things such as running water, bars/fences or perhaps street lamps. Running water is meant to be assoicated with death, as it may be draining away like a life or perhaps symbolises blood. Bars and fences give a sense of imprisonment and therefore isolation which links to the conventional atmosphere of a thriller. A type of setting that links into the idea of bars is that of a wood, as the trunks of trees with light shining through them could easily symbolise this - we in fact used this idea in our own thriller opening. And lastly street lamps, these (at night, of course) show only a small area of light in a frame which puts emphasis on the fact that there is a lot of darkness around. Plenty of darkness in a frame adds unease to the atmosphere, as no one can be sure what may be lying behind that darkness. Classic settings for thriller do heavily link to that which has already been mentioned - the feeling of isolation and imprisonment. For example locations such as woods, lakes, mansions and the like all have a daunting and creepy air about them - especially when it's night time. However usual locations are also used in thrillers, such as cities. Settings such as these I think are used in order to show that unusual and/or thrilling things can occur in a very ordinary and busy place. Psychological, crime or gangster films often take place in cities which seems to bring the madness closer to home; it makes the viewer feel like strange or violent things that happen within these films could easily happen in reality.Music/Sound
Music and sound (digetic+non-digetic) contirbute greatly to the suspense of a thriller. If you want the viewer to be anticipating an event in a film such as a Horror, it is easy with the clever addition of music. Often, the music and sound will go quiet with perhaps a high-pitched instrument in the background that keeps one on the edge. Following this could be the climax or shocking part of the scene shown in unison with strong and loud music not only thrilling the eyes but the ears as well. Music helps bring the atmosphere of the film directly to the viewer, so they feel as if they were in the film themselves. The classic bass part for the film Jaws will always be remembered by most.
These are the factors I think help to make a thriller exactly what it is. And by conforming to these, film makers are giving audiences what they expect and love from thriller films. Therefore, we have taken great care in making sure we have considered and utilised the conventions of the thriller genre in our own thriller opening.
Excellent understanding of generic conventions with suitable references to existing examples. This is a very good, detailed summary of what makes a thriller film, and has helped/will aid you in your production.
ReplyDelete