What is a thriller? Thriller is a broad genre of film and television programming that uses suspense, tension and excitement to give the audience a thrill. Good! What are the elements of a thriller? The typical elements of a thriller are, firstly there is always a problem, this problem generally leads to mission that goes on throughout the film, with cliffhangers often left for the audience. There is usually an escape that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Good! Audience expectations Audiences expect thrillers to increase their heart rate, give them an adrenaline rush and make them nervous. They want the film to make them excited and scared, whilst enjoying it.

History of thrillers The Lodger, Alfred Hitchcock (1927) The Man Who Knew Too Much, Alfred Hitchcock (1934) Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock (1960) Jaws, Steven Spielberg (1975) Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino (1994) Inception, Christopher Nolan (2010) Hybrids and Sub-genres Crime Thriller – Seven, David Fischer (1995) Spy Thriller - James Bond, Martin Campbell (2006) Psychological Thriller - Cape fear, Martin Scorsese (1991) Supernatural Thriller – Carrie, Kimberly Peirce (2013) Sci-fi Thriller – Alien, Ridley Scott (1979) Romantic Thriller – Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Doug Liman (2005)

Conventions of a thriller Low key lighting is always used in thrillers, as it gives a dark and uneasy atmosphere. It can also create shadows which are frequently used in thrillers, shadows can show darkness in a character and can add tension. Lastly flashbacks. Flashbacks cause time and space disorientation for the audience, which can build suspense. Characters Characters in thrillers are generally mysterious and usually quite hidden, eg, Seven. They are often isolated from the outside world and come across a bit strange and unstable. However the character can look very normal from the outside. GOOD!

Mise en scene Different levels of low key lighting are always used in thrillers to create the atmosphere. Low level lighting creates shadows which often cause fear, as shadows are like the unknown. Film titles are often simple and red is used a lot, because red is associated with blood and blood is scary. Costumes are often simple, to make the characters look like normal everyday people. This is called naturalist, how the character looks is how the audience will perceive them at first sight.(? Explain) Thrillers will typically be in a normal place eg, a dark house. Objects can help the audience determine the character at first sight, guns violence is are often linked with the villains.

Camerawork Tracking and pan shots are commonly used in the beginning of thrillers eg, the bank heist in the Dark Knight. But the close up shot is used the most, this is because a close up shows a character without giving too much away, therefore hiding identity, this is an essential part of introducing a character in a thriller. Editing Jump cuts are the most used cut in thrillers, as they can build tension, due to the sudden change in the visuals on screen. They are used very frequently and effectively in the opening title sequence of Seven. Sound The sound in thrillers is generally low tempo with a steady beat, this contributes to building suspense. Silences are used to create tension and panic amongst the audience. GOOD!

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FEEDBACK Very good initial research which can be used as a solid foundation to build upon! More visuals! Myles I can see you are engaging with the subject and have a good initial grounding in the concept of thriller! Stu