4. Thriller Narratives
The tension usually peaks when the main character who the audience
are generally rooting for is placed in some form of immediate danger.
This makes everyone viewing excited and brings them further into the
movie. A good example of his happening is when James Bond is being
tortured in Casino Royale.
Click on the picture from the
scene to se this.
5. Thriller Narratives 2
Most thriller films will have plots which involve main characters coming
against each other usually in a fight or serious argument. An example of
this is when Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo in Lord of the
Rings.
Click on the picture to see
this scene.
6. JAMES BOND
CLAUSTROPHOBIA
IRON MAN
Iconography
• Iconography is the sort of things you expect to see in a film because
of it genre. For thriller these would be:
CARS
DIALOGUE
THE MATRIX
GUNS
THE DARK KNIGHT
BUGSY MALONE
POLICE
7. SEA
Setting
• Settings for thriller films are very varied. This is because it is possible
for lots of the scenarios to happen in different places. However these
are the most common:
JAWS
• Desert
DESERT
• seas/oceans
• Isolated/secluded settings
• Polar/Arctic
• Urban areas
• Sub-urban areas
STAR WARS
8. Thriller characters
• Thriller characters are often heroes and villains. For example:
• Hard men accustomed to danger
• Law enforcement officers
• Spies
• Soldiers
• Convicts
• Criminals
• Stalkers
• Assassins
• Prison inmates
9. Thriller Sub Genres
• A sub genre in a thriller is where whilst most of the video is a thriller
there are other parts which belong to other genres. Here are some
examples:
• Action Thriller
• Crime Thriller
• Psychological Thriller
• Science Fiction Thriller
• Religious Thriller
10. Thriller Hybrids
• Thrillers are also often Hybrids which means half the film is one genre
and the other half is thriller. Some examples of these are:
• Action or adventurous thrillers such as Olympus Has Fallen
• Sci-Fi thrillers such as The Matrix
• Western thrillers such as The Magnificent Seven
• Romantic comedy thrillers such as Safety Last
11. Mirrors
• Mirrors are often used in films to show the characters emotions from
a different point of view as well as showing things that the character
is imagining in the mirror. An example of this is a scene from
Spiderman.
Click on the video to see the
scene from Spiderman where
mirrors are used.
12. Lighting
• Low-Key: Also known as the effect chiaroscuro, low key is when
lighting is created by the use of a back light, its mainly used in thriller
and horror films to represent a darker atmosphere, which is scary or
mysterious. It will produce a sharper contrast of light in darker areas
on screen in order to develop deep shadows and silhouettes
formations.
• High- Key: This lighting means more filler lights are used in order for
the subject to appear more realistic. The advantage to high-key
lighting is that it doesn't require alteration for each scene. However
high-key lighting fails to add meaning or drama by lighting certain
parts more significant than others. It can be used to show scenery
such as a sunny day or mood such as in love.
13. Shadows
• Shadows are often used in thriller films because it is a fear of
the unknown as it is harder to make out what is happening. A
good example is from Nosferatu.
Click on the video to see the
scene from Nosferatu where
Shadows are used.
14. Tension Music
• Sound is very important in films as it sets the tone for what is about
to happen. One of the best examples of this is Jaws where the same
two notes are repeated getting faster which creates tension and
unease.
Click on the video to hear the
Sound track from Jaws
15. Flash-Backs
• Flash-Backs are used to show the audience something that has
already happened. This is usually in one of the characters heads.
Click on the video to see an
Example of a flash back from
The Bourne Identity.
16. Black and White
• Many films use only Black and White in their opening credits. This is
done for various different reasons.
These are examples from various
different films that use black and
white for their credits.
