Thrillers tell stories of protagonists battling antagonists through suspense and excitement. They often involve plot twists and non-stop action. A psychological thriller was chosen as the sub-genre. Characteristics include jump cuts, camera angles, music to build tension, shadows, and montage editing. Thrillers are usually set in ordinary cities and suburbs and involve a protagonist restoring order against a secretly vengeful antagonist. Effective thrillers build tension through a chain of bad events culminating in a climactic resolution of justice.

1. Genre Research: Thriller
Thriller is a genre of fiction that is known to promote high levels of
suspense and intense excitement. In a thriller the general plot is that
protagonists are put up against villains who are having a constant battle.
Usually towards the end of the plot the protagonists are determined to
destroy the antagonists with various plot twists that occur in thrillers.
Part of the allure of thrillers comes from not only what their stories are
about, but also how they are told. Some characteristics of a thriller film
genre are: High stakes, non-stop action, plot twists that both surprise
and excite, settings that are both vibrant and exotic, and an intense pace
that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax.
Zack Morgan-Vinciguerra

2. Thriller is a very broad genre of film, it has many hybrid and sub- genres
which can change the atmosphere of the film. Some of these are:
Action thrillers
Mystery thrillers
Crime thrillers
Comedic thrillers
Western thrillers
Psychological thrillers
Our group have decided that our films sub- genre will be a psychological
thriller.
Hybrid and Sub- Genres of Thrillers

3.  Jump cuts
 Camera angle changes/ variety of angles
 Music that allows a build up of tension
 Lighting that gives of shadows
 Mirrors
 Diegetic sounds such as breathing
 Montage editing
 Low key lighting
 Black and white shots
Codes and conventions of thrillers

4. Thrillers are generally set in ordinary suburbs and cities
although they can occasionally take place in settings
such as deserts and foreign cities.
For example: The film ‘Memento’ (2000) was filmed
mostly in a city that was unknown to the character and
audience, the setting was in modern day which is quite
common for a Thriller movie. This setting can give the
audience something to relate too and help them figure
out the genre of the film just from the settings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqW9fnkhqrs&ab_channel=darkhorse
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Settings of thrillers

5. The protagonist is often a brave male who seeks to restore
the equilibrium. The antagonist will have a hidden identity,
that the audience will uncover as the film progresses and
wont reveal their appearance early on in the film. Often the
antagonist goes out for revenge from a past event.
The Machinist (2004) The characters follow this stereotype of
a thriller film as seen in the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0fuHY4U1UA&ab_channel=SempriniUK
As a group we’re going to try to incorporate a similar plot for
our opening sequence.
Characters

6. A thriller usually consists of a battle between the protagonist
character and the antagonist. Then the story shows a chain of bad
events building tension and suspense for the climax. The aim of the
protagonist is to restore justice, while the antagonist seeks to
destroy it. The storyline will be designed so the audience will think
that it can happen to them, which will make them feel scared.
An example of this is “The Machinist” (2004) as it follows the basic
plot of the antagonist seeking revenge seen in a lot of Thrillers. In
this case his co-workers turn against him after an accident causing
the death of a character. Due to his insomnia he couldn’t get away
from what he done, and the antagonist came to seek revenge for
his actions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0fuHY4U1UA&ab_channel=SempriniUK
Narrative

7.  There will be a lot of close ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist
character, this is often to show their emotions, also it can be used to
focus on props to aid the narrative. The shots of the antagonistic
character will be cut quickly and will aim to hide their identity, e.g. A
shot of the back of them, a low key shot, the silhouette, or shadow of
the character
 The director will include lots of jump cuts because there will be things
happening that the audience is unaware of but is essential for the film
to make sense. Cross cutting is a key point in editing as it is used to build
suspense which is essential for a thriller. Continues editing is used to
help the audience understand the film better.
 Music is essential in any film to understand the mood of the characters
and hint at a significant part in the film. In a thriller it adds suspense and
tension. It will often start at a slow paves and the then build up to make
the shots more dramatic for the audience.
Style of thrillers

8. The location is important for the film because it help the
audience establish the theme.
• Lighting is often low key
• Costumes- antagonist will be in dark clothes if you see them.
Protagonist will be in ordinary everyday clothes
• Composition
• Make up and hair styles
• Acting
• Colour correction (Black & White, or colour, Fine-grain or
grainy
Mise en Scene