Genre research for opening and titles sequence

1. Teen Thriller and Psychological
Thriller

2. Genre
A teen genre is targeted at teenagers and young adults. The plot is normally
based on specific interests that teenagers have, for example coming of age,
first love and rebellion.
Thriller is a broad genre in literature, film, books and has numerous sub
genres. There are many sub sections to the thriller genre for example
psychological thriller, conspiracy thriller and crime thriller.
The sub genre me and my group chose out of these three was psychological
thriller. Thrillers can be targeted at my different audiences depending on the
narrative and themes.
Teen thrillers will often be based around high schools (America) and college
(UK) because they are teenagers/ young adults therefore the audience can
relate because of the similarity in age.

3. Setting
Teen thriller
A typical setting in teen thrillers are suburban cities or small towns/
communities where there is a school. There will be an immediate connections
with the audience because the target audience would be of a similar age.
They are usually set here because schools are attended regularly and are a big
part of teen life.
Psychological thrillers
Psychological thrillers are usually set in small towns and communities or
sometimes in places that are isolated e.g. abandoned houses, farms etc. They
can sometimes change locations depending on the plot. For example some
scenes are set in mental hospitals and prisons or in cities. They are set in
these places because they can bring a lot of mystery and suspense into the
narrative.

4. Character
Teen thriller
Stereotypical characters in teen thrillers are:
- The female victim – portrayed as being venerable, usually attractive. Sometimes can be
portrayed as dumb and annoying but other times can be smart. These types of characters
help build suspense.
- Non – believer – Can be portrayed as being cocky/ arrogant, tries to convince the other
characters they are over reacting, usually the first to be killed because they are over
confident. This gives the audience a sense of insecurity once they have been killed.
- The hero – Nearly always a male character. Tend to be the brave character and save the
female victim but can often end up being killed right at the very end. In some modern films
the hero has become a female, this makes the film more unpredictable because it isn’t
traditional.
- The hysterical character – Usually a female who cannot cope with what is going on leading to
her being killed early one compared to the other characters. This characters hysterics cause a
build up of suspense.

5. Characters
Teen thriller
The Villain – Can be a serial killer, ghost, monster, poltergeist etc. They
are often human and will wear a mask or costume to hide their
identity and to scared their victims. Never react normally to their
injuries making them seem super human or unhuman. This will shock
and scare the characters and audience. The villains who are monsters
or ghosts will play on the fear of the unknown. This will play on the
audiences fears and thoughts they have usually at night. This character
will always have the biggest impact on the audience and will cause the
most suspense throughout.
The couple - These characters will usually be to obsessed with each
other and not realise what is going on. They are nearly always killed
and have an impact on the audience because they get frustrated by
them and their obliviousness.

6. Characters
Psychological thriller
Stereotypical characters in psychological thrillers:
In psychological thrillers there will almost always be a character who is
portrayed as mentally disturbed. This person is usually seen as the
villain because normally their aim is to kill or harm people.
The stereotypical characters in psychological thrillers are basically the
same as teen thrillers, the only difference is that the characters are
usually more intense and are seen as more mature/realistic than
characters in teen thrillers.
The female victim in psychological thriller is usually smart but ends up
becoming overly confident making themselves venerable. The hero
tends to always be the non- believer as well, they usually don’t see the
big picture of what is going on until the female victim is in danger.
These two characters are sometimes very close therefore they can end
up becoming the couple at the end of the film.

7. Narrative
The typical narrative in the thriller genre tend to be based on a
group of teenagers/ young adults getting themselves into trouble
and some how get caught up with a killer/ criminal who causes
them harm or torment. The harm causes is more mental than
physical in these types of films. The antagonist will play some
type of psychological game with his/ hers/ its victims. The victims
will have to solve games, riddles and puzzles to be able to get
away from the villain or defeat them.
The narrative often involves scenes with weapons, drugs, police,
car chases/ regular chases, creepy house, traps, psychological
games, prison, hospitals etc. Thrillers have a lot of action scenes
involving these elements to keep the audiences anticipation
high. The narrative will start off very slow and then cut straight
to action that is fast pace when the audience least expects it,
going by the saying ‘expect the unexpected’.

8. Iconography
Low key lighting, knives and confined spaces are just a
few things that make the iconography of psychological
thrillers. Knives and weapons can indicate danger.
These objects represent violence and murder.
Confined spaces in psychological thriller can make the
audience feel unsafe, insecure, in danger and
uncomfortable. This is because claustrophobia is aimed to
scared the audience because they can relate to it. Iconic
sounds in thrillers can also be identified in horror films
because the two genres are so similar. Iconic sounds from
thrillers are, screens, crying, knocking, creaking floor
boards, gun shots and chains rattling.

9. Camera Work
Birds eye/ high angle shots are used to make the character on the ground look powerless and
venerable.
Close ups are used to see the reaction of the characters face, this shot helps the audience see the
characters emotions clearly and capture detail in important scenes.
Tracking or panning shots are used to watch movement, in thrillers these shots are used to show
that the character is being watched or followed. It can also be an establishing shot so the
audience can see what is happening or where the character is on a wide scale. When the camera
moves it can also build suspense because the audience don't know what they are going to see
next.
Reverse shot are used in thrillers to show consequence of a characters actions, it shows
characters under going realisation and can also show flash backs.
Tilted angle can add dramatic tension. It also shows something in a different way to how the
audience would normally see it. A tilt shot can also be used to make it look like the character is
on the floor and as the audience you are seeing what they are seeing.
An extreme long shot/ long shot can establish that it is a thriller film and can show the
audience the setting properly.

10. Low angles can emphasis a characters power or show how scary/ intimidating
they are towards another character. It can also make the audience feel
insignificant, intimidated and powerless. Again it can also make the audience
not like that certain character because they are making them feel over
powered or are intimidating the character that the audience likes.
Hand held camera shots can make the film seem like a reality to the audience
because it is as if an actual person has filmed the action, it can also make the
audience feel as if they are actually there.
Point of view shots (POV) are taken from the character point of view that way
the audience can see the film through the characters eyes and have a better
understanding of the character. This is very effective in thrillers because the
audience feels as if it is them and get emotionally attached
therefore making the audience scared because it seems like the action
for example a gun being pointed in the characters face is actually happening
to them (the audience).
Over the shoulder shots build a lot of tension and is also used to create
suspense. It is especially used around mirrors and surfaces that reflect so the
audience can see what is happening as soon as the character does. It is also
used to show a figure standing behind a victim.

11. Birds eye view Close up Tracking shot
Reverse shot Tilted shot Long shot

12. Low angle shot Hand held shot
Point of view shot Over the shoulder shot

13. Lighting
Lighting can help to define the genre of the film, therefore it is very important
in any film. The lighting is also important for the audience to have a successful
viewing experience.
Key lighting - is the brightness light which is very influential, It highlights the
object making it stand out. It also allows the audience to be able to focus
clearly on the person/ object its focusing on allowing them to understand the
situation that object/ person is in.
High key lighting - is used to create a realistic light. It is used when shooting a
scene which are outside during the day.
Low key lighting - in these films can represent and imply danger and
uncertainty, it also makes the setting seem very disturbing and unsettling.
This can warn a character if a place or a person in dangerous. Low key lighting
can also be used to only show one side of a characters face, in psychological
thrillers this represents a split personality making it clear to the audience that
that character can also be dangerous indicating that there is more to that
character than what meets the eye

14. Under lighting - comes from below an object/ person. This can create a
distorted effect making an object or character look like a large shadow form,
this makes them look mysterious.
Back lighting - is when the light comes from behind the subject, it has the
ability to create silhouettes and new dimensions within the background. Back
lighting helps to emphasis the thriller genre of the film.
Top lighting - is where the light is places above the character or an object.
This technique is useful when highlighting a characters face to make them
stand out. It is used in horror and thriller films because it creates a sinister
effect on the subject.

15. Editing
Obtrusive and montage editing is used frequently in
psychological thrillers. It highlights the feelings and emotions
of characters and creates suspense within a scene. It is mostly
used in key/ important scenes.
Flashback - Flashbacks are a typical convention in
psychological thrillers because it shows what has previously
happened. Flashbacks give the audience an insight into the
characters past or highlights an important message that
wouldn’t fit into scenes and that the audience would not have
known otherwise. Flashbacks are used to show the audience
why the characters are the way they are.

16. Sound
Sound in psychological thriller is important because it creates the
tensions and suspense, without this they would not have the same
effect on the audience.
Sounds in psychological thrillers can be screams, crying, creaks,
weather (wind, rain, thunder and lightning), evils laughs etc. All these
sounds can be related to thriller because these sounds can be
distorted to fit in with the thriller genre. Certain sounds are enhances,
for example the wind opening a door and then the door creaking.
Enhancing the sound makes the audience focus on it more, if done
well this can make the audience feel more involved because they will
feel as if they are there.
Instrumental music is a consistent theme in thriller and horror films.
They create tension and this dramatic effect causes suspense. The
instruments are used to build up tension, the music can be high
pitched and very eerie to give the audience shivers. For example one
of the most well known examples would be Bernard Hermann’s psycho
show music. This type of music is created to put the audience on edge.

17. Style