This document discusses the genre of thriller films. It defines thrillers as films that create excitement, suspense, and anticipation by building towards a climactic ending. Alfred Hitchcock directed some of the earliest thrillers in the 1920s-1940s. Common conventions of thrillers include low-key lighting, tense music, cliffhangers, isolated settings, props like guns or knives, and characters like criminals, victims, or stalkers. Popular directors of thrillers include Hitchcock, Nolan, and Scorsese, while actors like Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio often appear in them. Thrillers generally target audiences 15+ due to violence but appeal to a wide range of demographics

1. Thriller
THRILLER
GENRE

2. The definition of thriller
• Thriller films are the type which are there to
create excitement, suspense and a high level of
anticipation. A genuine thriller that pursues a
single minded goal to provide thrills and keep
the audience hanging as the plot builds towards a
climax

3. History of Thriller
• Alfred Hitchcock was the first director to release a thriller. His
first thriller in 1929 was called ‘The Lodger’, a silent
thriller which followed the story of Jack The Ripper. Thrillers
which were produced in the 1920’s and 1930’s were some of the
most key thriller films to be made. Hitchcock continued to release
many thrillers into the 1940’s. Into the 70’s and 80’s
thrillers films began to edge closer to the horror genre, adding
more violence but still keeping the key convections of a thriller.
• http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html

4. Conventions of a Thriller
• Low key lighting
• Shadows
• Tense music
• Montage of shots
• Drama
• Suspicion
• Cliff-hanger

5. Conventions - Settings
Abandoned places
Isolated buildings
City centers
Cooperate buildings
Everyday family home

6. Sounds, cinemataography,mise-en-scence
conventions
• Props: gun, knife
• Lighting: low key lighting, dark atmosphere, night time
• Sound: ambient sound to increase tension, screamsw,
police sirens, gun shots
• Costumes: casual clothing, smart, dependant on the
character and narrative.

7. Murder
Psychopath
Serial
Killer
Traditional family
People with dark backgrounds
Anti- hero
Orphans
Stalkers
Conventions-
Characters
Criminals
Police
Police inmates
Innocent victim
Convicts

8. Popular directors and actors known
for thriller movies
• Directors:
• Alfred Hitchcock
• Christopher Nolan
• Martin Scorsese
• Anthony Hopkins
• Actors:
• Courtney Cox
• Nicole Kidman
• Leonardo Di caprio

9. Box office http://www.the-numbers.com/market/2016/genre/Thriller-or-Suspense
Through the evidence of the recent
thriller/suspense films released it is
evident that the thriller genre is mainly for
over 17 years as many of the films are rated
R. This shows that the films in the thriller
genre have lots of violence. The other
ratings are PG-13 this shows that a lot of
the films have some element of violence in
them as it is recommended to watch with a
guardian. Most the recent films have also
taken in a large sum of money at the box
office which shows thriller films are
popular.

10. Main film companies
• Blumhouse productions
• Dimension films
• Konrad pictures
• Hammer
• Kaleidoscope
• New line cinema

11. Target Audience
• Thriller are full of violence and psychological issues.
Therefore these films are not suitable for younger
viewers. Therefore the general target audience for
thrillers are for 15+.
• Thrillers normally appeal to both male and female
audiences and a variety of social classes usually
through the use of relatable characters and themes.
• Overall, thrillers appeal to a wide audience and the
variety of sub-genres means that the thriller genre can
easily relate to a range of different audiences.