2. THEMES IN THRILLERS
• COMMON THEMES IN A CRIME THRILLER ARE CAPTIVITIES, REVENGE, KIDNAPPINGS AND RANSOMS.
COMMON THEMES IN MYSTERY THRILLERS ARE INVESTIGATIONS. THEMES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS
ARE STALKING, DEATH TRAPS, OBSESSION AND PERSONALITY HORROR. COMMON ELEMENTS USED IN
PARANOID THRILLERS ARE; FRINGE THEORY'S, FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND PARANOIA. SPIES, ESPIONAGE,
CONSPIRACIES, ASSASSINS AND THREATS TO ENTIRE COUNTRIES ARE COMMONLY USED IN SPY/ACTION
THRILLERS.
3. CHARACTERS
• PROTAGONISTS ARE USUALLY JUST ORDINARY CITIZENS
UNACCUSTOMED TO DANGER, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES IN
CRIME THRILLERS THEY ALSO MIGHT POSSIBLY BE
ACCUSTOMED TO DANGER IN PROFESSIONS SUCH AS
POLICE OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES. WHILE THRILLER
PROTAGONISTS HAVE USUALLY BEEN MEN, WOMEN LEAD
CHARACTERS ARE BECOMING MORE INCREASINGLY
COMMON. IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS, THE
PROTAGONISTS RELY ON THEIR MENTAL ISSUES, IT MAY
BE BATTLING WITS WITH THE ANTAGONIST OR BY
BATTLING FOR EQUILIBRIUMIN THE CHARACTER'S OWN
MIND.
• TYPICAL CHARACTERS ARE USUALLY; STALKERS,
CRIMINALS, INNOCENT VICTIMS, MENACED
WOMEN, TERRORIST, MASS MURDERS, COPS,
PEOPLE WITH DARK PASTS, AGENTS, SPIES,
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN TWISTED RELATIONSHIPS,
PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUALS ECT..
4. CAMERA MOVEMENT AND ANGLES
• CAMERA PANNING AND TRACKING ARE COMMONLY USED
AT THE START OF THRILLERS TO SET THE SCENE AND TO
FAMILIARISE THE AUDIENCE WITH THE SETTING OF THE
FILM. THEY ARE ALSO USED IF THE PRODUCER WANTS THE
AUDIENCE TO BE FAMILIAR TO A NEW SETTING SO THEY
UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE IMAGE. IN THE CLIP OF ‘THE
SWEENY’ A VOICE OVER AND CAMERA PANNING IS USED
TO ADD FOCUSTO THE MAIN CHARACTERS WHILE
SHOWING THE AUDIENCE THE WHOLE SETTING. THESE
ARE SOME STILLS OF THE CLIP AND THE HYPERLINK TO
THE FULL CLIP IS BELOW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k824WO5ESt
A&list=LLEp7qKI4ApTD9ZyUMhGk9EQ
5. TITLES
• AS SHOWN HERE FROM THE FILM ‘FIGHT CLUB’, THE
TITLES USED IN THRILLERS ARE GENERALLY ON A PLAIN
BLACK BACKGROUND OR WITH A MINIMALISTIC
BACKGROUND TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS MAIN
FOCUS ON THE TITLES THAT ARE BEING SHOWN.
• THE TITLES USED ARE ALL THE SAME FONT TO KEEP GOOD
CONTINUITY. THE FONT USED FOR ‘FIGHT CLUB’ IS SHOW
AS ALMOST LIT UP THIS GRABS THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS
ATTENTION AND LINKS IN WITH THE OPENING SCENE OF
THE BODY CELLS BEING SHOWN.
6. USE OF SHOTS
• CLOSE UPS ARE OFTEN SHOWN IN
THRILLERS TO SHOW DEPTH OF
CHARACTERS FEELINGS AND TO BUILD UP
SUSPENSE.
• LONG SHOTS ARE ALSO COMMONLY USED
TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE MEMBER THE
WHOLE PICTURE AND TO SET THE SCENE.
• HERE IS BOTH A LONG SHOT AND A CLOSE
UP SHOT TO CREATE TWO DIFFERENT
FEELINGS FROM THE SAME FILM ‘CASINO
ROYALE’.
LONG SHOT
CLOSE UP
7. SOUND
• NONE DIEGETIC SOUND IS OFTEN USED IN THRILLERS THIS CREATES AN
ATMOSPHERE TO THE AUDIENCE THIS IS OFTEN USED IN EITHER; THE
BEGINNING OF THE FILM OR A FIGHT/CHASE SCENE. ALSO VOICE OVERS
ARE QUITE POPULAR IN THRILLERS THIS HELPS TO CREATE A SCENE AND
GIVE THE AUDIENCE MORE IDEA OF THE CHARACTER WHOM IS TALKING
OR WHO THE NARRATOR IS TALKING ABOUT, SOUNDS BRIDGES ARE ALSO
POPULAR.
• ALSO SOME VERY SUCCESSFUL FILMS LIKE ‘PULP FICTION’ AND ‘SKYFALL’
BRING OUT THERE OWN MUSIC AND SOUND TRACK THAT IS INCLUDED IN
THE FILM.
• DIEGETIC SOUND IS ALSO USED THIS INCLUDES; THE CHARACTERS
VOICES AND DIEGETIC MUSIC.
8. EDITING
• JUMP CUTS ARE COMMONLY USED IN THRILLER
THIS IS NORMALLY THE CASE TO QUICKLY
SWITCH FROM ONE SCENE TO THE NEXT WHEN
AN ACTION SCENE IS TAKING PLACE.
• THIS CREATES TENSION AND BUILDING UP TO A
CLIMAX. THIS DRAMATICALLY DRAWS THE
AUDIENCE IN.
