Research- Conventions of a Thriller

What is a Thriller?
A thriller is:
1. a novel, play or movie with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage.

2. A person, thing or experience that thrills.
(dictionary.com)


But what gives the variety of thrillers a common ground is the intensity of emotions they create, particularly those of apprehension and exhilaration, of excitement and breathlessness, all designed to generate that all-important thrill. By definition, if a thriller doesn't thrill, it's not doing its job. (James Patterson, June 2006)

http://dictionary.sensagent.com/thriller+(genre)/en-en/

Overall i have found that a thriller is: A film designed to thrill an audience through the use of twists and turns in the narrative, it creates a large amount of narrative enigma for the audience and uses themes such as: mirroring, identity and voyeurism.

Conventions of Thrillers

• The unknown
• Narrative Enigma
• Crime, Often Violence
• Complex narrative structure
• Everyday normal setting
• Uses themes of: mirroring, identity and voyeurism
• Being Fast-Paced

Some examples of Thriller Films would be:

• Fargo (Coen Brothers, 1996)
• Lost Highway (Lynch, 1997)
• Se7ven (Fincher, 1995)
• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Fincher, 2007)
• Inception (Nolan, 2010)

(Imdb.com)


Advice from the Chief Examiner

We were given a list of clips that we should make sure we do not do, this is becuse it will give us a lower grade as they will not be imaginitive or contain a differentiated amount of conventions of Thrillers. We were also given a list of the most common problems faced with the AS coursework which again we should aim not to do.

The six most common student film openings are:

· Saw: victim tied up in shed

· Scream: Hooded stalker follows female victim

· Waking up: clean teeth, brush hair, leave house

· Se7en: killer sticks knife in Polaroid photos

· Lock Stock: gangsters play cards

· Flashback or flash forward

Most common problems:

· Looks more like a trailer or a short film

· Insufficient titles

· Poor sound, poor lighting

· Confusing for the viewer

· Uses one of the six most common student film openings