Title Conventions

Sherlock Holmes - Guy Ritchie

This opening sequence possesses clear conventions associated with thriller films. Such as:


Lighting/colour: The lighting and colour used in this particular title sequence is made up of low-key

lighting and grey scale colouring. These particular elements are reminiscent of thriller films, as they promote a sense of danger and ambiguity.

Key Characters: The key characters in this opening (Sherlock Holmes and John Watson) and introduced as a pair, not much is given away about their characters, but almost immediately a clear connection can be made between the two.

Music: The orchestral music present throughout the opening title sequence is a representation of the era that the film is set in, when it plays in scenes throughout the production it reinforces this setting.

Action and era suggestions: The action shown throughout the progression of the title sequence reinforces the conventions of a thriller film, their are violent images and the element of violence is a key aspect in the production of Thriller films.

I,Robot - Alex Proyas

This opening sequence possesses clear conventions associated with thriller films. Such as:

Foreshadowing: There is foreshadowing used in this particular title sequence, which highlights what is going to happen in the rest of the film. The sound of water is prominent, and is also prominent throughout the film. The foreshadowing of events that are vital to they key characters in the film, is a vital element of a Thriller films title sequence.

Music: The music selected for this opening sequence is tense and unnerving, sharp tones play as the text appears on the screen, this suspense music is typical of thriller films, and in this particular case it suggests to the audience that there is going to be an element of threat.

Lighting: The low-key lighting used in this thriller opening sequence is also typical of Thriller films, as it also promotes a sense of danger and almost foreshadows upcoming dark events. It immediately sets a sort of tension for the audience.

Characters: The fact that the music finishes and cuts straight to a close up of one of the characters, it immediately implies that this is a main character and will be an essential element regarding the progression of the production. The intense close up also presents an intensity amongst the audience, and again this creates tension which is typical to Thriller films.

The narrative plan for our opening

Restricted - restricted narrative refers to when the audience is surprised by an event they haven't predicted or one that they are unaware would happen. For example, a common use of restricted narrative is the incorporation of a gun shot or a bomb explosion into a particular scene of a film.
Unrestricted - unrestricted narrative refers to when the audience is aware of a presence or an upcoming event, and the characters are not. This element is significant when it comes to creating suspense within a film, it also creates a sense of dramatic irony. It could make the audience feel a sense of frustration, as they are unable to inform the characters of the danger that they are in.


When selecting a narrative for our own opening, we decided to select a 'restricted narrative'. We decided to go down this route as it creates an optimum amount of tension and ambiguity for the audience, as well as fitting into the classic psychological thriller conventions. This encouraged the audience to fill in the missing elements of the plot, such as who took Olivia or just where she has gone. Seeing as our plot is extremely ambiguous anyway, the incorporation of the restricted narrative manipulates the audience's mind to the maximum as they have no idea of what is going to happen, or of who to trust.
The tense scene incorporated into end of the opening, 'The Police scene', further enhances the effects of a restricted narrative. For example, it allows the audience to produce a clearer perception of the parental characters, and they're non-verbal communication (exchange of looks/facial expressions) in this final scene promotes a sense of guilt and anxiety. This suggests that these young, irresponsible parents, may in fact have had something to do with the disappearance of their young child, leaving the audience confused and craving more information on what has actually happened.

Influential Thriller directors

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan was born in London, UK on July 30th 1970. Best known for his cerebral and often non-linear story telling, Nolan has produced a range of different films over the course of a 15 year career ranging from low budget films to the largest block buster Thrillers of this generation ('The Dark Knight Rises'). Nolan began his career by making short films in his spare time, until progressively he has formed into a multimillionaire Hollywood director.

Quentin Tarantino

 

Quentin Tarantino is an American director, writer and actor. Much like Nolan, Tarantino's films are recognisable by his use of non-linear story lines. Other recognisable works of Tarantino are: aestheticization of violence, extended scenes of dialogue, satirical subject matter, and more.  Tarantino is a well esteemed director, recognised for huge blockbuster productions such as 'Pulp Fiction' (which he acted in as well as directed) and 'Kill Bill'.

David Fincher

 

David Fincher is an American director and producer, recognised for his work on film, television programmes and music videos. Fincher's most successful films are the ones he has created that fit under the 'psychological thriller genre', such as 'Gone Girl', 'Fight Club', and 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. His work is very iconic to himself, creating twisty plots and similar sort of characters within his films.

Conventions of a Thriller film

There are particular conventions that are customary in the production of Thriller films:

• Low key lighting - Low key lighting is used in Thriller films to promote a sense of tension, seeing as things are never usually quite as they seem regarding the content, this hazy and misleading use of lighting reflects the way that the content of Thriller films can mislead its audiences.
• Quick cuts - Quick cuts are usually a prominent use of editing in Thriller films, seeing as quick cuts promote a tense atmosphere. They never really give the audience enough time to focus on what's happening in the current scene, which encourages a flustered sort of effect.
• Shadows - Shadows are incorporated into Thriller films as they foreshadow elements of danger. As danger and threat is a recurring aspect of Thriller films, it is important to incorporate visual elements that add to this.  
• Tension music - Music is one of the most significant methods when it comes to creating tension and atmosphere in any genre of film. Seeing as Thriller films aim to create the most extreme feelings of terror and exhilaration, it is vital that the selected music is of the right sound and balance to achieve these goals.
• Changes in the angle of shots - A use of many different angles of shots creates feelings of disorientation and confusion, the alterations can make the audience feel sensations of stress and paranoia, which contributes to the typical feelings and conventions associated with Thriller films.
• Diegetic sound of breathing - This particular use of diegetic sound is iconic to Thriller productions, the sound can be very stressful to listen to and can foreshadow or illuminate elements of danger with in a particular scene. Therefore creating stress and anxiety for the audiences, also filling them with exhilaration.
• Protagonist is in the mercy of the Antagonist - In Thriller films, there is nearly always a villain and a victim, the antagonist villain is always presenting some sort of distress or danger to the protagonist victim. This is also an element iconic to Thriller films.

When producing our own Thriller film, we focused vary carefully on the different conventions associated with Thriller films. For example, tense music is present in our production, it promotes the eerie and unnerving ambience that we were aiming to achieve with our production. We also focused on using important sound affects, such as the repetition of the sound of a beating heart. Much like the sound of heavy breathing, the heart beat sound in 'Vanished' created a sense of danger and anxiety, it leaves the audience waiting for something extreme to happen. As well as the music and sound affects, we also focused on the different shot angles, we did this to created a disorientated sort of feel for the audience, leaving them almost confused and adding to the ambiguity.

Analysis of three Thriller films

'Girl on the Train' - Tate Taylor

Setting: A major criticism of this production was the setting, as it was set in New York which seemed to cause a significant uproar amongst critics, seeing as Paula Hawkin's original book was set in London which was a huge part of the novel. When analysing the various different settings within the production, it is clear to see that they contribute to typical Thriller film conventions. Although there is one major location, which is the suburban town (similar location to that of 'Gone Girl'), the smaller and less recognisable locations are what promote Thriller film conventions. For example:

The bridge setting: In the production, there is a recurring location used as a major aspect of the scenes. This bridge is where one of the most prominent and Thrilling events of the film takes place, however it is ambiguous. This particular location and setting selected by Taylor succumbs to typical conventions of a Thriller film, seeing as it is secluded and has an eerie sort of ambience.

The forest setting: Similarly to the bridge setting, the scenes located in the forest are also prominent, this is specifically where the murder of 'Megan' takes place. It is also a very secluded location , and a very typical one for Thriller and Horror films, many Thrilling events tend to take place in forests. For example, in 'The Hole' - Nick Hamm, all four protagonist characters of the film end up trapped in a forest location, resulting in the death of three of them.


Plot: The plot for 'Girl on the Train' fits the regular plot of a Thriller film well, it consists of ambiguity and subtlety, always leaving the audience questioning what is going on. It follows the course of a restricted narrative, meaning the audience have no idea of events that are going to take place and they are also unaware of what the truth behind past events are. It is all left completely to their own interpretations. When comparing 'Girl on the train' to 'Gone Girl', you can recognise that they both follow opposite narratives, seeing as the characters in 'Gone Girl', specifically 'Nick' (Ben Affleck) are initially unaware of what is going on with the disappearance of his wife, however, the audience are - this creates a sense of dramatic irony.

Characters: The characters created for 'Girl on the Train' fit the typical characters associated with a Thriller film, for example, there is a Male character that results in being the villain, whilst oppressing and disrespecting the female characters, which fits into the stereotypical depiction of male characters in Thriller films, being more dominant and intimidating characters. As well as this, there are three female characters in the production, two of which are custom with blonde hair. Both of these characters end up being victims in the production, and if you were to analyse the film with Hitchcock in mind, he would suggest that the selection of two blonde victims would be ideal, as he believed that blonde's tend to make better victims over brunettes due to the stereotype of them being more fragile and possibly less intelligent, however, there is also a brunette female victim in this production.

Visual style: The visual style of the film also contributes to typical Thriller film conventions. There is often little lighting in most of the scenes, and this is used to promote eeriness and tension. The haziness of the lighting and the screenplay, encourages the audience to feel unnerved and increases the Thrilling aspects of the film. When analysing other Thriller films, such as 'The Shining', it is clear to see that the majority of Thriller films follow this same visual sort of styling, therefore this production successfully matches these conventions.

'The Shining' - Stanley Kubrick

Setting: The setting in this particular production is considerably different but also considerably similar when analysing it in comparison to other Thriller films and when considering the typical conventions associated with a Thriller film. It is located in the high mountains of Oregon, although it doesn't follow the typical location of a forest or a suburban town, this location is particularly successful in achieving the 'thrilling' aspects of this particular genre. The location is very secluded from other people, and so it immediately creates tension as the audience would expect something to go wrong, as there is no way that they could get help quickly in a difficult situation.

Plot: The plot of this production fits amazingly well into the typical conventions associated with a typical Thriller film plot. It involves chase scenes, a villain and two victims both in peril and faced with terrifying experiences; the terror shown through the characters is what enables the audience to feel emotions of a thrilling nature and encourages the 'edge of the seat' sensation, as the plot is relatively unique and positively chilling. The film follows no particular narrative style, seeing as both the audience and the characters in the production seem aware of what is going on, both the audience and the characters seem to be made aware of the dark situations taking place at the same time, therefore making it difficult to decipher a particular narrative style.



 Characters: The characters created for this film hugely expand on the thrilling nature. Seeing as the characters consist of a family made up of a father, mother and a young son just makes the film so much more unnerving and uncomfortable to watch. As fitting to the stereotype, the male character in the production is the villain and is the one that manages to cause the peril throughout the film. However, where the audience would expect the mother and son to come to a sticky end it is in fact the father that dies from his reckless and uncontrollable nature, it is this twist that challenges the typical stereotype that associates with characters in a Thriller film.

Visual Style: The visual styling of this production also contributes to executing typical conventions considered to be associated with a Thriller production, the monotone hotel accompanied by the desolate outdoor landscape, entitles the film to a sense of isolation and danger. Much like 'Girl on the Train', bleak colours are used throughout the production, possibly to reflect the inner state of the main villainous character. The colours incorporated in each scene automatically promotes danger and confinement, seeing as red is a recurring colour used and the harshness of the artificial lighting is often visible when the young male character is on scene, and it is this character that is usually subject to danger.

 

'Silence of the Lambs' - Jonathan Demme

Setting: The setting for this production is also relatively stereotypical, the majority of the scenes are located in country side sort of areas, which like the other two films promotes a sense of dislocation and isolation. The immediate danger is recognisable from the scene, as it reflects the loss of the villain and the challenge to find and uncover him.

Plot: The plot of this particular production is tantalisingly horrific, with mature themes being represented. Again, like the majority of Thriller films, there is a sense of ambiguity, and the thrill comes from the search for the villain and stopping his horrific works. This film is custom to an unrestricted narrative, seeing as we as the audience are unaware of what is going on 100% of the time. This feeling of the unknown is what creates the tension for the audience, and its what allows the production to be labelled as a Thriller film as it possesses aspects associated with that of the Thriller film conventions.
Characters: Like all regular Thriller films, in this production the 'villain' is played by a male character, this factor allows the production to be labelled as a Thriller film as it fits the conventions associated with others. However, typical gender roles within Thriller films are challenged in this particular production. Where the female character usually plays the damsel in distress, this female character acts as a brave F.B.I agent who needs to confide in a mass killer in order to get information on another mass killer. This brave and heroic behaviour pursued by  a female character is not usually witnessed in a Thriller film, it is this that allows the production to challenge gender roles within thriller films.

Visual Style: The visual style adopted by Demme in this film associates to that of a style typically associated with a thriller film. There is often little lighting, which adds to the ambiguity and strengthens the tension felt by the audience. It encourages the audience to think harder about the content of the production, and enables the film to fit into the 'thriller' genre as it isn't all light and happy, much like a Comedy or a Romance film would be.

 

Psycho - shower scene

The iconic shower scene present in Hitchcock's Oscar nominated  'Psycho', presents key examples of Hitchcock's theories and ideas in action. The scene involves a rather dramatic shower, upon which actress Janet Leigh, has a very distressing experience which eventually ends in her gory death.


For example, he incorporates his idea of suspense vs. surprise, that's key in this particular scene.

For the audience, the fact that the female character in the scene is unaware of the approaching danger, it creates significant tension as the viewers know that something awful is going to happen, in this particular scene, the tense music incorporated also adds to the ever growing tension. Hitchcock also believes that "music can not stand apart from the movie", meaning that the function is to set the mood in the scene; in this case, the function is to create significant tension. The distortion of the figure behind the shower curtain, also contributes to the rising tension for the audience, as it promotes confusion and unawareness off who the mysterious character is and of what exactly is going to happen next. This relates to the unrestricted narrative adopted by Hitchcock, upon which the audience are aware of approaching events and the characters themselves aren't.

The 'Ticking Time Bomb' theory explored and developed by Hitchcock, is also apparent in this

particular scene. Upon the arrival of the mysterious character into the bathroom, and the fact the Leigh's character is so oblivious adds to the tension amongst the viewers as it means that they are left wondering what is going to happen next, its the threat of the danger that is more suspenseful than the danger itself.

Alfred Hitchcock's ideas and theories

Hitchcock had various different ideas and theories that he incorporated into his productions that enabled defining elements to be created for the 'Thriller' genre.

The 'Ticking Time Bomb' theory

Alfred Hitchcock believed that within every good thriller production, there has to be elements of the audience being left in the dark. He believed that, in terms of film, it wasn't the explosion that created the optimum amount of tension for the audience, but it was the threat of an explosion that made the viewing unnerving. He also quoted himself that: "There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it". When an audience is viewing a thriller production, if they are unaware of what is happening within the plot, they tend to fill in the gaps with the use of their own imagination. From doing this, what they invent themselves is usually far more horrific than what the director actually has in store. It is this that enables Hitchcock's theory to be favourable, and it also enables the allocation of 'thriller's' tense and electrifying stereotype.

In our own production, we incorporated Hitchcock's theory to promote a sense of confusion for the audience, as it is initially very hazy when considering what has happened to the young girl, and the audience would tend to jump to the worst possible conclusion when weighing up the possibilities, at least this is what we were aiming for.

Suspense vs. Surprise

Within Hitchcock's productions, it is clear to see that he prefers using the element of suspense over the element of surprise. The element of surprise derives from the director assaulting the viewer with thrilling/frightening events, this method of production is usually recognised in Horror films rather than Thriller films, where there are 'jumpy' and unexpected events. However, the element of suspense is one easily favoured by Hitchcock. This particular element derives from the director informing the audience of aspects of the production that the characters are not aware of, it promotes a sense of dramatic irony. Once the audience are custom with knowledge on upcoming events, the director artfully creates tension about what will happen when the characters within the production eventually learn the truth. This particular element of suspense is used eloquently by Hitchcock in the iconic 'shower scene' in his world class production 'Psycho', where the character 'Marion Crane' played by elegant Janet Leigh, is unaware of the mysterious figure approaching her from behind the shower curtain.

Blondes make the best victims

Hitchcock believes that within film productions, blonde females or males always make the best victim. He believes that "they're virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints". When analysing his work it is clear to see that he follows this theory when allocating the victim roles within his productions, for example, Janet Leigh playing the part of the damsel in distress in 'Psycho'. We followed this notion of Hitchcock's when directing our own thriller film, we purposefully chose a young girl with blonde hair, to add to the innocence and to create a vulnerable sort of image.

Narrative style

Hitchcock usually used unrestricted narrative within his productions; where the characters don't know what is going to happen to them but the audience do, it creates dramatic irony. However, with this particular element we chose not to follow in the footsteps of Hitchcock, we chose to use a restricted narrative, as we wanted to production to be really ambiguous so the audiences would have to use their own imagination to attempt to derive what happens, this is how we were aiming to gain our 'thrilling aspects' as it is the fear of the unknown that is promoted.