Genre Research blog: Thriller

  Common camera angles, shots, and movements in the thriller

• Low-angle shots depict the antagonist as having complete power and invoking fear while the protagonist is in a vulnerable and helpless situation.

• Close-up and extreme close-up shots are typically used to emphasize an important emotion or reaction from a character.

• Tracking shots are used in these films to create suspense or anticipation to develop the story.

• Long shots are used in thriller films to create an isolated feeling among the audience and actors.

• Point of View shots are used to connect the audience and character to share a sense of fear or terror that the character feels with the audience. 

• Shoulder shots can be used to display the characters' reactions to each other further amplify the fear of the protagonist and build tension.

Common costumes, lighting, acting, makeup, props, and setting/sets used in thriller

• Costumes typically used in the thriller genre include non-vibrant colored hats and long coats or suit jackets for the antagonists to create a sense of mystery and suspense. The protagonists are seen usually wearing anything from their period that is common to the general public unless the protagonist is unique. 

• Lighting seen in thrillers can be dim or lowkey to display more shadows and create a contrast that emphasizes the film's dark, dramatic, and emotional mood. 

• Acting in thriller films is usually mainly expressed through an actor's facial expressions and their articulation of speech. In thriller films, actors use their eyes and eyebrows to display anger, sadness, confusion, and sometimes happiness. When the antagonist of a film speaks they use long pauses to develop suspense and the tone used by all actors can range from angry to passive-aggressive. 

• Props used in thriller films can be anything about the actors. Most commonly the antagonist is seen with a weapon such as a knife, bat, or gun or a mask to cover their face. The protagonist can also be seen with weapons of defense. This does not exclude other characters from having weapons like police officers or detectives. Any prop such as glasses, ID badges, a cell phone, etc. 

• Setting/Set is very important as it sets the scene for the upcoming events. The setting in most thrillers is in a city or a populated area, however, thrillers may take place in isolated regions like forests. Depending on the setting the audience will be able to establish the main ideas of the film like the season, time, date, etc. 

Common editing in thriller

• Jump cuts are used to display the timeline of a character's breaking point when they are under stress and they can also be used to set the timeline of a jump scare.

• Shot Reverse Shot can be used to display two characters while they are having a conversation with one another, this could be during an antagonist or protagonist conflict.

• Fade in/ Fade Out is commonly used at the end of a scene that can be seen as emotional or simply to signify the ending of a scene.

Common sounds in thrillers

• Diegetic sounds are used in thrillers so the audience can hear the movie world's emotional sounds such as knocks, screams, whispers, breathing, etc. 

• Non Diegetic Sounds music that fits the mood of the film like piano or violin, typically suspenseful and creepy. 

• Dialogue is used as a main form of communication between characters; they could be using an urgent, angry, terrified, or happy tone. 

• Sound Bridge any dialogue or sound continues onto the next scene, this can be used to emphasize a certain sound or phrase.

Example films include 

• Parasite  

• The Craft

• Hereditary

• Us            

• Scream    

Elements I like and would like to use in our potential thriller 

Elements of this genre that I like and would like to use if this was my genre include the low angle shots, tracking shots, point of view shots, costumes, props, fade in/ fade out, diegetic sounds, and dialogue. I would like to use low-angle shots as I find it interesting how they depict so much power and vulnerability at the same time, I think it would be vital to use them in a thriller film to correctly depict the antagonist/ protagonist relationship. I would enjoy using a tracking shot because it always grabs my attention, meaning it would grab the audience's attention as well. I would enjoy using a point-of-view shot because this shot is always intriguing to view in a film as it allows me to feel fully immersed, this would make it beneficial to the film as it would allow the audience to feel attached to the film. The use of costumes like long coats, hats, and other outfits is always important in a film for the expression of the characters and the overall message of the film. I would like to use props in this film if it was a thriller genre because they always bring the film to the next level and allow the film to become more suspenseful and dramatic. The use of fade-in/fade-out editing would be useful when editing as it would be a very good indicator of a scene change. Diegetic sounds are also very good to use as they allow us to bring the sounds emitted from the movie and connect them to the audience. This aspect would be very important if our film consisted of a stalker or a murderer. Lastly, I would like to use dialogue in our potential thriller final task because it is the main form of communication between actors, this means it would be almost necessary to portray a sense of emotion. 

Elements I do not like and would not like to use in our potential thriller

Elements I am not currently favoring include close-up shots, lighting, jump cuts, and sound bridge. I wouldn't prefer using a close-up shot because I don't know how well we would be able to portray enough emotion and the main goal of a close-up is to emphasize an emotion or reaction. Dim lighting would be difficult to display as we would not be able to use professional equipment, therefore the camera quality or the execution of the lighting would be poor. I do not like jump cuts because although they are interesting to watch and they tell a great timeline, I'm not sure they would be beneficial in our creative process. Lastly, a sound bridge might just be difficult to edit or get the timing right to ensure it's still significant in the film.