Research: What Is A Thriller? (Miss B)

What Is A Thriller?

In this post I will start by outlining what exactly a 'genre' is. Genre, coming from French origin and pronounced like the French, is a certain type of many things in the media. Our focus is based on films (movies). Genres are split into many main categories, such as thriller and psychological. Often, sub-genres occur which is a mixture between two or more genres. An example is a psychological-thriller movie; such as Final Destination, in which the audience (being young adults) bears confusion, doubt and tension all at once.                                                                                                                                 Psycho - shower scene

Genres & Target Audience | It is important to know what a genre is, and an insight into the different kinds, so the codes and conventions of a movie are easier to locate and comment on as they all portray the particular genre. Certain genres are achieved to entertain certain audiences. An audience is made up of people with similarities, one being an overall interest in the type of movie being produced. However, factors such as age, ethnicity, social class, location, hobbies and interests narrow down audiences even further - sometimes creating a niche audience. This is a small group of people who share movie interests that the majority do not. Elements of different genres are included in a typically action-packed movie to gain the possible interest of these small groups, and so forth with any other type of movie. Many independent movies have a niche audience, and many Hollywood movies attract a wider range of people. Thrillers generally have a target audience of 18+ (R/X) Other genres include comedy, action, supernatural, superhero, paranormal, chick flick, tragedy, horror, family, religion and so forth. Arguably, it isn't always important for the audience to know what to expect, especially from a sub-genre, twists and surprises are not meant to be expected.

The Thriller Genre | Though there are endless types of movies to discover, this course specifically focuses on thriller movies. Thriller movies traditionally use these three main elements: suspicion, tension and excitement. Like mentioned before, thriller movies can be entwined with other genres - one being the psychological sector of film industry. Some examples of thriller movies are:

• Se7en (1995) Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.(1)
• Psycho (1960) A Phoenix secretary steals $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.(2)
• The Dark Night (2008) When Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent launch an assault on the mob, they let the clown out of the box, the Joker, bent on turning Gotham on itself and bringing any heroes down to his level.(3)

Conventions | Thrillers are usually associated with a horror-like plot. They ease into the horror while playing tricks on your mind - twists and turns concealing the actual truth - while a genuine horror film dives straight into the kill. Some themes are shared between thriller and horror movies. These include:

• Eerie music - all around the world, music is widely appreciated by different cultures. Though certain kinds of sound and rhythm create a universal feeling. Slow, somewhat tedious and tense music allows us to pick up that tension as an emotion. Thrillers widely circle around the build up of tension.

• Make-up - actors and actresses are often made to have scary-looking features. Make-up can add hardness to the features, creating the illusion of tension on the face itself. With a face like this, no-body knows where to look or if they should be looking at all. At the same time, members of the audience are keen to study the face in anticipation of a surprise outburst.

• Camera angles - As seen in the Thriller Panic Room (starring Jennifer Lopez), there comes a scene in which the camera is positioned in front of the width of the security door; allowing us to see both sides of the room. As the door slides shut, it speeds toward the camera. Both views would be blocked out (the camera would also be smashed, removing the privilege of sight either way) leaving us wondering what happens next? What do the burglars do? Will the door hold them off forever? These questions are usually associated with panic emitted from the audience, as when hooked into a scene, all feelings are immersed into the plot.

Audience Response To Thrillers | Thrillers, or any other type of movie, always have a response from the members of the audience. This is narrowed down into two main fields: psychologically and physically. Both are very chilling.

Physical changes include gripping the edge of your seat, shifting positions to get closer/farther away from the TV, sweating, biting nails, facial expressions showing some such as concern or fear, outbursts toward characters in the movie, and so forth.

Psychological changes include thinking, feelings things such as confusion, believing that you are 'inside' of the movie, believing you are the character, apprehension; doubting what is to come yet excited for it.

Conclusion | How has this research helped my understanding of thrillers? Opening my mind to a type of film that I normally do not favour was the first start to learning about it. A thorough think about what genre really is, and how it determines which conventions used, made it easier to ask the same questions about more specific options. By the word 'action', I can pull together the knowledge that an action movie typically uses destruction, fighting, and world-known superheroes to up the release of the movie. Likewise, the production of a thriller movie would include a little bit of mystery, and again a famous face - perhaps one already known for fulfilling the roles in thriller movies. Promotion. But how has this helped me recognize my coursework requirements? With a solid, basic knowledge on the world of thriller, I can incorporate the conventions I have learnt into my own work. Having an awareness of the general target audience and audience response also helps me to carefully plan out what may have the best effects on who.

SOURCES:

(1)  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/

(2)  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/

(3)  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/

(4) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/