THRILLER ANALYSIS - Kill Bill vol 2 (2004) - Quentin Tarantino - action thriller

1. What is told to the audience?
The audience is shown a women lying on the floor and then someone else shooting her. It misses out all the action as when you first see her, see is already cut up. At this point you know that the man who is called Bill is the antagonist and the audience believe that that the women is a innocent victim. There is talking between the two characters and right before Bill shoots her, she says 'It's your baby.' This tells the audience she isn't just an innocent victim and Bill killed her for revenge.
2. What is conventional?
- You get introduced to the main characters, even though you don't see the man and you don't realise that the women is also a main character.
- The music over the titles are strings and drums. This builds up tension.
- Only straight cuts are used apart from right at the end of the opening sequence to show it is ended.
- The titles are white writing on a black background.
3. What is unconventional?
- Over the titles, there is a voice over which then blends into the two characters talking.
- The action is in black and white. However this is used to show what happened in the past.
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the way it doesn't have a built up to the action or actually getting to see the fight, but it shows the after effect of it. Also, I like the way it has a connection between the two characters. In normal thriller, you see an antagonist killing an innocent victim, but in Kill Bill vol.2 it shows a connection between them.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Scream (1996) - Wes Craven - psychological thriller and comedy thriller

1. What is told to the audience?
During the first 3 minutes of Scream not a lot is told to the audience. The only thing that is clear to the audience is the man voice on the phone is the antagonist. This isn't so clear until he says 'I want to know who I am looking at' after 2 minutes and 23 seconds of the action. When he says this, you know that something is going to happen to the girl but aren't sure whether she is a main character or just an innocent victim.
2.What is conventional?
- There is a clear antagonist (the man on the phone). This is found out after 2 minutes 23 seconds of the opening sequence.
- The titles are conventional as they are white tittles on a black background, and then the titles turn red
- The music gets faster and has more tension in it.
3. What is unconventional?
- Although we find out that the antagonist is the man on the phone, we never actually get to see who the main characters are.
- The title of 'Scream' is very animated and there is some flashing involved.
- Apart from the main tittle of 'Scream', there were no other tittles.
4.How has it inspired me?
It has inspired me, as it showed me that you can introduce your antagonist character without actually introducing him. I also like the way that, half way through the opening section, it stops to show the location of where it is happening.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Memento (2000) - Christopher Nolan - Paranoid thriller

1. What is told to the audience?
The only thing that it shows is a man as been shot and another man is taking a picture of him. However, all this section is shown backwards. You get to meet two characters in the first few minutes. However, the man taken the picture is shown to be that bad person and the man being shot, to be just an innocent victim. So in the first few minutes, not a lot has been told to the audience.
2. What is conventional?
- The main convention of Memento is that in the first few minutes, is there are more questions are asked than been answered
- There is non-diegetic sound over the action which adds suspense to the action
- The main characters were introduced
- Sting music used to create tension
- The main man is wearing a wedding rain which suggests that he his a normal/average man
3. What is unconventional?
- It is going in a backwards order.
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the idea of no dialogue being used and the audience just getting a feel for the film from just the actions. I also like the idea of the scene going backwards as it is different and no other film does this. However, I don't think I would like to use this in our thriller as its to unique.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Dr Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) Disaster Thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
A voiceover is talking about the Russians planning a nuclear bomb attack, whilst the camera slowly zooms in (or flies towards) a group of mountains in the distance. Following this, a series of shots that looks at two airplanes together in the sky is overlaid with what appears to be hand-drawn titles.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: white over a background of planes flying
- A clear antagonist (Russia) is established through what the voiceover is saying

3. What is unconventional?
- The main character is not introduced - we have no idea who it could be
- It is filmed in black and white. Although this would have not been unusual in it's day, nowadays it is more unheard of.
- Titles: appear to be hand drawn
- Sound: Music reminds me of theatrical ballet music, such as swan lake, and makes the scene in front of the audience's eyes seem much more tranquil

- A voiceover is heard at the start of the opening sequence
4. How has it inspired me?

I really like the hand drawn effect of the titles - it looks so much more personal than any usual font, although it may not be suitable for a different sub-genre of thriller, and I also quite like the black and white effect, especially since it adds a sense of mystery to what is going on.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) Psychological Thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
Behind the titles, a large window is seen, with blinds that slowly roll up one at a time, and then the camera zooms through the window and into the courtyard beneath. Following this, a single tracking shot follows a cat up a set of stairs, then all around the courtyard, before finally coming back through the window and into a close up of the protagonist's face, sweating and clearly in pain.

2. What is conventional?
- Titles: Although rather old fashioned nowadays, the titles are a simple red and white
- Sound: upbeat, almost comedic music with cymbals throughout, yet reminiscent of old detectives etc with a hint of urgency to it.

- The main character is introduced, albeit briefly

- The setting is introduced also - an apartment block in what we assume is America

3. What is unconventional?
- Camerawork: only two shots are used in the entire opening sequence, and one of these is a highly unconventional track
- Sound: no diegetic sound is used, only the music is heard throughout the opening

- The main character is only introduced right at the very end of the introduction, and even then, only for a second.

4. How has it inspired me?
The use of very few shots has confirmed that it doesn't take a lot of different shots to set up the scene and to introduce the characters. The lack of dialogue is also good, as it is something else to bear in mind for our own thriller.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) Psychological Thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
Very little - a man's face is seen in extreme close up (just his eyes are revealed to the audience), and a New York street with lots of steam/smoke obscuring the view, followed by a blurry shot of another street at night through a windscreen.

2. What is conventional?
- Titles: Starting a dark red and lightening to yellow
- The main character is introduced, although we know little about him
- Editing: Straight cut editing is used predominately throughout the opening
- Camera: Mainly still shots, one tilt used right at the start to reveal to the audience that a taxi is being driven
3. What is unconventional?
- Sound: juxtaposition of slow, soft jazz and tense, orchestral music, neither of which are that conventional to the thriller genre.
- No diegetic sound, or indeed sound at all except for the music
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the way that there is no dialogue, leaving lots of questions unanswered in the audiences mind, and also the use of very few shots, which all last for quite a long time. Also, the music used shows to me that typically 'thriller' music doesn't always have to be used.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Fight Club (David Fincher 1999) Psychological thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
The main character is being held at gun point by a man named Tyler Durton, whilst an organisation called 'project mayhem' is planning/carrying out a "controlled demolition" of a number of skyscrapers. We are told that everything we have seen so far all relates to a woman called Marlar Singer.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: white lettering on a black background,
- the main character is introduced, although we are not told his name,
- the main character is being held hostage; a typical situation in this genre,
- Sound: Very high tempo non-diegetic music using drums and guitar.
- a clear antagonist (or so we think) is established.
- Editing: straight cut editing is used through the majority of the opening.
3. What is unconventional?
- A voice over is used throughout the opening,
- The narrative time is fragmented and goes back in time. The end of the film is essentially at the beginning.
- Camera: the camera zooms around the location with varying speed, frames and angles which give the action a very surreal atmosphere.
- Titles: heavily animated and flashing.
4. How has it inspired me?
I really like the use of fragmented narrative as this enhances the tension of the viewing and the ambiguity of the narrative.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Signs (M. Night Shyamalan 2002) Supernatural thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
The main characters are a family living together on a farm. A scream of a young girl can be heard. The two adult male characters (one of whom is called Graham) run through the corn field and find the two children staring at the crop circle.
2. What is conventional?
- Sound: (only over the titles, when the action starts there is only diegetic sound) Strings build into a high tempo orchestrial music which builds tension and sets the mood of the film,
- main character is introduced,
- a clear protagonist is established; who is typically an average, family man.
- Camera: as Graham runs through the house and the crops, tracking is prodominantly used (alternating between a dolly and a hand-held camera)
- Editing: straight cut continuity editing.
3. what is unconventional?
- Mise-en-scene: Domestic setting of a large, American style farmhouse surrounded by corn fields,
- The antagonist is an alien threat (heavily suggested by crop circle).
4. How has it inspired me?
The antagonist does not nessecarily have to be human to be sinister, in fact, a supernatural one can build more suspense because its actions can not be measured with the limits of humanity - the audience is unable to predict it, therefore the narative is more thrilling.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - The Beach (Danny Boyle 2000) Psychological thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
The main character (Richard) has gone backpacking in Thailand in search of adventure and something different from America.
2. What is conventional?
- the main character is introduced,
- Mise-en-scene: set in a foreign country,
- Titles: white lettering on black background,
- Camera: there is alot of zooming, tracking and panning; a static frame is rarely used.
- Sound: high tempo non-diegetic music, almost club like in style.
3. What is unconventional?
- A voice over is used throughout the opening which gives some background information on the main character.
- Very bright colours and there is an orange tint on many of the frames which makes the action seem very surreal.
4. How has it inspired me?
The use of a voice over is very effective in building a bond between the character and the audience, although it does comprimise on the realism of the film.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Body of Lies (Ridley Scott 2008) spy/political thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
There has been a number of terrorist attacks carried out across Britain by muslim extremist groups who are avenging the American wars in Iraq.
2. What is conventional?
- Deals with current issues; terrorism and the recent war in Iraq,
- Mise-en-scene: Due to the spy sub-genre there are explosions, bombs, armed police and guns,
- The action starts very quickly meaning the audience is thrown straight into the narrative,
- Titles: prodominantly white on black although the english subtitles (during the muslim man's speech) are orange.
- Mise-en-scene: there are two locations in the opening, Manchester (England) and Samara (Iraq) which are identified through the use of subtitles.
- Sound: suspenceful non-diegetic music using strings and drums that build momentum during the police raid.
3.What is unconventional?
- No main characters are introduced.
- There are no production titles, only a quote from W. H. Auden:

"I and the public know

what all the schoolchildren learn,

those to whom evil is done

do evil in return."

4. How has it inspired me?

This film has shown that plunging the audience straight into the action is perhaps the most effective and impacting for this genre, as it makes the experience much more 'on the edge of your seat'. It also inspired me to use a variety of different sets/locations as this makes the scale of the Thriller much more elaborate. Finally, I really liked Scott's use of a quote at the start of the film because not only does it establish the mood and theme of the film, but also prompts the audience to start thinking deeply early on.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Collateral (Micheal Mann 2004)

1. What is revealed to the audience?
Vincent (wearing a slick, grey, expensive looking suit) walks through an airport in LA; we assume he has just got off the plane. He subtly exchanges his suitcase with a man (dressed completely in black) who he seems to know; suggesting that this character may be involved with something sinister.
We also meet another character who is a taxi cab driver called Max. The jutaposition of these two characters implies that at some point their lives will collide and form the basis of the thriller.
2. What is conventional?
- We are introduced to the main characters who are typically male.
- Max is an ordinary looking man (wearing casual clothes) who is working a late night shift as an average cab driver. His normality makes him very relatable and appealing to the audience which is conventional for this genre.
- Sound: high tempo, non-diegetic soundtrack which adds to the fast paced mood (however this is only played during the short second half of the opening).
3. What is unconventional?
- Sound: there is a sound bridge over the production titles of a plane landing. Only the diegetic sounds of the airport are audible until after Vincent picks up the bag which focuses the audience's attention on the action NOT the sound.
4. How has it inspired me?
It has inspired me to introduce the major characters in the film early on as this makes it easier for the audience to associate with one character and completely emmerse themselves in the narrative, therefore making the experience more thrilling.

THRILLER ANALYSIS - Vantage Point (Pete Travis 2008) Political thriller

1. What is revealed to the audience?
A anti-terror summit is being hosted by the president of the USA in Spain, however there is obviously some conflict arrisen from this decission as there are a large quantity of protestors holding anti-american signs.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: White lettering on black background,
- Sound: Looming music using drums (is almost military in sound),
- Mise-en-scene: Set in a foreign country,
- The narrative deals with a current issue; terrorism is a typical political thriller theme,
- Due to the sub-genre of the film, major political figures are involved with the plot (in this case the president of the USA)
- Editing: straight cut continuity editing (jump cuts are used during the montage at the start of the film)
3. What is unconventional?
- No clear main characters (protagonist or antagonist) are established.
- Titles: the animation of the titling is complex, with a montage of images layered in the background.
4. How has this inspired me?
I think the theme of terrorism is a strong one as it is both realistic, menacing and relatable; every member of the audience can, in some way, relate to the threat it poses.

Thriller conventions

Thrillers are essentially about the conflict arrisen from the binary opposition between justice vs injustice; where often there is a price to be paid for the conclusion of a story. A thriller is a film of suspense with a plot structure that progress with a growing sense of threat or danger and the excitement of pursuit.
Because of the very vast number of sub-genres, the conventions of the thriller genre are varied and differ depending on its style (legal, spy, medical etc), however, the established, generic conventions are as follows:

1. NARRATIVE
Many thriller plots contain red herrings to add to the element of ambiguity. Also, the dialogue in a thriller film rarely contains a complete overview or explanantion of plots/events in an effort to conceal information and maintain the mystery - essential to building up suspense.A thriller usually includes a narrative twist at the end which the audience does not expect, which contributes to the 'thrilling', high intensity experience of the film.Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements.

2.CHARACTERS
There is a clear protagonist in most thrillers, and are frequently "hard men" accustomed to danger: such as law enforcement officers, spies, soldiers, seamen or aviators. However, they may also be ordinary citizens drawn into danger by accident (Eagle Eye for example). While such heroes have traditionally been men, strong women characters have become increasingly common; such as Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley, in the movie Alien (1979), however it is more conventional that female characters play the role of 'damsel in distress'.
In most cases the role of the antagonist is also clear, however, in some thrillers the source of the suspence stems from the audience having to figure out this mystery for themselves - this can also relate to the conventional twist at the end. Antagonists are usually gangstas, murderers or terrorists, but in recent years monsters and aliens have also featured as the villains (Signs).

3. SETS
Thrillers strive to be dramatic and so the action often takes place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, or high seas. The James Bond film are perhaps best known for this.

4. SOUND
The non diegetic soundtrack is usually made up of strings as these create a successful atmosphere of tension and mystery. The music conventionally becomes very fast paced during a chase or confrontation to emphasise the suspense.

Definitions of a Thriller genre

For preparation for our thriller course work, each group got asked to do some research on it. For my share of the research, I am finding definitions of what is classed as a thriller and where I got it from.

My first definition I found is from a website called findmeanauthor.com. This is what they wrote about a thriller genre: 'There's no narrow definition. According to International Thriller Writer, a thriller is characterized by "the sudden rush of emotions, the excitement, sense of suspense, apprehension, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometime subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace." In short, a thriller thrills. How? Mostly through skillful plotting. Thriller is a genre of fiction in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country or the stability of the free world.'

My second definition I found is from yahoo.com. I went on this website to find out what the public think and not some professional. Also, it sees how they would word it as well. This, in my opinion, was the best one. 'A story that starts with a serious problem, a protagonist(our hero/heroine) who tries to solve the problem only to find that it gets worse and worse and worse. The plot rises to a dramatic confrontation with the antagonist (bad guy), usually on the bad guy's territory, and ends with a short denouement (wrap up).'

My third definition is from wikipedia. I used this website because a lot of people use wikipedia for many definitions so I was curious about how they would define a thriller. They wrote: 'Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television that includes numerous and ofter overlapping sub-genres. Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains.'

Under the wikipedia definition there was a quote from James Patterson, from June 2006, which I feel defines a thriller definition best. He said. 'Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast. There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller. The list goes on and on, with new variations constantly being invented. In fact, this openness to expansion is one of the genre's most enduring characteristics. 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.'

Hitchcock

I have chosen to look in depth (at least a little bit) at Alfred Hitchcock, as he is often known as 'The Master of Suspense' and is the director of some of the greatest classic thrillers of our time, such as 'Psycho' (1960), 'Rear Window' (1954), 'The Birds' (1963) and 'The 39 Steps' (1935). By looking at how someone with as much experience as Alfred Hitchcock manages to create suspense, over 40 years ago, we can take the techniques he used and hopefully apply them to our own Thriller opening.

Alfred Hitchcock was born in 1899, before films with sound in (the 'talkies') even existed. However, as development of these films began to get more advanced, Hitchcock got a job in Lasky Studios, London as a title designer. He designed the titles for all the movies made at the studio for the next two years. In 1923, he got his first chance at directing when the director of 'Always Tell Your Wife'(1923) fell ill and Hitch completed the movie. Impressed by his work, studio chiefs gave him his first directing assignment on 'Number 13' (1922); however, before it could be finished, the studio closed its British operation. Hitchcock was then hired by Michael Balcon to work as an assistant director for the company later to be known as Gainsborough Pictures. In reality, Hitchcock did more than this -- working as a writer, title designer and art director. After several films for the company, Hitchcock was given the chance to direct a British/German co-production called 'The Pleasure Garden' (1925). Hitchcock's career as a director finally began. Hitchcock went on to become the most widely known and influential director in the history of world cinema with a significant body of work produced over 50 years.

Hitchcock had many trademarks throughout his films, including cameo appearances by himself, usually at the beginning of the films, so as not to distract the audience from the plot. He also tends to have a recurring motif of a lost or assumed identity, such as in Psycho (1960), with Norman and his 'Mother', The 39 Steps (1935), with Hannay lying about his identity throughout and Vertigo (1958), where Judy lies in order to fool Scottie. In orderto create suspense in his films, he often cuts between different shots to extend cinematic time, such as the infamous shower scene is Psycho (see clip). In a lot of his early films, he used to create shadows on the walls to create more suspense and tension. He also tended to use a lot of blonde women as his female leads, including Grace Kelly in 'Rear Window', Kim Novak in 'Vertigo', and Ingrid Bergman. He also tended to use a lot of 'MacGuffins' or items or devices that drove the plot and were of great interest to the characters on screen, but which the audience could forget once they had served their purpose, such as the $40,000 in 'Psycho'.

Thriller Genre - Sub Genres...there's quite a few!

ACTION THRILLER: the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action.
Examples: the James Bond films, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne trilogy.

CONSPIRACY THRILLER: the protagonist confronts a large, powerful group of antagonists whose true extent only he/she recognizes.
Examples: The Chancellor Manuscript, The Aquitane Progression (Robert Ludlum), Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, and JFK.

CRIME THRILLER: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal's perspective rather than the policeman's. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and 'double-crosses'.
Examples: The Killing, Seven, Reservoir Dogs, Inside Man, and The Asphalt Jungle.

DISASTER THRILLER: the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster.
Examples: Stormy Weather (Carl Hiaasen), Tremor (Winston Graham), and the 1974 film Earthquake.

DRAMA THRILLER: the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists.
Examples: The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.

ECO THRILLER: the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity, often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story such as the danger presented by climate change/global warming.
Examples: The Loop (Nicholas Evans), Echoes in the Blue (C. George Muller), and Elephant song(Wilbur Smith), all of which highlight real-life environmental issues. Futuristic eco-thrillers are of the science fiction genre that propose ideas that will or may occur, for example, The Day After Tomorrow.

EROTIC THRILLER: It has become popular since the 1980s and consists of both erotica and thriller conventions.
Examples: Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill, Color of Night, Eyes Wide Shut, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Obsessed, and In the Cut.

LEGAL THRILLER: the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives (very clear binary opposition between lawyers vs. criminals).
Examples: The Innocent Man (John Grisham).

MEDICAL THRILLER: the protagonists are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem.
Examples: Awake.

POLITICAL THRILLER: the protagonists ensure the stability of the government that employs them. Terrorism, assasination and war often appears in the plot.
Examples: The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is Vantage Point.

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical.
Examples: Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock), Blue Velvet (David Lynch) and The Good Son.

SPY THRILLER: the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists.
Examples: From Russia, with Love (Ian Fleming) and The Bourne Identity.

TECHNO THRILLER: In which (typically military) technology is described in detail and made essential to the viewer's understanding of the plot.
Examples: The Hunt for Red October, (Tom Clancy; considered to be the "Father of the Techno thriller")

RELIGIOUS THRILLER: the plot is closely connected to religious objects, institutions and questions. While suspense stories have always shown a significant affinity for religion and philosophical issues.
Examples: The Da Vinci Code.

Most thrillers are formed in some combination of the above, with horror, conspiracy, and psychological tricks used most commonly to heighten tension. Combinations are highly diverse, including:
Science fiction thrillers: Jurassic Park, Sunshine.
Techno/political/conspiracy/military: Robocop.
Legal/forensic/psychological: The Silence of the Lambs, Seven.

Preliminary Task

The finished product :)