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 :)