The Dark Knight
Studio - Warner Bros. Pictures
Director - Christopher Nolan
Genre - Action & Crime
U.K Release Date - 24th July 2008
Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent are forced to deal with the chaos unleashed by an rebelling mastermind who through out is only known as the Joker, as it drives each of them to their limits.
Batman raises the stakes in his bourgeois war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker. (IMDB)
Inception
Studio - Warner Bros. Pictures
Director - Christopher Nolan
Genre - Action, Crime and MysteryU.K Release Date - 16th July 2010
In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job till date, Inception. (IMDB)
Paranormal Activity 2
Studio - Paramount Pictures
Director - Tod Williams
Director - Tod Williams
Genre - Horror, Mystery and Thriller
U.K Release Date - 22nd October 2010After experiencing what they think are a series of "break-ins", a family sets up security cameras around their home, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem. (IMDB)
From the video's above, I have collected a range of conventions evident in thrillers. I have also included a background to thrillers.
Description
Thriller is a genre of Literature, Film and Television. The main components of a Thriller is it's use of Suspense, tension and excitement.
Famous Directors
A Key role model in the light of thrillers was Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock. He directed over fifty films in which his usual genre of suspense or psychological thrillers was repeated throughout much of them. His work in both 'Silent' and 'Talkies' film helped him to achieve further success before eventually moving to American to become part of Hollywood. His Famous film titles include The 39 Steps (1935), The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Strangers on a Train (1951).
Types of Thrillers
A thriller has many sub genres with the main being mystery and crime. Other types of thrillers are; Action/Adventure, Sci-fi, Western, Romantic Comedy, Psychological, Supsense and Tension.
Main Thrillers
The Godfather (1972 & 1974), Paranormal Activity 2 (2010), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight (2008), Goodfellas (1990) and Jaws (1975).
Characteristics of a Thriller
A Thriller includes several characteristics which are usually evident during most thrillers. I have found that the main characterisitics are;
A Plot twist
Corrupt and Dark Atmosphere
Happy Ending (Villain is killed or arrested)
A Cliff Hanger
Psycho Friends
High Adrenaline Rush
Uncertainty
Terror
Police
Detectives (Mainly Male)
Criminals
Escaped Prisoners
Assassins
Stalkers
Innocent Victims
Threatened Woman
Terrorists
Twisted Relationships
Overlapping Story lines
Conventions of a Thriller
Location
Location
The common setting of a thriller I would expect to be an urban, isolated surbuban setting or something in strong contrast such as a big city or a quiet village. I think the setting is largely dependent on the narrative of the thriller and the types of characters in the film. The aim of the setting I think would be a location that would resemble or rebel against what is expected to happen there.
Character
Character
The appearance of a common thriller character I think would vary depending on the narrative. An example is the character can be smartly dressed and dark colours, such a James Bond, compared to a character like the Joker whose appearance is completely different. Personality-wise I would say that a thriller character is likely to be people who are: characters with dark pasts, criminals or psychotic individuals.
Narrative
The general narrative of a thriller, shows two points of views that are either related or in contrast to one another. One of the characters is shown to create empathy towards the audience and the other who is portrayed as a villain has a dark past or twisted view.
Props
In a thriller, the obvious prop is a weapon which is used to help define the opposites of the two characters. I think the main aim of having these types of props is to significantly add to the suspense element of the thriller. These props are a straight forward way of building tension.
Sound
I would expect the main purpose of the used sound effects are to create an eerie, creepy and create a sense of currupt atmosphere. The music used in the opening scene is non-diegetic which is an out of story sound eg sound effects, narrative commentry or mood music. The music is a way of setting the scene, this then helps the audience to see the themes and the general atmosphere of the movie. Thrillers also use diegetic sounds which also help to create the tension. These sounds are made by objects in the story or using the characters voice as a voice over.
By identifying conventions in thriller examples above, it will enable me to create a realistic thriller film, in which involves and incorporates conventions of thrillers.
