Focus Group

This focus group helped the group understand what an audience wants from a thriller. Their opinions on why not, or why they like thriller films. The males enjoyed a thriller with explosions, fast pace music and car chases. The girls rarely watch thriller films. They were more interested in social realism. There were no microphones available, as students were using them, therefore there is a buzzing sound in the background, but you can clearly hear their responses to the questions. From this focus group we learnt that thriller films are more popular to males than females. The SFX attracts males to the genre. They especially like conspiracy films - The Manchurian candidate. The girls also like conspiracy films, Aicha really likes Alfred Hitchcock films. Also learnt that some people may find the thriller genre confusing, Jaye was not sure if the last film she watched was a thriller. This has showed that we need to include most thriller conventions, so it is obvious to the audience that my film is a thriller film.

Phone Booth

This is an action thriller, where by a man is tempted to answer a public telephone ringing from a distance. By answering the phone he then realises he cannot leave the booth as if he does someone will die, therefore creating the suspense and drawing the audiences attention.

Bourne Identity

Bourne Identity is another example of a thriller. It is about a man who doesnt know who he is after an accident which then wipped out his memory and can only remember things he just learnt apart from having the qualities of a professional assassin. He was found by fisherman floating in the Mediterranean with two gunshots on his back. He suffers from amnesia and within two weeks he is fluent in many languages annd develops skills. The character of the psychogenic man is played by Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, An amnesiac desparately trying to find clues into his recent past to remember who he is and why someone is trying to kill him..

The Psychological Thriller "The Mind, Conflict and the Past"

The suspense created by 'psychological thrillers' often comes from two ro more characters preying upon one anothers minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other.

Narrative- Structure, Formulas and Devices

• Clear establishment of cause and effect plotting which establishes character motivations and helps tell an interesting story which proceeds logically and steadily.
• Automatic use of continuity editing
• Enigmas- refers to a puzzle, something mysterious or unexplicable, or a riddle or difficult problem.

In thrillers this commonly something which the protagonist hast to try to find out or solve before the narrative is resolved and the film finishes.

Red Herrings

• A red herring is the name given toa device which tend to divert the audience from the truth or an item of significance.
• Can work with other devices (enigmas) to create suspense

John Frankenheimer

John Frankenheimer

Frankenheimer was born in Malba, Queens, New York. Frankenheimer was raised in the Catholic faith and received his education at LaSalle Military Academy, a Catholic military school. After graduating from LaSalle in 1947, Frankenheimer entered Williams College. By this time, he had developed an interest in acting and studied drama. Frankenheimer earned his B.A. degree from Williams in 1951. John Frankenheimer's films have always reflected his views on important social and philosophical topics. Birdman of Alcatraz and The Fixer explore the indomitability of the human spirit. Seven Days In May details the anatomy of a military coup. The Manchurian Candidate is an indictment of the McCarthy era. The Train questions whether a work of art is more important than human life.

Between 1951-53 he served in the U.S. Air forces, It was during this time that Frankenheimer became interested in the production of film and television and lost his interest in acting. He became attached to the film squadron that was based in California where he learned about production. Frankenheimer loved working with cameras, often taking some home on the weekend to learn more about them. Deciding to become a filmmaker, Frankenheimer produced some documentary shorts.

The Manchurian Candidate 1962 & 2004

This film was created in by John Frankenheimer, starring Frank Sinatra. This is considered to be a political, conspiracy thriller during/ end of the cold war. It showed what was happening in the United States in that era as they were under the threat of communism and feared it would take over their country. Thrillers often take place in exotic settings such as foreign cities. The film tells the story of a soldier who begins to grow suspicious of what happened to his troop when they were attacked in Korea. As time passes the soldiers begin to have dreams about events that may have happened or may not have happened but have been brainwashed to think they had taken place in the battle in Korea.

This is the re-make of the Frank Sinatra version of The Manchurian Candidate 1962. 2004 Jonathan Demme had a re-make of the film which then starred Denzel Washington / Meryl Streep. When i watched this version i thought it gave out the feel of a conspiracy/psychological/political thriller. It showed an innocent hero being drwan into action. Powerful enemy with very large ambitions. It has a few cliffhangers, moments of suspense and tension e.g. when a probe is thought to be planted in the vice president, question that remains is will it be discovered and will it be discovered in time.

Godzilla

This film was directed by Ronald Emmerich in 1998. It is about a man eating creature that is loose around the city in Manhattan, where immediate action is taken and the entire city is evacuated with the military left to defend their city and destroy the "Godzilla".

Review:

When I watched the clip I was it kept me focused on the whole film it draw ma attention from the immediate start, it kept me wanting to know what else is going to happen whether or not there would be any survivers...

1) where did it come from?

2) what is it after?

3) will there be any survivers?

4) can it be destroyed?

Those were the questions on my mind the entire time i watched the film because it kept you in suspense, as there were a few cliffhangers in the film it drew my attention further. I personally thought it was an amazing film to watch.

Jaws

EXAMPLE OF CONTRAPUNTAL SOUND




At times when you watch a film you hear that the sound does not seem to match what we are watching. In which this is referred to as contrapuntal sound, this has been noted as to be the most famous example of this type of sound in "Jaws".

Shifty

A British urban thriller set in the outskirts of london, focuses on the different themes such as friendship and loyalty to each other whilst also looking at the everyday lifestyle of shifty a young drug dealer living in the outskirts of london trying to make a living but has to find a way out without being killed. The way in which this film was marketed was through using a microwave scheme whereby film-makers are challenged to shoot a full length film for up to £75,000 with the option of raising additional in-kind support taking the budget to a maximum of £100,000. The scheme includes intensive film-making, tightly focused scripts, short production schedules and commercial potential. This film was considered as to also appeal to middle-class Guardian reading audience, the trailer targeting this audience featured a more classical style soundtrack whilst the urban trailer featured a hip-hop style soundtrack that didnt actually feature in the film eventually as a result. The way in which this film was marketed represents an example of cross-media converegence whereby it used:

• music- mp3 downlaods


• cd- the soundtrack


• youtube- music video


• cinema and television trailers (also on youtube)


• dvd/blu-ray

What is a Thriller

A thrillerthrillerthriller is a book or film which is designed to keep the reader or viewer on edge with suspenseful and sensational action. Thrillers have also been produced in the radio, theater, and television media. This genre is incredibly large, and thrillers often overlap with pieces of work produced in other genres; mysteries, for example, are often thrillers. Many people find thrillers very enjoyable, and they appreciate the fast pacing and complex plots associated with this genre.

Types of Thrillers:
The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres:

• 
  Action thriller: In which 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. Notable examples are the James Bond films, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne novels and films.
  
• Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlum fall into this category, as do films such as 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) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven, Reservoir Dogs, Inside Man, and The Asphalt Jungle.
• 
  Drama thriller: In which 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 include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
  Stanley RobinsonKim Stanley Robinson's]] Mars Trilogy and Ian Irvine's Human Rites Trilogy and Dasavathaaram. Horror thriller in which the main character is put in danger and his main enemies are unrealistic creatures in which he must destroy to achieve his goal.
• Legal thriller: In which 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. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
  
• Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers) and The Good Son starring Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin.
• 
  Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction): In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia, with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller).
• Techno-thriller: In which (typically military) technology is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Techno thriller".
  

There are many more sub-genres which are used within the world of thrillers.

The Dark Knight

El laberinto del fauno

El secreto de sus ojos

District 9

Hotel Rwanda

North by North-west

Middle-aged Madison Avenue advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill is mistaken for a government agent by a gang of spies. New York advertising executive Roger Thornhill is kidnapped by a gang of spies led by Philip Vandamm, who believe Thornhill is CIA agent George Kaplan. Thornhill escapes, but must find Kaplan in order to clear himself of a murder it is believed he committed. Following Kaplan to Chicago as a fugitive from justice, Thornhill is helped by beautiful Eve Kendall. In Chicago, she delivers a message to Kaplan that almost costs Thornhill his life when he is chased across a cornfield by a crop-dusting plane.

North by Northwest is a 1959 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau. The screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures".
North by Northwest is a tale of mistaken identity, with an innocent man pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization who want to stop his interference in their plans to smuggle out microfilm containing government secrets (a classic MacGuffin).




Review:

I watched North by North-west which was created by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1950s, the first time i watched it i thought it would be boring but as you continue to watch and unrevel the story as a viewer you are drawn in. As i continued to watch the film questions began to surface such as....

1) Who is George Kaplan?
2) What do they want with him?
3) If they knew who Kaplan was the they wouldn't mistaken him for someone else....
4) Will Mr Thornhill survive?

I found myself enjoying the film because it kept you in suspense as i wanted to know what would happen next and as to whether or not Mr Thornhill will survive, or would they eventually find out that the man they had initially kidnapped wasnt the man they had anticipated the kidnapping with. Hitchcock used a lot of camera movements and angles to emphasis the viewpoint and draw our attention. Thrillers often overlapwith mystery stories but are distinguished by the structure of their plots, this is seen as a conspiracy thriller, and has set scenes e.g. train station.

Cliff Hangers, Red Herrings and Enigmas

Cliff Hangers

According to the Britannica encyclopedia this word means 'adventure presented in installments, each ending in suspense'.It is commonly used to show a thrilling situation. Characters would have to face difficult problems, e.g. In North by North West, Eve and Thornhill are literally hanging of a cliff.The aim of a cliff hanger is to keep the audience engaging with the film, to see if the problem resolves itself or plummets to more danger and possibly the destruction of the hero/heroine.

Red Herrings

A red herring is a false trail, which is aimed to divert the audiences attention from the truth, e.g. In the Untouchables, Eliotness is given information on a warehouse that is storing Al Capone's alcohol, leading up to this scene there is slow suspenseful music, the treasure department surround the warehouse and break in. Inside the warehouse no traces of alcohol were found. It was a false lead.

Enigmas

Enigmas are puzzles, mysteries or problems, the protagonist must solve them in order to defeat the antagonist.