More Targeted Research into Genre

Psychological Thriller

The genre choice for our film is broadly thriller, but its sub-genre could be seen as psychological thriller as it's more focused on the unstable state of our victim (main character). Psychological thrillers usually consist of a major plot to which something dramatic or horrifying happens at the beginning and the story is told through that event unfolding.

Archeypal characters

These stereotypical characters are usually seen throughout most thrillers:

- Victim: who is usually the protagonist/the main character. They are made to seem somewhat vulnerable hence why they have been attacked. Whatever has happened to them/their personality They are also made to seem vengeful and want to punish the person who hurt them. Turns into a strong character through whatever has happened to them.

- Threatener: who is most definitely the antagonist of the film. Anonymous at the beginning in order to maintain the mystery of the film and of it to be scarier when the revenge begins to take place.

- 'Red herring' type character: the person who the audience may suspect and is an all round suspicious character in the film. They are usually mysterious and in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Narrative Themes

The classical narrative that we usually see throughout the thriller genre is from the victim's point of view as the audience is more connected to the protagonist and they then feel sorry for them.

- Fear is presented easier if it's from the victims view point as the audience can empathise with them and see what they're seeing. It is therefore scarier.

- It also creates mystery/tension as the audience doesn't know what the antagonist is doing therefore we don't know the next step they're going to make or where they're going to go.

Costume

The costume that is worn within thrillers is very stereotypical and normal usually.

- Victim is usually in plain/simple clothes. Sometimes young girls are in promiscuous clothing to show their vulnerablity. If afer the awful event their clothing is usually tatty/dirty/ripped.

- The evil person is sterotypically in black as it shows that they're trying to remain annoymous/mysterious. It also creates tension as it usually hide their idenity therefore making it more scary for the viewer.

Lighting

- The lighting within thrillers is usually dim and low-key.

- The lighting usually focuses on the victim rather than the suspect as it then the audience are more attached to them. It also then focuses the mystery and evil of the suspect by having a black light mainly on them.

- Usually the setting is lit up through a low key light in order for it to have a more spooky atmosphere.

Location

- Thrillers are usually set in an isolated location/a place where such an incident can happen. Stereotypical places are a woods, an isolated cabin/house, shabby estate.

- This is because it is spookier for the audience and more mysterious due to the isolation.

Common editing decisions within thrillers:

- In between scenes there is never usually a smooth transitions but jumpy moves between them. This then has an of course jumpy impact on the audience.

- Constant black outs are edited in to create tension as the audience then must wait to see what happens next even if it's for a few seconds.

Use of sound

- Non-diegetic, high pitched/fast paced music is frequently used throughout thrillers in order to create tension for the viewers as they know something is going to occur from the music whereas the characters cannot.

- Sound perspective is often used from the victims perspective as it places the audience in their postion therefore they feel as tense and somewhat scared as the victim does.

- Ambient sound is used in thriller's in order to create a realistic feel for the viewer as backgound noise is heard. It also makes it spookier for example, rain, thunder and lightening, wind blowing, floor boards/doors creaking.

I think we will be able to use most of these key features in our piece as they are already part of our planning.