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The need to know of Crime Thrillersby Connor, Tom H and Harr i

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The main idea of a Thriller is to make sure you create bothfeelings of excitement and tension for the audience.

By having these two feelings as the main elements of aThriller it makes the audience intrigued in the storyline.

This approach also makes it much more easier for theaudience to identify when they are watching this genre offilm.

However, this genre also splits into many other subgenres

from crime and psychological to paranoia and conspiracy. For this presentation we have decided to focus on the Crime

Thriller and speak about the general codes andconventions.

Idea of a Thriller

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A quick example of a very successful Thriller director would be Alfred

Hitchcock

He was able to break the typical clich of characters within his workwhich gave him his own style and technique.

His storylines were also rather simple to follow, allowing all types ofaudiences to understand, whilst also incorporating the element of

surprise to capture the audience.

He also managed to use point of view shots effectively which yet againhelped gain the audiences attention.

Finally, he was able to integrate humour within his work which aided in

the suspense and tension as it caught the audience off guard He has been able to produce classics such as Psycho

and Birds as well as amazing soundtracks

Example of a Director

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Low key lighting is essential within all Thriller movies especially in

Crime films as they are used to produce shadows which connotethe inner darkness within characters whilst also adding to thetension of the scene.

The shadows can also be accompanied by scenes of black andwhite which help to emphasise the impact of the shadows as well

as adding to a rather eerie and sinister look to create tension.

The general colour scheme within this subgenre is also rather dullwhich connotes that there is no happiness but perhaps constantupset.

As crime thrillers quite often involve police men or someone who

may have some authority the costumes of the characters areusually smart and quite formal to show their dominance on thescreen.

Common iconography within this genre can include; weapons asthey are commonly associated with danger and violence, and

sometimes fingerprints which may assist the protagonist.

Mise-en-scene

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The main use of sound within this genre is non-diegetic

music which is commonly eerie and mysterious, toincrease the amount of tension within the audience.

Some diegetic sounds are also used to create tension for

the audience, as well as the characters, such as the sound

of a creaking floorboard which is normally accompanied

by silence to emphasise the tension building.

Off screen sounds, such as gun shots or explosions, arealso common as they take the audience by surprise whilst

the tension is rising and make the storylines more

realistic.

Silence is probably the most crucial use of sound, as this

is what brings the audience in as they are busy focused

on the images on screen, and then surprised when

exaggerated sounds are suddenly used after.

Sound

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Tracking shots are important as they allow the audience totrail the characters through certain scenes and settings whichmakes the narrative easier to follow, which is needed forthrillers as the plots are usually twisted.

Extreme close ups and close ups are crucial for this genre as itgives great detail about the characters emotions and feelingsand makes the audience feel more attached to the character

as we are closer to them.

The point of view shots continue to grab the audiencesattention towards the plot as it makes the scene more realisticas we feel as though we are there in the scene.

Establishing shots are also common within crime thrillers asthey are often set in the city, so the shot enables us to figure

out the setting and may also connote the sheer challenge as itseems like its the protagonist vs. the world.

Low angle or canted shots may show a certain characterspersonality as the canted shot of the antagonist may showtheir twisted personality whilst the low angle of theprotagonist may show off his weakness at that moment

Camera Techniques

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Examples of Camera Techniques

0:00 to 0:05 0:00 to 0:10

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As this subgenre is focused on crime, fast paced editing and straight cuts

are essential in keeping the scenes looking natural and realistic, whilstkeeping the audience intrigued during the more intense thrilling parts ofthe films.

Parallel editing is also key as it allows the audience to follow two separatenarratives, often the protagonists and antagonists, and this shows that

things are happening at the same time but in different places so theymust eventually come together due to their actions.

Jump cuts are also common as this helps to get from one location/objectto another, but much more quickly which adds to the tension and thrillaspect of the scenes.

Slow motion or flash backs can also be used within the subgenre as itentices the audience as actions are performed slowly, prolonging thenarrative, or the story returns to previous scenes making the tension andanticipation rise.

Editing

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Editing example0:40+

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Due to the nature of this subgenre following crime, it isvery common to include characters that have previousknowledge to danger and violence such as police menor detectives, an example would be Brad Pittscharacter in the crime thriller Seven.

However there are occasions where ordinary peopleare the protagonists as they may be unaccustomed todanger but are unwillingly forced into this new life forreasons such as family protection or revenge.

The antagonists are commonly criminals or escapedcons who may want to seek revenge, or stalkers andpsychopaths who intend to do harm to others.

Usually both protagonists and antagonists aredominantly males, however it is possible tooccasionally get a female star role in this subgenre

Stock Characters

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Crime thriller can take place in a wide variety of places,

however there are certain links between some settings,for example

Places such as warehouses and abandoned streets aretypical if the antagonist is rather mysterious as it keepsthe tension building for the audience as they do notreveal much.

Homely settings, such as the protagonists house, canalso be ideal for this subgenre as it is the place wherethe protagonist can feel safe away from the outsideworld, yet it may not always be as safe as they believe.

Wealthy areas, such as banks, as well as police stations

are also targets for the antagonists as the subgenrefocuses on the crime aspect so the idea of taking fromauthority is key!!

Well populated areas, such as Train stations, Parks andCity centres, can all be settings as well for crime asthere can be mass murder by the antagonist in which

the protagonist must stop.

Stock Settings

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A theme that is constant throughout all aspects of thissubgenre is the narrative focus around crime, which includesthe idea of ransoms, kidnapping, violence and heists.

The idea of a time limit adds much more tension for theaudience and increases the thrill aspect as the protagonistmust usually race against the clock to solve the crime beforesomething terrible happens.

The villainous characters within these films are also rathermysterious to some extent as this is what helps to enhance thetension as it creates an enigma for the audience as they wantthe antagonist to be revealed. However this does not meanthat the protagonist is fully open about themselves.

Another theme which is commonly used is the idea of the

protagonist or the antagonist having a flashback which mayreveal previous details of their past and could indicate how thesituation began which is useful in a crime thriller.

The most generic theme is that nearly all of these films havinga twist in the narrative towards the end which is the mostsignificant feature of a crime thriller film as it confuses theaudience yet makes them enjoy it more as it gets them more

intrigued into knowing why and how

Common Themes

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The main thing to remember about a thriller opening is to THRILL FROMTHE BEGINNING

This is the key feature of a thriller film as the audience automaticallyrealises they are watching a thriller if they are thrilled from the start.

Normally in crime thrillers, it starts of with some form of violence ordanger, which may not be directly associated with the protagonist butsets the audience up for the rest of the film.

Certain events can take place before the actual titling which set the moodfor the following film and gives the audience a foreshadow of what thefilm may be about, this can be either action packed, or mysterious and

obscure to entice the audience

Common Techniques of Openings