Location Scouting

Here are some of the pictures we have taken while all four of us went location scouting at the weekend. As you can see there are pictures of the railway bridge that we are thinking of using and also Tim and Daniel's bedroom as in one of the scenes there is an unknown male character in a bedroom. Shelley and Amy's bedrooms are unsuitable as they are too girly. Furthermore we at the end there are some pictures of the posible kitchens we will be using and also the part area in which one of our unknown characters will be seen.




Railway Bridge Images

This is the first image that is the entrance to the walkway towards the bridge.

This image shows further down the walkway, leading to the stairs of the bridge.

This image shows the beginning of the steps that lead up to the main walkway of the railway bridge.

This image shows a better view of the stairs, leading to the bridge.

This image shows the walkway across the railway line form the top of the stairs.

This image shows the walk through the tunnel of the bridge to the other side.

This image shows the steps on the other side of the bridge, going down.

This image shows the stairs going downwards on the other side of the railway bridge.

These final two images show the ending of the stairs as we reach the other side of the railway bridge. We have decided that this setting is perfect for a scene in which our main character is kidnapped and put into the boot of a car.

As mentioned earlier we have also taken some pictures of Tim and Daniel's bedrooms in order to distunguish which bedroom would be better to film in and whether it will fit in with the genre of our film.

The Bedrooms

Here are some pictures of Tim's bedroom:

These images show a potential bedroom for our film.

Here are some pictures of Daniel's bedroom:

After looking at both of the bedrooms we have decided that Daniels bedroom would be better suited for filming in rather than Tim's. We feel that the shape of the room will be much easier to get the shot types that we want to show during the bedroom scene.


The Kitchens
Here are some of the pictures of Tims' kitchen, which we may use for one of our scenes.

These images show a potential kitchen for our film.

Analysis of Opening Sequences Of Thriller Films

Analysis of Opening Sequences/Sequences in Thriller Films
By analysing the different opening sequences we will be able to explore how the films we have analysed may be an influence on our own project.

London to Brighton
In the opening sequence, the title credits are straight to the point, it says the name of the film and the location and the time of the opening scene, this gives a quote realistic impression as we see that is in linear narrative and it is happening in the movement. so it gives a realistic gritty impression because it is happening in the moment. In one particular section, the girl is on her own in the toilet and all you can hear are people trying to break in through the door, her emotions are amplified, creating tension and suspense as the audience feels what the character feels. we see two characters that are on the run and turn to hide in the cubical of the toilet for safety. there is no use of musical score, just the digetic sounds of the door closing and then the dialogue within the two characters.
This creates tension, suspense and enigma because with the use of the door banging, this creates tension as there are people trying to get to them and with the use of no music s
core, thee is quite a violent atmosphere to it. the dialogue between the two characters is also a way to make the audience think and asks questions. Why do then need to run? They also mention characters that aren't in the scene and we don't know (for example Derek) so it creates enigma and we wonder who they are and what do they have to do with the two characters in the scene. this meets the typical expectations of the common thriller opening sequence because its creating enigma for the audience as they are trying to piece together what is happening within the opening scene. within the opening scene, the setting four times within three minutes. one of the characters goes from the cubical, to get some food, then going back to the cubical and then leaving again to get money, then back to the cubical and then going to the train station within three minutes of the film. this is elliptical editing and it meets the expectations of the typical thriller opening sequence because it keeps the pace and rhythm fast. this suggests to the audience the panic there was in getting to each place and creates tension as we can see the panic the character was in whilst going to the different places.

Written by Amy Cooper.


28 days later...
“28 days later...” is a prime example of a thriller opening sequence and uses many different devices to build tension and suspense. It is a low budget, English film but has had many successes. “28 days later...” has two halves to its opening sequence. The first half is edges more to the horror genre and so the second half is more significant due to its thrilling perspective. To understand what is going on the first half will briefly be explained. The film begins in the Cambridge Primate Research Centre as activists break in to free the chimpanzees. A scientist sees them and tries to call for security but is stopped. He tells them the chimps are infected with rage and they are infectious.
Even so, the cage is opened and one by one they are all infected by the virus. Then the second half of the opening scene begins with the title, “28 days later...” During this title, there is not quite silence, but some sort of background noise. The title is shown for about 10 seconds; these features are deliberate in order to allow the audience to take in what they have just seen and so they can think of the implications of it, which will be seen later. The first shot we see is an extreme close up shot of a half closed eye. This shot is used to disorientate the audience, which is very effective as you can even see the small hairs on his face and the audience does not know where the character is, and therefore this raises questions. With once breath we seen him brought back to life as his eye moves. At this point the shot is changed to a crane shot and we see he is a patient in a hospital that seems to be deserted. He gets up from his bed and tries to leave the room, shouting, “hello”. The camera changes so we can see a corridor in the hospital where there is an over turned bed. We see various scenes of the character walking around the hospital shouting “hello”, this confirms to the audience that it is in fact deserted; this begins to raise more questions on what happened. He then checks all the payphones and none of them are working, which continues the theme of a loss of communication. He then leaves the hospital and we see him walk around London, but not London as we know it. It is as if London has turned into a ghost town because there is no one in sight. We see our character cross London Bridge with the Houses of Parliament behind him as some very subtle non-diegetic score begins to play. Our character continues to walk across London, past an overturned bus, an empty Horse Guards Parade and Oxford Street. The score begins to quicken as our character finds many £20 notes. The music quickens and quickens as we enter the heart of the city and the character walks up to a stationary car in the middle of the road, and as he tries to open it, the alarm goes off. This diegetic sound creates a quick shock for the audience, making them jump out of their seats.He then walks over to a big pile of rubbish and a lot of newspapers. The non-diegetic score at this moment get a lot faster in a matter
of seconds, raising questions of what will happen next. He picks up an edition of the Evening Standard. The headline reads “EVACUATION” in large font, capital and bold le
tters. This suggests something terrible has happened. This is the answer the audience has been looking for. The pace of the music continues to quicken as he walks up to a billboard with hundreds of pictures of missing persons. He walks off with the board behind him as the score drowns out as the camera zooms in on a picture of a child.

Written by Tim Creedy

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is part of one of the most loved trilogies in the world and has been translated into many languages.
The film begins by showing wide angle scene of a mountain; after a few seconds a silhouette of Indiana Jones, the great archeologist, followed by a few accomplices. The film is set somewhere in South America in 1936. As the title credits emerge we see scenes of a jungle, which is dark (blues and blacks) and gloomy. The colour here represents a fear as many people a afraid of the dark. This already creates an atmosphere that there will be a lot of action in this film. Throughout these scenes we can hear sound effects of birds, monkey’s and other jungle animals. This makes the characters seem scared and nervous of what is beyond the path they are following.

The costumes the characters are wearing as seen as traditional jungle-wear. They have torn clothes, in bland colours such as beige and brown. This suggests that they have been through a lot as their clothes are ripped. The music quickens as an arrow in a tree is found. One of Indiana’s follows tests it for poison and it does have poison on it. This is a scary thought as others may be there which might jeopardise them getting the golden treasure they are looking for. They also find a statue at which one of the followers screams and sound effects are given in the form of birds screeching. After this the other followers look quite scared and frightened of the peril ahead. More animal noises are heard to create more suspense as they find the entrance to the tomb. They continue to walk and find the entrabce to the tomb. however before they enter there is a close up shot as Indinia Jones fills a bag of sand; this will be useful for later on. This makes the audience suspicious and wondering what the bag of sand is for. Inside the tomb the background noises are much quieter. The scenery inside the tomb is gloomy and very dark and there are cobwebs all over the place. Therefore as there are cobwebs, there are spiders and Indiana and his follower are then covered in them; thus creating more dramatic and suspenseful scene. They continue to walk down the tunnel as suddenly flying spikes struck their path. This sudden dramatic technique is followed up with typical shock music which in turn, makes the audience shocked, and the faint hearted may even jump out of their seats. Attached to the flying spikes is a dead body that is rotting; this reminds the audience how dangerous this mission is as this gives the perception that many others have failed. As they enter the main chamber dramatic music begins to play, this alerts the audience that the archeologist has found what he is looking for. Also when the camera shows a wide shot of the golden statue it shines brightly suggesting its importance. Many different types of shots are used to view the golden statue as again, it is an important part to the plot. As Indiana Jones walks up to the golden statue his is very careful of any traps that may be on the way; however he does find some, such as an arrow shooting out of as large grey statue, and these are examples of special effects – thus proving to the viewer just how dangerous this mission really is and it also reveals how brave Indiana Jones is. During this time relevant music is played which makes the audience nervous. The music builds up as Indiana Jones must take the statue and replace it with the bag of sand he collected earlier. However the weight is not correct and so the whole tunnel begins to collapse in. lots of close up and wide shots are used here to show the devastation and feelings of the archeologist. Overall this is a fantastic beginning to a fantastic film. It is exactly what you would expect from an action film such as this and no wonder so many people view it as a classic.

Written by Tim Creedy

Ideas of Our Own Film

The purpose of straplines
Straplines, also known as taglines or a slogan, are used in order to leave a key message in the mind of the target audience but also to emphasise and re-enforce the brand identity. A good strapline should be memorable to its target and should be repeated to gain maximum effect.

Some examples of straplines include: Nike – just do it, Nokia – Connecting people and HSBC – The worlds local bank.

Examples of straplines from films
Reservoir Dogs: “Let’s go to work”
28 days later…: “His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn't.”
London to Brighton: “Innocence has nowhere to hide.”
From Russia With Love: “The world's masters of murder pull out all the stops to destroy Agent 007.”

Some of our sample straplines
“There’s a thin line between love and hate”
“Watch your back…”
“You can run but you can’t hide…”
“They’re watching you.”
“Don’t let love lead to obsession”

"Obsession leads to possesion" 

Conventions of The Thriller Genre

The Conventions of the Thriller Genre

This area of research shows the typical devices, plot lines and characters that are typically used in thriller films.

What is a Thriller?

A thriller is usually something that creates tension. Within the text, there are plots to the twist of the story and there can be aspects of horror involved. A thriller should create question for the audience and also an sense of enigma (mystery) for the audience. A thriller should leave a chilling atmosphere and leave the audience feeling on edge.

Also there is an overlap with the mystery. However, thrillers are based around the hero thwarting the enemy rather than rather uncovering or solving an existing crime.

The difference between Horror and Thriller

These two genres have commonly been mistaken. For example if we look at the michael jackson video for his song 'Thriller' , it is branded as horror due to use of zombies which is often refered to as a sub-genre of horror. The horror genre tends to be more graphic making the audience feel more disgust rather than suspense or tension which is what the thriller genre does. The thriller genre should have the audience on the edge of their seats as the plot builds towards and intense climax.

Characters in Thrillers

Usually the main characters are often placed in menacing situations from which trying to escape seems impossible. Other characters include...

• Ordinary People- Often ordinary people tend to be innocent and end up in bad circumstances in which escape seems impossible.


• Damsel in Distress-


• Femme Fatale- A female fatale is an alluring and seductive woman whose charm ensnares her lovers in bonds of irresistable desire often being led into dangerous or complicated situations.


• Stalkers


• Assasins


• Police


• Criminals/Fugatives


• Characters that are involved within the government or politics for political thrillers.

The Common Themes used in Thrillers

The common themes that are used in thrillers are the plot lines. Many of these include..

• Stalking/Voyenism


• Mystery to be solved


• Obessions


• Espionage


• Terrorism


• Persuits


• Dangerous Romantic liasons


• Oppresive but unseen supernatural occurances

Common Cinematic techniques used in thriller films

Particular techniques are used in thrillers in order to create the tension and suspension that is required which is then leaving the audience feeling on edge due to what they see. Many of these techniques include...

• Extreme zoom shots - Good for showing reactions and emotions. The extreme zoom shots get right in and shows the extreme detail. Can be used to show detail in which the human eye cannot usually see. or even to emphasize a key prop for dramatic effect.


• Prolonged cross-cutting -


• Quick of montage -


• Use of Profile or silhouette -


• Dolly zoom shots - A technique in which the camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the object the same size in the frame. A very unnatural effect. It is used to create unease amongst the audience. One of the most famous examples of this was jaws.


• Quick cutting - By quick cutting the film, it gives the thriller a faster pace and rythym which is what a normal thriller should do. For example, a car chase will have different and quick cuttings of each car chasing eachother and what happens. It is also with the use of elliptical editing that keeps the ryhtym and pace going however, makes it less realisitc and doesn't to keep to real timings.

Film Synopsis Research

We have been researching film synopsises for thriller films in order to give ideas on how to write a synopsis for our film. We researched three films and we now ave a clearer understanding of the different techniques we need to use and what we should include.

28 days later…
"A virus that locks those infected into a permanent state of killing rage, is accidentally released from a British research facility. Carried by animals and humans, the virus is impossible to contain, and spreads across the entire planet. Twenty-eight days later, a small group of survivors are trapped in London, caught in a desperate struggle to protect themselves from the infected. As they attempt to salvage a future from the apocalypse, they find that their most deadly enemy is not the virus, but other survivors."

London to Brighton
"London, the present, 3.07am. Twenty-five-year-old prostitute Kelly and 11-year old runaway Joanne hide in a public lavatory following an evidently violent and terrifying encounter. Kelly decides to go to Brighton to hide out with her friend Karen, and offers to take Joanne with her. She raises the train fare by servicing a passing kerb-crawler. At daybreak, Kelly's pimp, Derek, is ordered to see gangster Stuart. The latter's father, Duncan, has been found murdered, and Derek is the only lead. Derek's leg is slashed open as a hint of what will happen if he fails to find Kelly and Joanne. Derek had previously asked Kelly to procure a very young girl for Duncan, and Joanne had been spotted begging outside Waterloo Station. In Brighton, the girls find Karen's house, and Kelly leaves her mobile phone there when going out to raise more money. When Derek rings, Karen's housemate betrays Joanne and Kelly's whereabouts. Derek and his sidekick, Chum, drive to Brighton, and take Kelly and Joanne hostage. As night falls, Stuart arrives with his henchman, and orders Derek and Chum to drive to a deserted field with the girls in the boot. While Derek and Chum dig a grave, Stuart interrogates Joanne in his car. She tearfully confesses that she stabbed Duncan with the knife that he threatened her with after tying her to his bed. Disgusted, Stuart has Derek and Chum shot dead. Kelly accompanies Joanne to the home of the girl's grandmother in Devon, and watches them embrace - but from a distance."

From Russia With Love
"SPECTRE, an international crime syndicate, devises a plot to discredit and kill British Secret Service Agent James Bond. Rosa Klebb, former head of the Russian secret service organization, has defected to SPECTRE, but her defection is known only to a few top men in the Soviet government. As one of the masterminds of the plot, Rosa goes to Istanbul and contacts Tatiana Romanova, a beautiful cipher clerk in the Russian embassy. She orders Tatiana to offer to help the British steal the Lektor, a valuable Russian coding machine, if James Bond will help her defect to the West. Meanwhile, a SPECTRE agent is in Istanbul with instructions to murder Bond. Russian agents are following him, too, but with the aid of Kerim Bey, a wily Turk whom he contacts upon arriving in Istanbul, Bond manages to foil several attempts on his life. Bond and Tatiana, working on plans to steal the Lektor, escape from Istanbul on the Orient Express headed for the West. SPECTRE agent Red Grant and Russian agent Benz are also on board the train and independently plan to kill Bond and steal the Lektor. Both Kerim Bey and Benz are killed; and Grant, overhearing Bond's request for another British agent to help him, meets the designated man at the next stop, kills him, and takes his place. Grant drugs Tatiana and overpowers Bond, but Bond triumphs when an attaché case explodes, enabling the two to leave the train. Bond then forces a pursuing SPECTRE helicopter to crash and sets the sea on fire to escape from oncoming powerboats. The two arrive in the apparent safety of Venice, but Rosa Klebb enters Bond's hotel room disguised as a maid and tries to kill him with a poisonous switchblade concealed in the toe of her shoe. Tatiana by now in love with Bond, shoots Rosa, and the Lektor is safely sent to England. Bond remains in Venice with Tatiana."

Key events that tend to happen within each of these synopsis is that they start with an unbalance in the film or problem for example in london to Brighton, both main characters are seen on the run. In the film from Russia With love, we see that the company 'SPECTRE' want to kill the agent james bond. And in 28 Days later, there is a virus that is unleashed in the city of london. Ideas that we will take from this is possibly starting out film with a problem i.e. because our film is based around someone being kidnapped, we will begin with the character being kidnapped and then the events that follow in the rest of the film  (aftermath).

Thriller Sub-Genres

Sub-Genres
There are many different sub-genres for the thriller genre. These are sub-genres are usually combined or include elements of others.

Action Thriller: Action thrillers usually contain a large amount of gun-fights and explosions. Also action thrillers commonly have elements of crime thrillers, but the predominant sub-genre would be action thriller. Action thrillers are generally very fast paced and sometimes the film is set against the clock such as Paycheck and Mission:Impossible.

Crime Thriller: Crime thrillers are usually focused on criminals and gangsters rather than the good character. These films include a lot of illegal aspects such as guns and shootouts, robberies and chases, and possibly even smuggling of drugs. An example of a crime thriller would be The Godfather.

Psychological thriller: Psychological thrillers involve a conflict between the main characters, who would have a different way of thinking, and we see this through a mental and emotional attitude rather than a physical one. An example of Psychological thrillers would be Flightplan and Fight Club.

Erotic Thriller: Erotic Thrillers were popular around the 1980's and consists of erotica along with the usual thriller traits. An example of an erotic thriller would be Derailed.

Supernatural Thriller: Supernatural thrillers consist of characters that have supernatural powers and usually have these powers while racing against the clock to stop the sources of evil and save someone or something. Basic horror elements may be seen- especially in the presence of evil power. Supernatural thrillers includes Premonition and The Dark Knight.

Comedy Thriller: Comedy thrillers involve some suspense but funny moments. They are especially seen in spoof movies in which main characters do silly things when faced in danger. An example of a comedy thriller would be Hot Fuzz.

Political Thriller: Political thrillers use main characters that work in government positions. Examples include The Interpreter and Vantage Point.

Disaster Thriller: Disaster thrillers use plot lines based on a natural disaster such as earthquakes, floods and volcanoes. An example of a disaster thriller would be War of the Worlds.

Drama Thriller: Drama thrillers are usually much slower paced and can have some plot twists, thus building dramatic effect. An example of a drama thriller would be The Interpreter.

Horror Thriller: Horror thrillers generally scare the audience much more than excite them. The certificates of horror are usually 15 or 18 because of their graphic content. An example of a horror thriller would be 28 days later.

Spy Thrillers: Spy Thrillers usually show a main character who works as a secret agent for a government who must follow another character from either a foreign government or perhaps terrorist. Examples of spy thrillers include the Bond films especially From Russia With Love.

Research Into Audience

There are three different types of audience theories in film. These include the hyperdermic needle, limited effects and the uses and gratification. Uses and gratification is where the audience make use of the media. The different areas of this are Identity..

Thriller films draw in audiences of all ages depending on the film. Films such as 28 days later would appeal to both the younger people and the older generation however other films such as psycho would appeal more to older people as it is an old film. Hitchcock films are more likely to suit the older generations as its style is very different from modern thrillers. This is because of the development in technology and how things have changed over time, technology is a big part of society nowadays so the advancement in technology will improve the quality of thrillers and will draw in more of an audience then that of older thrillers which do not have enough to affect the audience in the same way. 

As a group we have decided the target audience for our thriller will be young adults. There are certain things we will need to take into consideration to attract the audience we want. This includes the language used; the classification we are using is "15" the film will not be suitable for anyone under the age of 15. Therefore some strong language is acceptable but will have to be justified within its context. In a Thriller aimed at 15 year olds gore is a key feature however the strongest of gore images are not permitted. Some drug scenes are also acceptable however they must not influence drug use.


Classifications of Films (BBFC)


The U Classification
These films are usuallly set for pre-school chrildren. It is impossible to know what may upset any particular child. U films should be suitable for children for children aged 4 years and over. U films should be set in a positive framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror. The themes and their treatment if they are problematic must be sensitive and appropiate for a younger audience. In terms of language, very mild or language is infrequently used. Only mild sexual behaviour are used i.e making references to love and kissing are allowed. Usually "U" films aren't realistic in the sense that children can copy what they see in the films so realistic and dark themes are not used. Themes such as drugs and horror should be avoided however, if they deliver a positive or reassuring outcome i.e drugs are bad, then this is allowed. This would be not appropiate for the thriller genre because thrillers aren't set in a positive framework.


The PG classification
The PG classification stands for parental guidance only in that in some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. The themes in PG's are more serious than those in a U in that it deals with things such as domestic violence and racist behaviour but it should not be made so that children may copy what is said or done. Language that is used is mild. Sexual activity may be implied but should be discrete and infrequent. Any sexual references or inuendo should be mild only. Violence can be used mildly depending on its setting i.e comedy or fantasy. Frightening sequences should not be prolonged or intense, fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor. Any references to drugs or drug misuse must be innocous or carry a suitable anti-drug message. Again, this is isn't really appropiate for the thriller genre as most thriller themes are usually unsuitable for children. A thriller film tend to have frightening sequences which leave the audience in suspense and on the edge of their seats. 

The 12 (12a) Classification.
The 12/12a classifications are suitable for children aged 12 years and over. No one younger than 12 may see a 12a film unless they are accompanied by an adult. Alot more mature themes are used in these classifications but they must make sure that their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers. The use of strong language such as the word 'fuck' must be infrequent and racist abuse is also of a particular concern. Violence must not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood. Dangerous techniques eg hanging or suicide should not dwell on imitable detail or appear pain or harm free. Easy accesible weapons within the films should not be glamourised. Again the use of horror or drugs but again should not dwell on the detail of the pain but moderate uses of horror are permitted. Drug use must not convey a image that it is okay and for audience viewers to take drugs. This is an appropiate classification as thriller films as there does not have to dwell on the violence that is used and can focus on events around the plot i.e. the aftermath of a bomb exploding. 


The 15 Classification
No one younger than 15 is able to see a 15 film. There are no regulated themes within a 15 provided that the 15 is appropiate to a 15 year old. There may be a frequent use of strong language but the strongest of language will have to be justified within its context. Continued agressive use of the language is not accpetable. Again the use of dangerous techniques must not dwell on the imitable detail. In the terms of horror, strong uses of it are permitted however the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Drug taking may be shown in the film but must not promote drug misuse. This is appropiate for a thriller genre due to their being no regulated themes, this means that thriller can be a wide of themes such as bomb explosions however, they must stay within the control of the classification so not as strong violence or gore. 



The 18 Classification
No one younger than 18 may see a 18 classified film. All elements oulined that must not be portrayed in the other classifications are acceptable. This classification can either be confused as being a horror or thriller because some films have strong use of bloody violence and gore for example films such as 28 days later and Saw. 

In terms of looking at the thriller genre, the suitable classifications for this are 12A,15 and 18, a U classification would not be as suitable as it is limited in what you can do. The use of darker themes is prohibited in the U classification and thrillers tend to have dark themes throughout such as kidnapping or a bomb explosion.  

Both 28 Days later and Psycho are controlled by their certificates, the classification and content of the film 28 days later makes it an 18 and vice versa for the film psycho which makes it a 15. Therefore this means that no under the ages of 15 or 18 can see either film because of the content that the film contains which is controlled by the specification.

 However in terms of attracting audiences, 28 Days later would appeal to younger audiences because it is faster paced. However this film does not have typical common traits of a thriller film where as psycho have the classic thriller conventions. A film that has the classic thriller conventions is then easier to incorporate into a more modern remake or interpretation of the film for example. The re-make of Psycho was filmed in 1998, it has the traditional character names and was filmed literally the same for shot by shot but, it has a more modern and contemporary feel to the film for example, Marion Crane played by Julianne Moore instead of stealing $400 steals $400,000 of cash instead from the real estate office and also in the shower scene, more rear nudity is shown and there is computer generated stabbing sounds. 

Research Into the Thriller Genre

This section of our blog shows the research into the thriller genre. This will enable us to gain ideas from the key conventions, sub-genres, key texts and history. We will be able to gain ideas based on the 'traditional thriller' format by looking at these different areas of research. Looking at other different thrillers that have already been made and their synopisis this gives us an idea of plots and characters thats are used in the thrillers.

Also by looking at audience, we are able to create our film for a specific audience. With the research into the classifications of films such as 15 and 18, we know what limits that these classifications have and what can be included in the beginning of our film.

The History of Thriller Genre

The thriller genre dates back to the 1920's, in which many of the early thrillers were revolved around mystery and murder. It was only through the work of Aflred Hitchcock in the 1950's that the thriller genre became very successful. Films such as Psycho, The Birds and North By NorthWest has created inspiration for many modern day thrillers. Alfred Hitchcock born 18 August 1989 had become a very successful and very influential British filmmaker. He was known as “The Master of Suspense” due to many of his techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller film genres.

Alfred Hitchcock's films show an interesting tendency towards recurring themes and devices such that one can almost feel that Hitchcock was making the same film over and over again or is telling the same story in his films. Hitchcock preferred the use of suspense over the use of surprise in his films. In surprise, the director assaults the viewer with frightening things. In suspense, the director tells or shows things to the audience which the characters in the film do not know, and then artfully builds tension around what will happen when the characters finally learn the truth. There was also a major use of dramatic irony in many of his films in which the audience would know what was happening when the characters didn’t.

Alfred Hitchcock had also made various cameo roles in each of his films. The director would be seen for a brief moment boarding a bus, crossing in front of a building, standing in an open roof bus, or appearing in a photograph. This playful gesture became one of Hitchcock's signatures.

Hitchcock had used a variety of filiming techniques in his films. In the film Lifeboat, Hitchcock stages the entire action of the movie in a small boat, yet manages to keep the cinematography from one monotonous repetition. Similarly, the entire action in Rear Window either takes place or is seen from a single apartment. Rope (1948) was another technical challenge: a film that appears to have been shot entirely in a single take. Some transitions between reels were hidden by having a dark object fill the entire screen for a moment. , Hitchcock used those points to hide the cut, and began the next take with the camera in the same place.

The Hitchcock zoom (dolly zoom) the Dolly Zoom is an unsettling in-camera special effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception in film. The effect is achieved by using the setting of a zoom lens to adjust the angle of view (often referred to as field of view) while the camera dollies (or moves) towards or away from the subject in such a way as to keep the subject the same size in the frame throughout. In its classic form, the camera is pulled away from a subject whilst the lens zooms in, or vice-versa.

The work of Alfred Hitchcock had then inspired many directors. Today, thriller films provide a rich feast embracing a wide variety of worlds - the law, espionage, action-adventure, medicine, police and crime, romance, history, politics, high-tech, and religion.
Thrillers are usually about life and death situations. When skillfully created, thrillers can also carry the load of bigger themes than strict realism will allow. Other examples of this genre in literature include The Da Vinci Code, The Hunt for Red October, The Day of the Jackal, and Jurassic Park.

Key Texts

There are many thriller texts, these include:

• 28 days later...
• Many of the James Bond films (especially From Russia With Love)
• Indiana Jones Quadrilogy
• The Bourne Trilogy
• The Mission:Impossible Films