Slide 1

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 2

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 3

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 4

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 5

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 6

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 7

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 8

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 9

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 10

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 11

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 12

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 13

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 14

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 15

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.


Slide 16

Thriller Genre
• Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense.
• As it covers a wide range of film, it’s hard to define the genre. This is because there are many hybrids
and sub-genres in thriller such as action-thriller, physiological thriller and religious thriller.
• The aim of a Thriller is to create emotion and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
• A Thriller will keep the audience guessing what’s next and usually has a twist.
• A crime is usually at the centre of the narrative.
• It will have an antagonist and protagonist. The aim of the protagonist is to try and prevent the
intention of the antagonists plans.
• The characters are usually as complex as the narrative.
• The main problem is built throughout the film which always leads to a climax.

Narrative themes and conventions
There are many themes and conventions of a thriller which identify it to be a
thriller:
•Unexpected twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.
•The main problem is built up throughout the film which always leads to a final
climax, creating tension and a build up of anticipation. An example of this is in
Se7en. At the end of the film, after 6 deadly sins already been committed, the
murderer hands himself in and leads the detectives to a location where they
find a box with the young detectives wife's head inside. The climax of Se7en is
that the seventh deadly sin is not committed by the murderer but in fact the
new detective creating a climax, as he is getting his revenge- the seventh deadly
sin.
•There is always ‘restricted narrative’ that keeps the audience guessing and
doesn’t give a way too much. Questions and riddles will be left unanswered
until the end of the film.
•The narrative structure is complex so that the audience must work out what is
going on in the film. Clues are given to help the audience do this and eventually
there is a resolution.

Todorov had a theory of narrative that suggested that
conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Equilibrium
Disruption of the equilibrium
Recognition of the disruption
An attempt to repair this disruption
Equilibrium restored

This theory can relate to Thriller narrative:

•
•
•
•
•

An example of this is the thriller, Phonebooth
which follows this theory.
Equilibrium: The equilibrium is when a man is
walking down the street carrying on with his day to
day life.
Disruption: The disruption is when he enters the
phone box and answers the phone.
Recognition: The recognition is when he accepts
what he has done wrong.
Attempt to repair: His attempt to repair the
disruption is when he apologises to the he has
harmed publically.
Equilibrium restored: Finally equilibrium is restored
when he thinks the man who has been holding him
hostage has been killed by the police. However, he
finds out the antagonist is in fact still alive and
warns him that he will always be watching him.
Even though it is not the same equilibrium as the
beginning, it is still his equilibrium but the events of
the film have caused it to changed.

Characters
The narrative of thrillers is usually developed through the characters. The villain causes
the narrative problem that needs to be solved by the hero. There are many different
types of characters in thrillers:
•Antagonist: antagonists are the ‘evil’ characters. There are usually convicts, criminals,
stalkers, assassins, serial killers, kidnappers or terrorists. The antagonist can sometimes
be a psychotic individual. They are evil characters, with their identity often hidden at the
beginning so we wonder who they are. They are unpredictable and often intelligent,
making them seem invincible. Sometimes the psychotic individual who is actually the
antagonist can believe that they are in fact the protagonist. For example, in ‘Momento’,
the main character thinks he is going to track the killer of his wife down, when in fact he
suffers from short term memory loss and he is the one who has murdered her.
•Protagonist: protagonists are the innocent victims with the main aim to try and prevent
the antagonist from accomplishing their plans. They are sometimes characters with dark
pasts and often cops or ex-cops. They will often have a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the
antagonist. The protagonist is often an everyday individual who is found in the wrong
place at the wrong time becomes involved in a dangerous situation.
Some characters are characterised with a sub-genre. For example ‘the final girl’ always
stops the villain in a ‘slasher’ horror. Often in cop films, the characters will be paired as a
duo. However, in many Thrillers the protagonist will set out on a quest alone, with no
help. This means that Thrillers do not follow Propp’s characterisation theory as the hero
does not have a helper or a dispatcher.

Cinematography
Many different types of shots are used in Thriller films to create tension and suspense.
•An establishing shot is usually the first shot in a film to set the scene of where the
action will be taking place. However, in Thrillers this is not the case as an establishing
shot is rarely given to the viewers because they want the audience to have limited
information. This is typical of a Thrillers restricted narrative. This keeps the audience
guessing filling us with suspense.
•Close ups of a character or object will often be used to show the significance of an
object or the emotion of a character. If it is a close up of a character, this helps the
audience to feel or understand how the character is feeling. If it is a close up of an
object, it suggests that this object will be a major part of the film and is important. For
example, in ‘Collateral’, we see a close up of a bag straight away in the opening title
sequence. This tells the audience that the bag has great significance within the
narrative. Close ups of a characters face is also important to show emotion. This is key to
Thrillers as the themes are suspense, tension and fear.
•Point of view shots are used to involve the audience in the actions so you can develop a
sense of the emotions that the characters are feeling. You can often hear what their
breathing is like so it indicates to the audience how they’re feeling. For example, if it was
heavy breathing this could represent panic and would cause tension. The aim of a
Thriller film-maker is to make the audience as anxious and as tense as the characters so
point of view shots are important.
•Medium shots are often used to show us how the character is feeling or what there
personality is like. Medium shots are often from the waist upwards, so we can not only
see what they are wearing which could show us their occupation or personality, but also
their body language. For example, if a character had their arms crossed it could show
they are vulnerable or uncomfortable, which would often be the case in a thriller.
Medium shots also show the costumes the characters are wearing, which is key to
identify the role or position the character will play in the film.

•The camera is often handheld in some scenes of some thrillers to make the audience feel like it is reality.
It helps build panic and anxiety as we feel like we are really there keeping us ‘on the edge of our seats’. An
example of this is in ‘Cloverfield’ where the whole film is filmed on a personal handheld camcorder. When
one of one the main characters ‘Hud’ is recording, he finds himself right under a monster. This helps the
audience to empathise with him and we can feel his emotions at that very point in time, because we feel
like we are part of the action. It also helps us to feel his state of mind as the camera is shaky showing us he
is terrified. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb7pXndlug)
•Canted angles are often used in thrillers to make the audience feel uneasy and cause discomfort.
•Low and high angles are often used in thrillers to show levels of superiority and inferiority. For example,
the scene in ‘Cloverfield’ when Hud is below the monster it shows the level of dominance the monster has
and the level of vulnerability Hud has. This creates a heightened state of terror in the audience and
symbolises ‘good vs. evil’.
•Reverse zooms are often used to cause great discomfort in the viewer. It is a very peculiar shot; as the
camera zooms out of the scenery behind an object or character, it will zoom into the object or character
which makes us feel very uneasy as an audience. An example of this is in ‘Jaws’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svEPWBxpYjo) This is used to emphasise to the audience how he is
feeling. We can tell he is feeling discomfort, as are we.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is a still scenery which will show the audience several things such as props, characters, setting
and lighting. The mise-en-scene will often let the audience know what genre it is by showing conventions of
that genre. For example in a thriller’s mise-en-scene you would typically find:
•Low key lighting to build tension and create an uncomfortable atmosphere.
•De-saturated colour is often used to make it seem almost as if it is cold and makes the audience feel
uncomfortable as it has an ‘eerie’ effect. A blue and yellow tint is also used frequently to cause this same
effect.
•Red is often used to symbolise blood and danger.
•There is often a detective or policeman in costume to show that crime is the centre of the narrative. They
will wear stereotypical costumes so that the audience can easily recognise their profession.
•The antagonist and/or the protagonist are likely to be in the mise-en-scene and what they are wearing can
show a persons personality. For example, in ‘Brick’ we see the protagonist wearing glasses. This shows that
he is intelligent, but maybe considered a ‘geek’. It suggests he is an outsider and very much alone. However,
his clothing is everyday normal clothing, which emphasises that he is an ordinary everyday person.

•It is often set in a busy place; often an urban city such as New York so that
everything seems normal. This helps the antagonist to blend in so nothing is
suspected. We are taken to the dark, sinister spaces within these urban
settings.
•Props that are associated with Thriller include weapons, blood and guns. This
shows that the film is going to be a Thriller, and suggest violence will be
involved; just like in many thrillers. Other props indicate character traits or
narrative clues. For example, in ‘Collateral’ the picture Max has in his taxi tells
us that he is a dreamer and not happy with his day to day life. The bag we see
a close up of, suggests to us that it will play an important part in the film
regarding the narrative.
•The body language and facial expressions of characters in the mise-en-scene
provides the audience with the emotions they characters are feeling. In this
mise-en-scene from ‘American Beauty’, we can see that the antagonist on the
far right is looking very agitated and rather disturbed. This helps the audience
to understand his state of mind as well as his relationship with the other
characters in the scene. The girl in the middle is also looking very
uncomfortable which emphasises the situation and as an audience makes us
feel uncomfortable.
•Characters in Thrillers go through a wide range of emotions, such as fear and
anxiety. Therefore, figure expression is hugely important as it shows us how
they character is feeling, helping us to empathise with them and feel the same
fear.

Sound

In a film sequence there are 2 different types of film:
•Diegetic: diegetic sound is sound that is naturally occurring within
the diegesis. For example, if a door was to slam this would be diegetic
sound as the characters within the scene can hear it. Dialogue is also
an example of diegetic sound.
•In a thriller, diegetic sound you would expect to see would be those
that make you feel uneasy such as screaming or a character crying out
for help. Ambient sounds will always be frequently used to show the
urban setting.
•As the narrative of a thriller is character driven, the dialogue is very
important. It can show their personality or give us vital information.
For example, in the opening sequence of ‘Collateral’ Vincent says to a
complete “You alright mate?” and repeats it. This shows the audience
that something is not quite right, as he is being so friendly with a
complete stranger he has bumped in to.
• Ambient sound (usually diegetic) is naturally occurring sound such as
birds singing. This is often used in thrillers to emphasise the ordinary
location the film is set in. For example, at the beginning of ‘Brick’, all
we can hear is the sound of running water. This emphasises to the
audience the isolated location. In contrast to this, at the beginning of
‘Collateral’, we can hear the buzzing of people talking and the sound
of loud announcements being made. This shows to us that this is a
busy location, and a place of arrival (an airport).

•Non-diegetic: non-diegetic sound is artificial sound that cannot be
heard by people within the diegesis, which is added in during the
editing process. Sound effects are often used to emphasise the
action taking place. Sound tracks are also non-diegetic sound, of
which are written specifically for the film. Theme tunes are played
in the opening sequence and/or the credits and will become
relatable to the film so that when that theme music plays we
instantly relate it to the film.
•Soundtracks in Thrillers are used to heighten your emotions by
filling you with suspense. It makes the action become more
dramatic and thrilling. For example, in ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a
chase scene takes place with very repetitive fast paced music which
represents action. As the music continues, the volume increases
causing our excitement and tension levels to rise. It also has a nonstop note which almost squeaks the whole way through, which
causes the audience to feel uncomfortable as it is ‘eerie’.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSat61A4kr8)
•Pleonastic sound (usually non-diegetic) is sound that imitates or
reinforces the action taking place within the scene. For example, in
the open title sequence of the thriller ‘Drive’, music is playing.
During the opening scene, the main character turns the light switch
off when leaving his apartment and the music emphasises this.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpXQS5gaAw)

Editing Techniques

•Editing is the placing of separate shots together after the film has been shot. Continuity editing
is seamless, so the shots run smoothly into each other, and you can barely tell that editing has
even taken place. If you can notice the editing, it will be done deliberately to create a
heightened state of emotion or some other effect. Editing can also be used to implicate the
ending of a scene or passage in time.
•Continuity editing: you cannot notice continuity editing as it makes the shots flow smoothly
onto the next. This allows the audience to become fully absorbed in the action, allowing the
audience to ‘suspend disbelief’. As thriller is all about making the audience feel tense, they want
the audience to feel fully involved in the action so they can feel emotions with the characters.
•Graphic match: Graphic match is a continuity editing technique. It is when there is a familiar
relationship between the shots so that it links with another scene or point in time. Makes the
shots seem smooth; this could be continuity of direction or similar objects or subjects. For
example, in ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match of the girls (the victim) bracelet from when she is
dead and then when she is alive to show the audience that it has gone back in time.

•Match the action: this is when it is cut on the action. They use a few shots of the same action to show the
action from the previous shot to match the following shot, so that there is a smooth flow. It is always the
same thing, but from a different angle or place. An example of this is in ‘Taken 2’ during a chase scene
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjPUeMLNydg). The audiences becomes absorbed into the action and
feel tense for the character.
•Shot reverse shot: this is when one character is looking at another who isn’t in the shot. It will then cut to
a shot of the other character looking back at the first. Because the characters are facing opposite
directions, we assume they are looking at each other. In a thriller, we may not be able to see one of the
characters as this will keep us thinking and fill us with suspense. In ‘Se7en’ we see this in the end scene
when John Doe and Detective Mills are having a conversation. This helps the audience to become fully
absorbed into their conversation, feeling the tension, in such a tense scene which builds to a climax. It also
shows the audience the emotions the characters are feeling.
•Parallel editing: this gives the audience the illusion that two things are happening at the same time. The
shots will cut continually between at least two scenes happening at the same time but in different
locations. An example of this is in ‘Silence of the Lambs’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM) . We see it cut from a SWAT team outside of the house,
to a psychotic kidnapper inside the house. This builds tension as we are convinced as an audience they are
going to catch the antagonist. This then builds up to a twist that the SWAT team have actually targeted the
wrong house.

Thriller Target Audiences
People watch thrillers to feel a heightened state of emotion. Audiences watch thrillers
wanting to be thrilled, feel anticipation and be filled with suspense, often leaving viewers
unsettled. The target audience of thrillers is a wide audience, ranging from the late
teens to middle aged audiences, including those up to about 50 years of age.
Thriller appeals to both male and female genders, but in different ways. Both enjoy the
thrills and suspense that thrillers create, as well as the climatic moments that build fear.
The strong male lead actors, often the protagonist, would appeal to the female
audience, especially if the protagonist has a flaw. For example, Liam Neeson in ‘Taken’ is
a strong, intelligent character acting as a hero for his daughter. For males, they would
enjoy the action and fight scenes that thrillers often offer.
Thrillers appeal to a wide social class. It especially appeals to those who wish to engage
in a more challenging narrative.
General certification given to a Thriller by the BBFC tends to be a 12 or 15. However,
those with extreme content would be an 18.

Taken Certification
Sub-genre: Crime/ Action Thriller
Certificate: 15
Language:
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be
acceptable.
• Taken: swearing is not used frequently throughout the film but is used at times where necessary.
Nudity:
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or
educational context.
• Taken: Nudity is shown briefly at some times as it is set in sex houses.
Sex:
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Taken: sexual activity is briefly shown with no strong detail. This cannot be avoided as the narrative is largely about
prostitution.
Violence:
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely
to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal
references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual
justification.
• Taken: Violence is strong in Taken but once the person has been hurt, the injury is not dwelled on. They are no gory
images.

Casino Royale
Sub-genre: Action/ adventure Thriller
Certificate: 12
Violence:
• Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or
blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may
only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
• Casino Royale: There is moderate violence, but nothing too graphic.
Language
• Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.
• Casino Royale: a very small amount of language is used.
Nudity
• Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
• Casino Royale: there is very moderate nudity for very short periods of time.
Sex
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is
suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
• Casino Royale: as in all Bond films, there is a very small amount of sex scenes. However, it is very brief and
nothing graphic is shown.

Initial Ideas
For the narrative of my film, I was inspired by ‘Taken’. The reason I love
this film is because when his daughter gets taken and is being used for
prostitution, he must overcome so many obstacles that seem impossible
together, but he still manages to. Because of this, it involves a lot of
tense action scenes when you don’t know if the outcome will be
successful. In my film, I have chosen to use an idea like this. A teenage
girl will be taken whilst on holiday with her friend. Her father then hires
a man he knows is amazing at his job to go and find her, but he also has
to overcome many obstacles and find several clues.

In ‘Momento’, I like the way that the main character uses photographs
to try and remember events and find clues to find his wife's killer, as he
has short term memory loss. This reason I like this is because it leaves
the audience knowing as restricted amount of information as the
character, because we don’t know what's happened either- so we must
also use the clues from the photographs. In my film, I will use this idea,
but slightly differently. My main character will use photographs and
documents to plan out his investigation and keep him organised.
However, he is never in one place for very long and has to move around
a lot to try and find the girl, so he has to take all his photographs with
him every time and arrange them in the exact same order every single
time- if he messes this up, the whole plan will fail.

Just like in ‘Taken’, my film will be set in Paris. I did this for
two reasons: One, because it is a busy city so nothing will be
suspected for the antagonist, which is typically of a thriller,
and secondly because Paris is meant to be the city of love,
but in this case it is a city of danger so it is in total contrast.
Just like in typical Thriller, my film will include twists and
turns. I was inspired by ‘Man on Fire’ , where a young girl is
kidnapped and throughout the narrative her personal
bodyguard who her family employ is trying to find her and
save her. In the end, it turns out that her Father knew about
it the whole time, and in fact helped to set it up in a scheme
to gain money. In my film, I will use basically the exact idea
of this, that at the end we find out that the girls Father has
in fact been involved the whole time to try and make money.
I really enjoyed the film ‘V for Vendetta’, because as an
audience we have no idea who he is, as he wears a mask. I
will use this in my film, by making the protagonist wear a
mask. This gives the film a huge element of mystery as his ID
is hidden, and keeps the audience guessing and looking out
for clues about him. It also gives the audience the idea that
something dodgy is going on.