2. What is a genre?
A genre is a specific type of
music, film, or writing. Your
favorite literary genre might be
science fiction, and your
favorite film genre might be
horror flicks about
cheerleaders.
3. The genre I have selected.
The genre that I have
selected for my movie are
Thriller/suspense. In the
upcoming slides I will be
discussing about my genres
in detail.
4. Thriller/suspense genre.
Thriller is a genre of literature, film, and television programming that uses suspense,
tension, and excitement as its main elements. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's
moods, giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation,
uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and terror. Films of this genre tend to be adrenaline-
rushing, gritty, rousing and fast-paced.
A thriller provides the sudden rush of excitement, and exhilaration that drive the
narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck
pace. It keeps the audience on the "edge of their seats", akin to the sensation of
hanging from a cliff, as the plot builds towards a climax. Literary devices such as red
herrings, plot twists, and cliffhangers are used extensively. A thriller is usually a villain-
driven plot, whereby he or she presents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome.
Suspense is a crucial characteristic of the thriller genre. It gives the viewer a feeling
of pleasurable fascination and excitement mixed with apprehension, uncertainty,
anticipation, tension, and anxiety. These develop from unpredictable, mysterious and
rousing events during the narrative, which make the viewer or reader think about the
outcome of certain actions. It also gives the person the so-called "on-edge" feeling.
Suspense builds in order to make those final moments, no matter how short, the most
memorable. They are the defining features in a thriller. The suspense in a story keeps
the person hooked to reading or watching more until the climax is reached
6. Action Thriller
Take any other thriller subgenre, give it’s defining elements a back seat, and focus on the action, and you have an action-
thriller. This is more common in movies than novels because of the visual appeal of explosions and violence.
Conspiracy Thriller
In this subgenre the protagonist must confront a large, powerful organization whose threat only he sees. Usually he must
do so alone.
Crime Thriller
This subgenre focuses on crime, and is usually from the criminal’s point of view. Physical action and eluding the police take
the place of gathering evidence and trying to discover the criminal.
Disaster Thriller
In this subgenre a (usually) natural disaster is taking place, and the antagonist is either trying to stop the disaster, the
extent of the disaster, or just save themselves before time runs out and the disaster has run its course.
Eco-Thriller
In this subgenre the protagonist must stop a threat to the environment (man-made or natural) that will have consequences
for society if left unchecked. The damage could be local, but nation or even world-wide stakes are more dramatic. ;)
Forensic Thriller
In this subgenre the protagonist(s) are forensic scientists whose involvement in an unsolved crime threatens their lives
7. Legal Thriller
This subgenre takes place in and around the courtroom. Usually the protagonist is a lawyer who has found their case
threatening death for either them or their client.
Medical Thriller
This subgenre involves something usually used for medical purposes becoming a deadly weapon. Often it is a virus that is
leaking out to the public. The protagonist or antagonist or both are doctors.
Mystery Thriller
This is a subgenre of both mysteries and thrillers. It differs from a regular mystery by being much more fast-paced, with the
protagonist on the run and the threat of another crime serving as the “ticking clock.”
Political Thriller
In this subgenre political relations or the whole government is at stake, and the protagonist is employed by the government
to stop the decline. The protagonist may have been low-level before having attracted attention.
Psychological Thriller
A personal favorite. In this subgenre a lot of the conflict is mental, rather than physical. The protagonist has become involved
in a dangerous situation which literally threatens their sanity. They must use mental prowess to overcome their opponent,
whether the battle is inside their own head or it a battle of wits.
8. Romantic Thriller
This is a subgenre of both thrillers and romantic novels. The
plot line follows a typical thriller’s tension, suspense, and
excitement, but a main element is the growing relationship
between two characters.
Spy Thriller
It’s hard to call this a genre mash-up when spy novels almost
have to be thrillers. At any rate, this subgenre focuses on the
high adventures of field agents. It is usually set against the
backdrop of some war.
Supernatural Thriller
In this subgenre otherworldly elements are introduced, usually
as an antagonistic force, but just as in the romantic thriller, the
plot line and feel or distinctly that of thrillers. Some characters
may have psychic abilities and other supernatural novel
elements may be present.
9. Conventions of thriller/suspense
• Low key lighting
• Quick cuts
• Shadows
• Tension music
• Changes in angles of camera shots
• Digetic sound of breathing
• Black and white shots
• Montage of shots
• Protagonist is in the mercy of antagonist
10. Themes and characters of thriller genre.
• The primary elements of the thriller/suspense genre:
• The protagonist(s) faces death, either his and/or hers or somebody
else's.
• The force(s) of the antagonist's must initially be cleverer and/or
stronger than the protagonist's.
• The main storyline for the protagonist is either a quest or a character
that cannot be put down.
• The main plotline focuses on a mystery which must be solved and an
escalating threat.
• The film's narrative construction is dominated by the protagonist's
point of view.
• All action and characters must be credibly realistic or natural in their
representation.
• The two major themes that underpin the thriller genre are the desire
for justice and the morality of individuals.
• One small, but significant, aspect of a thriller is the presence of
innocence in what is seen as an essentially corrupt world.
• The protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) may battle, themselves and each
other, not just on a physical level, but on a mental one as well.
• Either by accident or their own curiousness, each character is dragged
into a dangerous conflict or situation that they are not prepared to
resolve.
Common methods and themes
in crime thrillers are
mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, reveng
e, kidnappings. More common
inmystery thrillers are investigations and
the whodunit technique. Common
elements in psychological
thrillers are mind games, psychological
themes, stalking,
confinement/deathtraps, horror-of-
personality, and obsession. Elements such
as fringe theories, false
accusations and paranoia are common
in paranoid thrillers. Threats to entire
countries, spies, espionage,
conspiracies, assassins and electronic
surveillance are common in spy thrillers ]
11. Sound and editing
• Quick cuts are usually used with a variation of shot sizes and certain
camera angles
• Music comes into the film at certain points in the films to scare the
audience and make them unsettled
• In most thrillers you feel sorry about the protagonist.
• Story is told in flashbacks and elliptical editing
• Shots are very quick with rapid editing to create tension in film
• Editing is manipulated to put certain impacts on audience
• Jump cuts used
• Cross cuts used.
12. Lighting: thriller genre
• Lighting is important in thriller genre as it makes the
movie successful in scaring the audience
• Low key lighting are used to produce dark shadows on
screen which create sinister tones.
13. Locations used.
• Usually there are dark old huge houses used.
• They are set at scary ,suburban houses to get audience
attention.
Cinematography.
• A lot of close-up and extreme close ups of the protagonists,
this is to show the emotions
• The shots of antagonists are cut quickly to hide the identity
for e.g. low key shot, silhouette or shadows.
