Why Thriller Genre?

What is a thriller?

• Thriller is an important genre in the Media industry.
• The main elements involve are tension suspense and excitement.
• One of the aims is to thrill the audience and keep them anticipating. 
• It usually consists of  a protagonist and antagonist.
• These two opposing powers reach a climatic battle towards the end.

What is a thriller?

• The protagonist will face obstacles within the movie and they overcome this
• It usually is a villain driven plot, where the antagonist seeks to destroy
• Whereas the protagonist tries to restore justice and defeat the antagonist.
• Codes that  are seen in thrillers are cliff-hangers and red  herrings.
• The audience will feel as if they are involved as well.

Conventions of Thriller Genre

• Use of close ups and cuts helps show emotions and sudden movements/pace.
• The use of de-saturated and low key lighting builds up mystery and tension.
• Protagonist in danger and in the clutches of the antagonist
• Music helps increase the suspense in conjunction with the vital scenes.
• Black, white and grainy shots are usually found as flashbacks or  history.

Characters

• Protagonist will usually be an ordinary person with morals.
• Antagonist will initially have a hidden identity and a  troubled past.
• Protagonist may need to  decide to save between loved one and the world. 
• Antagonist will mostly be an outsider wearing dark, mysterious clothes.
• Protagonist will mostly be a male wearing everyday clothes.

Influences of Thriller Genre

• Alfred Hitchcock is successful  in influencing the concept of thrillers
• He had been wise in the type of short snap shots he had used to film.
• The music was generally eerie and mysterious and reach the climax.
• Some of his works such as Psycho was a revolutionary thriller film
• Today this had shaped and placed thrillers as a popular genre.

Choice of thriller or horror genre

• I have chosen the thriller genre as part of my brief.
• Personally I picked this as I understood the criteria for thriller films.
• Also I dislike viewing horror movies so it would  not be wise to choose it.
• I like the concept of building suspense and tension for the audience.
• The sub genre that interests me is psychological thriller.