Portfolio Project Genre #1

Genre!!

    The thriller genre is the first genre I am curious to research because it focuses on building anxiety and typically has manipulation and obsessive themes involved, keeping the audience constantly on their toes.

        Although many thriller conventions tend to mix with those of the horror genre they're still very different. I've never been much of a horror movie lover but there's something about thrillers that is so compelling. One of the reasons I love them is because it doesn't need theatrical scares or supernatural beings to create a sense of fear or suspense throughout a film like horror does. It creates anxiety through psychology, sound and character development.

    General conventions of a thriller include a continuous suspense with an escalating fast pace, scenes filled with tension, unexpected twists, a combination of emotions, and leaving viewers questioning and analyzing for clues in the film. Nowadays, thriller films focus on real world experiences or dilemmas which make audiences believe, engage, and relate more to specific characters. Since characters in thrillers are ordinary people put into suspenseful or stressful situations it may be easier to relate to their circumstances rather than let's say a horror film that features supernatural beings.

A great example is "The housemaid" with it's unexpected twist halfway throughout the film and use of purposeful sounds/music to intensify feelings towards specific characters:

The Housemaid:

    Character development in thrillers is extremely important and they often have traits of determination, intelligence, and moral ambiguity. They have these traits because they are often faced with challenging situations and need to know how to quickly problem solve for survival and for what they believe in. Often these characters have a special unexpected trait, skill, or talent that makes them stand out a little more, enticing viewers more. Since characters in thrillers are ordinary people put into suspenseful situations it may be easier to relate than let's say a horror film that features supernatural beings terrifying the audience. 

    Since I am creating a 2 minute film opening it's important to establish my characters strengths, weaknesses, fears, or desires from the start. I might not be able to capture all of that in the film opening however I now have learned I need to establish a strong character with elements of psychological depth to make it a great thriller opening.

Here is another example of a film in the thriller genre:

Carry on:

    When I think about this portfolio project my ultimate goal when filming is to create that wow factor sense for you people (Cambridge :)). I think doing a thriller is going outside of my comfort zone and will allow for my own personal growth within media production. It will help me better understand the importance of how to incorporate mise-en-scene elements at the right time, as well as properly editing and producing a film opening.

Sources:
    1. Sørup, J. (2021, May 13). Film Genre Analysis: What Sets Horror and Thriller Apart? FilmDaft.
    2. Landsborough, D. (2023, June 28). A Killer Guide to Writing Thriller Characters. DabbleWriter.
    3. Thriller Movies. Boolean Dreams.