know your genre research thriller

1. Know your Genre – Additional Group Research
FilmTitle: Genre (andor sub-genre) :Thriller
Group Members: Luca, Hashan, Matt and Francis
Popular films– list5 populartitlesfromyourchosengenre andwrite a 1-2 sentence synopsisforthem.Youdonot
needtohave watchedthese films,thoughitmayhelpyourawarenessof yourgenre towatchthemoverthe next
fewweeks. Donotcut and paste synopsis;putthe storiesintoyourownwords.
Film1 –
Title Synopsis
Se7en Two detectives take on a serial killer who kills people who have committed one
of the seven deadly sins.
Film2 –
Title Synopsis
Prisoners A child goes missing and the father is annoyed at how the case isn’t developing
and so he takes the matters into his own hands.
Film3 –
Title Synopsis
The Silence of the
Lambs
A young police woman meets and interviews an infamous cannibal who may
have insights into a case.
Film4 –
Title Synopsis
Memento A man is tracking down the killer of his wife but he has a rare case of memory
loss making it incredible hard.
Film5 –
Title Synopsis
Shutter Island Two detectives investigate the disappearance of a woman from an island
asylum. As they delve deeper they find out that everything isn't quite as it
seems.

2. Settings
What are 6 settingsthathave appeared frequentlyinfilmsfromyourchosengenre?Listfilmtitle nexttoanswer.
1. Suburbs featuredinthe film The Silence of the Lambs
2. Asylumsfeaturedinthe film ShutterIsland
3. Crime riddled citiesfeaturedinthe film Se7en
4. Small townfeaturedinthe filmPrisoners
5. A roomfeaturedinthe filmPanicRoom
6. Isolate place featuredinthe film Cape Fear
Cinematography
Find3 iconicshotsfromfilmsof yourchosengenre.Copythe imagesandpaste thembelow.Identifytitlesunder
Se7en Shutter Island The Silence of the Lambs
List the majordifferencesandsimilaritiesbetweenthe images. Atleast3pointspercolumn.
Differences Similarities
The image from Se7en includes two characters
whereas the other two images only have one
character.
Both the Shutter Island image and The Silence of the
Lambs image have the characters looking near the
camera.
The image from Se7en and Shutter island is of a mid
shot while the image from The Silence of the Lambs
is of a close up.
Both the Se7en image and the Shutter island image
are outside.
The image from Shutter Island is dark whereas the
other two images are quite bright.
Both the Se7en image and The Silence of the Lambs
image include props (Hat and mask).

3. Image analysis
What do youbelievemakesthe imagesabove soiconic(orhave sucha strongimpact)?
I believe that the shot from Se7en is iconic due to it coming at the end of the film and you can see the
emotion coming from the character of Brad Pitt as he has realised what has just happened. The image from
Shutter Island also has a strong impact as the woman is telling the main character to be quiet or to not tell
anyone which makes you think about what will happen during the course of the film. It is also a very scary
shot which will have an impact on the audience. The final image is off Hannibal Lecter wearing a sinister
mask. The reason this is an iconic shot is due to him being treated like an animal and you can also see how
much the state police fear him in that they would put a mask over him so he can't inflict any more damage
to the population.
Colour scheme
Are there any coloursor shadesthatcan be associatedwithyourgenre?Listthe colour,whywe mightassociate this
withyourgenre (whatwe see that isthiscolour) andany connotationsconnectedtothatcolour.
Colour Where that colour appears in your
genre
Connotations – what we associate with
that colour.
Black Costumes such as a suit or an overcoat. Death, Evil, Mystery
Grey A grey house or prison Dramatic, Dull, Detached
Protagonists V Antagonists
Find an image of a notable protagonist and antagonist from your chosen genre.
Paste their image below.
Protagonists V
Antagonists
(continued)

4. What are the key or common characteristics of the protagonists and antagonists
from your genre?
Protagonist Antagonist
Accustomed to danger Cleverer than the protagonist
Aim to defeat evil Shady sense about them
Stronger than the antagonist Physical deformity
Ordinary citizen pulled into danger Past traumatic experience
What are some other common character types from your chosen genre?
Anti Hero
Hardboiled Detective
Serial Killer
Props
What props appear significantly or commonly in your chosen genre?
Costume and Make-up
What types of costumes are prevalent in films from your genre? Describe them
and find examples.
Description - The most common type of costume worn in the thriller genre would be a suit. Many
detectives such as in the film'Se7en' are wearing suits which make them look professional and smart. They

5. are usually of the colour black or brown. The antagonists also commonly wear suits or a plain shirt to show
they are just as smart as the protagonists.
Costume option 1 Costume option 2 Costume option 3
How is make-up (or prosthetics) used significantly in your chosen genre?
Describe its use and find any notable examples.
Make-up is used a lot in the thriller genre. For example, blood is used frequently which involves make-up.
Scarring on a face such as a burn is done by make-up and a mask can be made through the use of
prosthetics as well.
Lighting
How is lighting used commonly and in your chosen genre?
In the thriller genre, there are many examples of low key lighting due to thrillers obviously being dark and
mysterious. A room, for instance, wouldn't be well lit as that would remove all the tension and suspense
that was building up to that moment and so instead the character would use a flashlight as a light source.

6. What is the effect of these styles of lighting?
The low key lighting gives off a mysterious and sinister atmosphere as you don't know what is in that dark
room or at the end of that dark alley for example
Find 2 examples of where lighting has been used significantly in your chosen
genre. Briefly explain the type of lighting used and the effect that is created by
the light scheme and shadow.
The low key lighting used here emphasises that
there is a lack of security for the detective. The
shadow of the detective also shows that he is all
alone there. The flashlight is the main source of
light which makes it more realistic for the audience
therefore increasing tension.
The use of the side lighting here shows us that the
character is maybe conflicted and confused. The
fact that one half of his face is cast with a shadow
and the other half is not emphasises that he is
stuck between two minds and isn't sure what to do next. It also creates a dark
atmosphere surrounding the character.
Character action and movement
How would you expect your 3 main characters to act and behave? How would
they carry themselves/ pose/ act towards one another. Why would they act in
this way?
I would expect my two main characters which are the detectives to be presented as friendly and caring
towards their peers and friends. However, towards the antagonist, I would expect them to be completely
the opposite in that they hate this person and will do everything to try and stop him. The antagonist would
try and play mind games and mess with the detectives heads and also behave shady and suspicious.
Symbolism

7. What symbolic objects/colours/concepts/gestures/costumes might appear in
your film? Look to other films from your genre for inspiration. Find images of
your own symbolic objects. What could these objects symbolise?
A symbolic object that might appear in my film could be the antagonist's weapon of choice such as a
special knife that he uses to kill his victims with. It reflects his style of approach in that he is quite sinister
and sneaky.
Examples of notable symbolic items
Scarface
Psycho - 1969