There is no such thing as the 'thriller genre'. In fact Thriller is a
broad genre of various aspects of media where the most distinct components of
suspense, tension and peaks of excitement are used as the main elements in the
film. The word thriller itself is an overarching generic term. Thriller is
comprised of various sub-genres. For example one of the main subgenres is
crime. This is one of the most commonly explored subgenres within thriller.
Once one subgenre like crime is firmly established a series of subgenres from
crime follow and these are called caper (crime film involving more than one
crime) films. Examples of crime films include No country for old men and the
silence of the lambs. Films like Se7en and the score are just a few of many
crime thrillers that often center on a police officer or a criminal and involve
murder and robbery. There are other sub genres of thriller as well such as
Erotic thrillers like Basic instinct and the color of the night, Political and
Legal thrillers such as the Pelican Brief and State of Play.
One of the main aims in thriller is for the audience to experience a sudden
rush of emotion, exhilaration and excitement that drives the narrative
forwards with a mixture of subtlety and pace. This is known as taking the audience
off the "edge of there seats" which is a metaphor. In the Thriller
genre the three main techniques are derived from literature and are imbedded in
film. These 3 techniques are intricate to the overall atmosphere of a Thriller
film. These are known as 'red herrings', 'plot twists' and 'cliff hangers,'
which the protagonist must overcome throughout the duration of the film.
Ineffectively without these three elements there would be no Thriller film.Films such as Reservoir Dogs and Psycho are examples
of thriller that include all of these elements.
Characters in thriller films can vary and differentiate? In many crime
thrillers we can see that the plot is centred on a murder which a cop whose has
a damaged past aims to solve the case. Some crime thrillers might involve an
innocent person whose held hostage. An example of this type of plot is seen in
the film Collateral. Some other films see prison inmates, fugitives, assassins,
people in troubled relationships. Some of the most commonly explored themes in
Thriller frequently include terrorism, conspiracy, pursuit or romantic triangles
that lead to murder.
Suspense
is a key formula in the Thriller genre. It’s arguably the most important
component in Thriller films. We credit the great Alfred Hitchcock for
developing this technique. In some of his most influential films like Psycho and
Vertigo Hitchcock uses what is called omniscient narration. This creates
varying degrees and levels of leprosy for the audience and creates the feeling
of powerlessness for the audience to intervene. Suspense is used most often in
Thriller films to make the dyeing moments of the film memorable and tense for
the audience. Essentially suspense is about conflict and how the protagonist is
able to deal with obstacles. Suspense has never been ignored by the writers and
is one of the most important parts of a film especially in the Thriller
genre.
Synopsis of film 'The seven deadly sins': Idea 1 (Real movie) A
film about two homicide detectives' desperate hunt for a serial killer
who justifies his crimes as absolution for the world's ignorance of the
Seven Deadly Sins. The movie takes us from the tortured remains of one
victim to the next as the psychopaths "Hannibal (Simeon Onaji)" sermonizes to Detectives Holmes and Poirot (Clifford Williams and Gabriel Preston) -- one sin at a time. The sin of Gluttony comes first and the
murderer's terrible capacity is graphically demonstrated in the dark
and subdued tones characteristic of film noir. The seasoned and cultured Holmes researches the Seven Deadly Sins in an effort to understand the killer's method of operation while green Detective Poirot scoffs at his efforts to get inside the mind of a killer... Synopsis of film 'The Mission': Idea 2
In South London, the serious organized crime police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Simeon Onaji
is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Mathew Forester. While Simeon quickly gains Forester's confidence, Gabriel Preston, a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police
as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in
the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his
double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of
the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the
mob and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Simeon and Gabriel are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy-and each
must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save
himself. But is either willing to turn on the friends and comrades
they've made during their long stints undercover?
Synopsis of film 'Silence Of The Lambs': Idea 3 (Real movie)
Young
FBI agent Clarice Starling (Maya) is assigned to help find a missing woman to
save her from a psychopathic serial killer who skins his victims.
Clarice attempts to gain a better insight into the twisted mind of the
killer by talking to another psychopath Hannibal Lecter, who used to be a respected psychiatrist. FBI agent Jack Crawford believes that Lecter
who is also a very powerful and clever mind manipulator have the
answers to their questions to help locate the killer. Clarice must first
try and gain Lecter's confidence before he is to give away any information.
Synopsis of film 'The kidnapping': Idea 4 A popular school girl Lucy Stephens was kidnapped or possible killed by a mysterious stalker who detectives are attempting to find however there are very little evidence to go by. the incident happened on her way home from school around 7 in the evening. the last person to have seen her was her friend Lydia Morris.later on in the movie, it turned out her boyfriend set her up to be kidnap for reason which are not yet known.
The options for our film are that we do a psychological thriller, crime thriller or espionage thriller because these are more realistically possible based on the resources that we have at our disposal.
In our opening sequence we will be using restrictive narrative due to the fact that our cameras do not have sufficient
audio quality. As a group we are also going to have an enigma in our
opening sequence. we are using the enigma as it is a crucial element in
thriller genre. An existing thriller scene that could be relevant to our project is Psycho shower scene, the scene uses a combination of dry horror and suspense to build anticipation and excitement in the audience which is what we should be aiming for based on our target audience for our thriller film which i pointed out in the "audience" blog to be age 15+.
The purpose of an opening sequence is to set up a
sequence of enigmas, which is to be answered throughout the rest of the film.
This presents the audience with
a mystery building their anticipation and then they want to watch on in order
for their unanswered questions to be answered. Ultimately, their interest
is retained through the way there is no narrative closure, making them want to
find out what the outcome is and keep watching.
The sequence begins with the studio titles which is MGM in this
case, we then have a score over a graphic title; James bond at the end of a
'gun barrel'. From the score played over the graphic title, the audience can
connote that this movie will be of the espionage thriller genre. We are then
introduced to the actual opening sequence, this is uninterrupted.
In opening sequences of
thrillers, the common techniques and conventions of enigmas created,
result in the sheer anxiety, tension, uncertainty and excitement of the
audience as they anticipate what’s yet to be unveiled in the course of the
film.They include productions titles that are shown at
the beginning which include the studio name, production company, ad also star
cast followed by some other important people and finally ending with Director
or Directed by. All opening sequences create enigmas in the audiences mind.
Enigmas are used in order to keep the audience wanting o know what happens next
in the movie, therefore keeping them interested.
Another common technique
used in order to increase the audiences tension is non-diegetic score played to
portray the atmospheric mood in many thriller films often hand played
instruments such as violins are used of the score to create a somewhat
gloomy and uprising atmosphere. For example in ‘Saw’ a subtle, foreboding,
echoing score is played in order to drive the narrative forward. Quite a lot of
the sounds played in the score are synchronous to the events taking place on
screen such as the screeching sound of drain and screwing of metal devices
and surroundings. The score also increases and becomes more dramatic when
it reaches the climax of the opening sequence showing the man dead in the
middle of the chamber. Different approaches to opening sequences may have
a varied effect on the audience, but all opening sequences conventionally are
used in order to set the mood of the movie, create enigma's and also to
introduce the protagonist.
The opening sequence for "Saw"
The cinematography enables
us to recognize ‘Saw’ as a thriller through the use of conventional common
cinematic techniques such as prolonged cross-cutting which is shown when there
is repeated cuts between the two characters showing a connection of some
sort; also extreme zoom shots are shown on the key props such as the key, gun
and tape recorder showing they are of
importance/significance. Unconventionally in ‘SAW’ a birds-eye view shot
is used when the man is waking up in the bath and to show the dead man in the
middle of the chamber. The low-key lighting is commonly of significance to
build a sense of fear and anxiety as the dark colors have connotations of being
scary and frightening. This is heavily correlated with the use of smart
editing. Fast paced camera work and zoom is used in the ‘saw’ opening
sequence to show a sudden urge of fright and uncertainty as they realized they
are chained up and there is a dead male in the middle of the floor. The increase
of speed excites the audience and keeps them on their toes as the enigmas come
to a close
The opening of "from Russia with love"
sequence begins with the protagonist being followed by another character,
during the sequence we hear many synchronous sounds;
e.g. a gunshot and footsteps. There is also a
score composed of sounds of night such as crickets etc. The score is very
low and is used to create a tense mood among the audience. As the scene goes on
the score gradually gains tempo and continues to until the scene climaxes at
the death of the protagonist, a mask is then lifted off the protagonists face,
revealing that it is not the protagonist but in fact another person. This is a
red herring, this is used in order to create further enigma's in the audiences
mind.
Inevitably
different approaches to introducing a thriller will affect audiences to feel and respond in a ascribed way. For
instance in ‘From Russia With Love’ opening sequence, the director has built
suspense and anxiety through a non-linear narrative; this contrasts with ‘Saw’
which is of a linear narrative. However although the narratives are different
enigmas and other key techniques are created using two different
approaches.
Sub genres, is a means of classification used by producers and audiences,it is
constantly being re–define. This is an important process if a sub-genre is to maintain its success and popularity. However, a definitional approach to
classification is not a always the most appropriate way of establishing sub-genre, as the elements that appear within them tend to be more fluid
and not a checklist of conventions. 'Genres... are not discrete systems,
consisting of a fixed number of list able items' (Gledhill 1985). One of
the main things changing in genres is the sub-genres themselves as there
is an increase in hybrids.Social, political and cultural issues affect
genres and as cross-generic features are combined to meet market forces,
hybrids and new sub-genres are created.
Sub-genres
serve to differentiate and categorize media texts. They are essential
for producers because it enables them to construct for a segmented
audience with predictable responses. They allow them to reutilise
actors, sets and props, consequently providing them with financial
savings. This then enables them to more easily predict their budgets and
provide security for their investors.Sub genres are also advantageous
for audiences because they already
have an idea of what to expect from media products, subsequently making
their choices in regards to entertainment, easier. They are also
empowered to enjoy subtle variations within a foreseeable framework,
whilst having a consistent form of release and escapism. Their ability
to follow the narratives, recognise plots and characters is also
heightened as they can identify these aspects from previous media texts
of the same sub-genre. Furthermore, audiences can experience a sense of
cultural and emotional security.
In
the 1990s series such as Hotel and The Airport were a hybrid form of
documentary and soap opera, appropriately titled ‘docusoap’ and began to
take the prime slots in terrestrial TV channels. These shows were
extremely popular for TV producers in that they did not require scripts,
actors or expensive sets and yet pulled in a large share of the viewing
audience.
This
type of programme became acceptable and desirable to the audience and
through this process of negotiation, more subgenres began to develop. 'Abercombie' described this process as where the ‘boundaries are shifting
and becoming more permeable’. The early 2000s saw the production of
hybrids and subgenres dramatically increase. The most significant of
these was 'Big Brother'.Initially
marketed as a social experiment, it appealed to it audience on a number
of levels. It provided them with entertainment through the comedic
exploits of the characters, a means of social interaction as people
discussed their antics with their friends and read about them in the tabloids and a sense of information albeit in a pseudo-scientific way.
Pretty woman trailer
Subgenres in film have also developed significantly over the years.For
example, disaster films are a subgenre of action films. The focus of
such films is on a spectacular catastrophe and a small group of
individuals in impending danger, and how they must contrive a method of
escape. Pressure is developed by focusing on the miraculous means of
rescue and whether all the characters have the inner strength to survive
the torment. An example of this is ‘2012’, a science fiction disaster
directed by Roland Emmerich.Another example is ‘chick flicks’ which are derived from the genre romantic comedies.These movies are per-dominantly about
family
calamities and emotional catharsis, some traditional tear jerkers and
fantasy-action adventures, often with blasphemy and empowered females.
They also involve families, mothers, daughters, children, women, and
women's issues. These films are often told from the female perspective,
and star a female protagonist or heroine. This type of film became very
prominent in the mid-80s and into the 90s. An example of this ‘Pretty
Women’ directed by Garry Marshall. There are also thrillers which are
often hybrids with other genres. The different subgenres include
action-thrillers, crime-caper thrillers, western-thrillers, film-noir
thrillers and romantic comedy-thrillers. Thriller and suspense films are
virtually identical and interchangeable categorizations. These are the
types of movies that provide intense excitement, tension, a high level
of expectancy, ambiguity and nervousness. An example of an action
thriller is 2 Fast 2 Furious directed by John Singleton. The movie is
about an ex-cop who returns and teams up with his ex-con friend; they
transport a shipment of dirty money for Miami based import-export dealer Verone, whilst working with undercover agent Monica Fuentes to bring him down.
However,
some subgenres go out of fashion too and it is essential that they
remain fluid in order to remain popular with audiences and thus with
producers.Steve Neale describes
the concept of genres as being ‘instances of repetition and
difference'but it is the innovation in the ‘difference’ that makes the
genre attractive to new and existing audiences. In order to remain
fashionable, a subgenre has to reach out to new and different audiences.
Subgenres that have gone out of fashion may draw in the elements of the
genres that are currently in vogue in order to enhance their own
popularity. Reality TV could be said to have invigorated other TV
genres.For example, the talent
show has received an overwhelming facelift in the form of X-Factor and
Pop Idol etc, by introducing elements of reality TV.The same could be said for the game show in programmes such as Deal No Deal.All of
these programmes work by requiring the audience to ‘get to know’ the
real people appearing on them, judge and empathise with them on their
journey.
Finally, subgenreshave to be able to withstand criticism if it is to remain general popularity.As
long as the elements are fluid and re-negotiated to reflect the
changing needs of the audience, a subgenre will remain fashionable.Furthermore,
the impact the cross-generic features have had on other subgenres is
evidence of the ‘process of change’ within them.It
could therefore be said that there is no such thing as a subgenre being
fashionable, because it is simply a fluid repertoire of elements that
change according to audience demand. Concerning
thrillers specifically, there are several sub-genres which are directly
incorporated with them. For instance , film-noir, Super natural and
detective mystery.
The genre of Thriller is aimed at people seeking excitement and
thrills whilst watching a film. The main audience of this genre wants excitement and anticipation and to be kept on the edge
of their seats through out the entire movie. The majority of Thrillers are aimed at people age 12 and
older, this is due to the fact anyone younger this age range may not be able to understand or interpret the perceive actions on the screen., whilst some scene may be inappropriate for younger viewers. Moreover most Thriller films has an age
rating of 12 or older. Every movie regardless of the genre has a target audience; however there is no such thing as ‘the
audience’. This is due to multiple categories in which a viewer can fall into,
each different from the last. This has lead movie industries to somehow
classify each category in order to maximize their viewing count; this is
impossible however due to the vast majority of categories leading them to try
and target a base audience sometimes accidentally attracting other ‘audiences’ in
the process. For example the movie ‘Skyscraper’ (1996) an action thriller which was
ultimately targeted for viewers who loved action, but drew the attention of
audiences who loved police based movies and main streamers who like to" follow the
crowd".
Other thrillers such as Memento usually appeal to adults or sometimes people on the verge of adulthood. However cross genres i.e Horror thrillers such as Final Destination 5 appeals more to young adults and teenagers.
people are under the impression that thrillers were more catered to young adults as opposed to adults; however when you looked at all the thrillers that people may have watched
in the past, they all have been cross genres; but actual thriller movies
are far more for older adults as it demands intellectual thinking and there
is usually more violence, blood .scenes of sexual nature
This
chart reflects the thriller movie target age group; as you would find
that more older adults watch thrillers compared to teenagers and young
adults.
At the same time; although age is part of the thriller target audience so is gender.
It may not be a huge percentage difference between the two sexes; however it does show that it has different affects on people.
Here are different thriller film types and which gender it is usually dominated by:
Psychological Thrillers The suspect does not use physical strength, but uses psychology to get to their victim. The suspense created
by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters
battling against each other's minds, either by playing deceptive games
with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state.
This type of thriller usually requires more intellectual thinking
therefore 25+ year olds are more likely to watch these type of
thrillers. An example of a psychological thriller is Fatal attraction.
Romantic Thrillers The story is
usually relationship based with an aspect of a thriller in it. Not too
many of these type of thrillers are made as it is hard to come up with
the plot and may confuse the audience. However; these type of thrillers
are Female dominated. An example of this type of thriller is True
Romance.
Supernatural Thrillers Has
a supernatural element to the thriller genre. Usually involves a twists
into the plot, often the hero/ main character has some kind of psychic
ability. This type of thriller is usually watched by female audience. An
example of a supernatural thriller is The last exorcism.
In order to
try and identify these audiences three types of profiling were created. These
are social profiling, demographic profiling and psycho graphic profiling each classifying
audiences differently.
Social Profiling
Social
profiling is the profiling of audiences by their social classes and categories
them in the form of a grade. These grades are formed by looking at
audiences careers and money that they make etc. These grades consist of six
different grades;
These grades are
often grouped into ABC1 and C2DE and is a way at looking at what kind of audiences
films are aiming towards and have received. However, this type of profiling
doesn’t treat people as individuals but instead as groups and so when looking
at audiences may miss out a small audience of unlikely individuals.
Demographic Profiling
Similar to social
profiling, demographic profiling is the profiling of audiences; however rather
than careers and money this form of profiling categorizes them via a multiple
of number of factors ranging from age to color preference. The most basic
factors used to categorize an audience are:
·Age
·Gender
·Race
·Location
·Family
Life Cycle (F.L.C)
·Sexuality
These are
due to the way in which content can be used to reach an audience. For example
if they were to target a young age in India they would have to restrict the
amount of content that could be labelled offensive or not suitable for younger
viewers, they would also have to translate its dialogue in Indian in order for
its audience to understand.
Psycho graphic Profiling
Psycho graphic profiling is building up example profiles to represent types of people who make
up a target audience for a film. This is usually done in the form of a
questionnaire with relatively simple questions. The answers collected are then
used to build and categorize audiences as well as providing key information on
what viewers may like to see in a movie. Question’s usually used in this form
of profiling are:
·What
are their names, age and gender?
·What
are their interests, habits or hobbies?
·Who
influences them?
·Religious
and political beliefs?
·What
worries them?
·Where
do they access their news from?
·How
do they dress?
These
questions allow for quick short answers that are straight to the point allowing
for the person being asked not to think too much about their answers allowing
for a more positive feedback.
During the
planning and shooting of our opening sequence me and my group will have to keep
these forms of profiling in our heads since it is considerably the back bone of
our whole course work, without an aim or a target set we would just be shooting
a random sequence. The choice of target audience as stated before will affect the opening
sequences content in many ways; it could decide on what kind of characters
there will be, what kind of sub-genre and what kind, the plot and many more
aspects of the sequence. However, we have to consider that the opening sequence
is just a small segment so a lot of factors cannot be used.
As a further
guideline apart from the three types of profiling, the BBFC also known as the
British Board of Film Classification allows for an easier understanding on the
type of audience we are targeting. This film board helps classify movies like
social profiling by grades. These are:
U:
Standing for
universal this rating is suitable for all ages. Though this rating is suitable
for all ages there is no absolute suitability as each child is different and
what one child could find amusing another could feel uneasy by what is on the
screen. However if there is any violence, threat or horror in a U film, it
would end quickly and the film would tell children that everything will turn
out okay. These forms of movies usually
have a morale at the end in order to teach its highly influential viewers what
is right and wrong. U movies usually have to follow these set of guidelines in
order to be classified with that rating:
·Theme/Topics – Films should be about subjects which are
generally suitable for younger audiences.
·Language - There should be very little mild bad
language.
·Nudity - There can be occasional glimpses of people
who have no clothes on, as long as they are not linked to romantic activities.
·Sex and relationships - Only mild references (e.g. to 'making
love') and mild behavior (e.g. kissing) are allowed.
·Violence and Threat - Mild violence only. Some mild threat and
menace are allowed.
·Dangerous Behavior - There should be no dangerous behavior that
can be easily copied by young children.
·Weapons - There should be no focus on weapons that are
realistic or easy to get hold of.
·Horror - Moments with ghosts, witches and monsters
should be over quickly and not be too scary. Nothing at U should really
frighten or disturb young viewers. The film should tell children that
everything is okay.
·Drugs - Drugs should not be mentioned, unless the
film teaches that drugs are dangerous.
·Discrimination - There can be no language or behavior shown
that would offend a person’s religion, color, gender, sexuality or disability,
unless the film teaches it to be wrong.
An example
of a U movie is Nanny McPherson & the life of Pi
PG:
Standing for
Parental Guidance this rating is suitable for children, but may contain some
scenes that may be seen as unsuitable for young viewers.A 'PG' film should
not trouble or worry a child aged eight or older. However the PG does tell
parents that the content of the film may upset younger or more sensitive
children. Like ‘U’ ‘PG’ movies have a set of guidelines before they are categorized
with that rating:
·Theme/Topics - Films and DVDs may be about more grown up
topics such as crime, racism, bullying or violence in the home. There must be
nothing which suggests these are good things.
·Language - Mild bad language only.
·Nudity - Some nudity is allowed, but not if it is
linked to romantic activities.
·Sex and Relationships - Sex can be mentioned, suggested or joked
about, but only discreetly.
·Violence and Threat - There can be stronger violence than at U,
but without detail. Violence which takes place in a comedy, fantasy, or
historical film may be treated less strictly.
·Dangerous Behavior - There should be no detail of fighting
techniques or other harmful and dangerous activities that children might easily
copy.
·Weapons - There should be no focus on weapons that are
realistic or easy to get hold of. Weapons should not be made to look attractive.
·Horror - Frightening scenes should not be too long or
scary. Horror scenes which are part of a fantasy film may be treated less
strictly.
·Drugs - There should be no mention of illegal drugs
or drug taking unless completely harmless, or the film carries an anti-drug
message.
·Discrimination - There can be no language or behavior shown
that would offend a person’s religion, co lour, gender, sexuality or disability,
unless the film teaches it to be wrong or is presented within an educational or
historical context. Discrimination by a character who is seen as a hero by the
audience is also unlikely to be allowed.
An example of a PG movie is ‘Despicable me 2’ which showed
the purple minions getting hit by the jelly and turn back to normal
12 & 12a:
The 12A
rating is only used for films shown in cinemas. It is given to films that are
best suited to those aged 12 or older. However, people younger than 12 may see
a 12A so long as they are accompanied by an adult! In such circumstances,
responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying
adult however the 12 rating are only on videos and DVDs. This means that no one
younger than 12 can rent or buy a 12 rated video or DVD. Both share the same
rules when it comes to viewing. The guidelines for these two ratings are:
·Theme:
Mature themes are
acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
·Language: The use of strong language (eg 'f***') must
be infrequent. Racist abuse is also of particular concern.
·Nudity: Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context
it must be brief and discreet.
·Sex: Sexual activity may be implied. Sex
references may reflect what is likely to be familiar to most adolescents but
should not go beyond what is suitable for them.
·Violence:
Violence must not dwell
on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood. Sexual violence
may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated.
·Imitable
techniques: Dangerous
techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on
imitable detail or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should
not be glamorized.
·Horror: Sustained moderate threat and menace are
permitted. Occasional gory moments only.
·Drugs: Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and
should not be glamorized or instructional.
·Discrimination:
The film as a whole must
not approve of language or behavior that would offend a person’s religion, color, gender, sexuality or disability. Aggressive use of this type of
language and behavior is unacceptable unless clearly not approved of. An example of a 12
rated movie is 'The Woman in black (2012)'. This movie is a classical
thriller genre, it consist of limitless tension, scary parts whilst
ensuring that children as young as 12 can watch it by not adding any wet
horror.
15:
15 is a much stronger version of 12, targeted for people aged 15
and above.Unlike the previous three
ratings 15 rated movies have no themes prohibited, provided the treatment is
appropriate for 15 year olds. This means there may be racist, homophobic or
other discriminatory language, and the work could explore themes relating to
this and in 15 rated movies sexual activity can be portrayed, as long as there
is no strong or graphic detail. Some sex scenes can be quite long at this
category and may involve some nudity and movement. Though nudity may be allowed
in a sexual context there should be no strong detail. The guidelines usually
used to categories 15 rated movies are:
·Theme: None
·Language: frequent strong language within character
dialogue
·Nudity:sexual nudity present on screen
·Sex: portrayals of sexual activity both on screen
and within dialogue
·Violence: Strong Violence present on screen
An Example
of a 15 is the Resident. This movie shows the use of drugs partial nudity and quite strong violence. Another example of a 15 rated movie is 'world war Z (2013).
18:
18
films contain very strong themes which make them suitable for adults.
they
are similar to 15 rated films but tend to take these themes to an extreme. They
usually contain; very strong violence, frequent strong language. strong
portrayals of sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong
blood and gore and discriminatory language and behavior.
Most
thriller films are classified as 15 or 18. For our groups opening sequence we
will be aiming for the 12-15 band. we don't want to step into the 18 boundary.
Also, our target audiences will be young adults of both genders. An example of an 18 rated movie is 'I spit on your grave (2013)'
There is no such thing as the 'thriller genre'. In fact Thriller is a
broad genre of various aspects of media where the most distinct components of
suspense, tension and peaks of excitement are used as the main elements in the
film. The word thriller itself is an overarching generic term. Thriller is
comprised of various sub-genres. For example one of the main subgenres is
crime. This is one of the most commonly explored subgenres within thriller.
Once one subgenre like crime is firmly established a series of subgenres from
crime follow and these are called caper (crime film involving more than one
crime) films. Examples of crime films include No country for old men and the
silence of the lambs. Films like Se7en and the score are just a few of many
crime thrillers that often center on a police officer or a criminal and involve
murder and robbery. There are other sub genres of thriller as well such as
Erotic thrillers like Basic instinct and the color of the night, Political and
Legal thrillers such as the Pelican Brief and State of Play. 
One of the main aims in thriller is for the audience to experience a sudden
rush of emotion, exhilaration and excitement that drives the narrative
forwards with a mixture of subtlety and pace. This is known as taking the audience
off the "edge of there seats" which is a metaphor. In the Thriller
genre the three main techniques are derived from literature and are imbedded in
film. These 3 techniques are intricate to the overall atmosphere of a Thriller
film. These are known as 'red herrings', 'plot twists' and 'cliff hangers,'
which the protagonist must overcome throughout the duration of the film.
Ineffectively without these three elements there would be no Thriller film. Films such as Reservoir Dogs and Psycho are examples
of thriller that include all of these elements.
