Character Profiles

There are four main characters in our opening thriller:

1. The celebrity in our thriller is called Mezza, she is about 19 years old and is very diva-like. She is a successful singer who is into her looks. She is also very demanding, especially over her bodyguard.

2. Not much is known about the killers personal life. All we know is that he lives by himself in his flat with pictures of his victims faces on the wall. He wears heavy black clothing to keep himself anonymous. Throughout our whole piece, we never see his face.

3. Mezza's bodyguard is a big, kind hearted character who would do literally anything for her, even if they do sound impossible. He is also pushed around a little by Mezza.

4. News reporter (voice)

Shot list

For our Thriller opening we will have specific shots we use (throughout), which are the following:

1. Close up shot - on the big boots of the murderer as the door opens.
2. Mid-shot - As he drops his bag on the floor
3. Close up - washes his hands under the tap
4. Close up - He turns on the radio (a red light comes on, to indicate the radio is on).
5. Long shot (from the back) - He walks across kitchen, to the living room (to the sofa).
6. Mid-Close up - of him sitting, with is head down (His face is not revealed, as there's a shadow)
Eye Level/panning shot- focus at his pictures (of his victims, he has killed in the past). He looks along the line, to the next victim.

7. (Flash back) mid-shot/high angle - The celebrity comes in through a backstage door
8. Mid-close up shot - of the man sitting in the same position, looking down
9. (Flash back) High angle/point of view - a view as if he's watching watch her and her body guard walk down the corridor
10. Mid shot - of the man sitting, he then reaches for his pocket
11. Close up of him putting his hand in his pocket
12. (Flash back) 2 shot - celebrity tells the body guard to go an get the running order for her, she then walks into her changing room.
13. Mid shot - He is now holding and looking at piece of someones hair.
14. (Flash back) Personal point of view - he walks towards her door (with her name on it), with his shadow outline on the door.
15. Over the shoulder shot - He stands up and puts the hair on the picture
16. (Flash back) Mid shot - The camera is looking through the mirror (while she looks in the mirror) the door opens (mid way).
17. Mid-close up - she turns around, with dialogue saying ' James, What took you so long? Have you confirmed our tour dates yet?'
18. Black out, and with a black surrounding, the picture drops with her face and hair on it. The title comes up.

Music

Music in thrillers is very important as it helps to build the mood in the film, as well as building tension and suspense. Most pieces of music in thrillers follow a certain pattern where they crescendo to get gradually build suspense within the audience. Instruments used aremostly orchestraic, the most popular being a violin.

Actors

Most actors that have starred in a thriller film are now a-list stars and have starred in more than one thriller.

Matt Damon is an american actor who has starred in many hollywood blockbusters including Ocean's Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen, Stuck On You and Brothers Grimm. In the thriller genre, he is most known for his roles as Jason Bourne in the Bourne trilogy. All three films recieved generally all round good reviews, with some criticising the use of camera work. The highest grossing film was The Bourne Ultimatum, recieving $441.2 million worldwide,each sequel grossing higher than the previous.

Other actors and actresses include Uma Thurman, John Travolta and Denzel Washington.

Directors

Some of the most successful directors in the world have got to there success through a thriller film.



Alfred Hitchcock was a British producer and filmaker who exceled among others in creating suspense and the phycological thriller genre. In his earliest work he made silents films. He directed more than fifty films over sixty years, with his work still living on till today. He is often regarded as the greatest filmaker of all time and in 2007 was ranked #1 by film critics in The Telegraph's list of 21 greatest British directors. Some of his films are Rebecca, Suspicion, Spellbound and most notably Psycho.

D.J. Caruso started off his career directing for TV shows eventually directing his first feature film in 2002, The Salton Sea. He then directed a few other not so successful films, until his big break came in his 2007 hit, Disturbia. Starring Shia LaBeouf, the film grossed over $117 million, only starting on a $20 million budget. He then directed a second film starring LaBeouf called Eagle Eye, which recieved mixed reviews.

Steven Spielberg perhaps one of the world's most known director, producer and screenwriter, has had a run of successful films which have rightly changed the film industry forever. Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park just to name a few.

Target audiences

The target audience of a thriller can vary depending on the genre however I would say anyone from 16 or maybe even 18 due to the heavy plot line. I think male adults are the most targeted audience for crime or action thrillers because of the all the action, however females are also catered for because the main chracter in a thriller is usually an a-list Hollywood actor i.e Denzel Washington, Daniel Craig, Matt Damon. Horror thrillers could be for any gender as there is usually a young mixed gender cast which is also suitable for older teens.

Locations, set design, costume and props

Settings and locations play a big part in uncovering the story in thrillers. Especially in genres such as crime and action where they are set in major cities such as London and New York. These are popular locations because of how busy they are, how they look and sound on camera and also because they give us an everyday insight on 'normal' people's lives. Car chases and explosions usually happen on these busy streets which add tension. In crime, action, spy, and some other thrillers, the set designs can vary from being very busy and cramped, to spacious and isolated. If a scene is being shot in a busy set design this can tell us that something big is about to happen or important. A busy set design could contain loads of obstacles, walls, mirrors, etc in. If a director uses a derelict, spacious set, this usually means they don't want to give anything away about the location to create confusion for the character and the audience. These kinds of sets are used mostly in spy and crime thrillers. They could have as little as just four walls, a window, a light and a chair in the corner. The costumes worn are usually smart, formal clothes i.e suits, hats, and overcoats, worn especially in crime, spy and action thrillers to hide and protect identities. The props can be anything but are mostly weapons however can be books, briefcases, papers, etc.

Action thriller in detail

I think one of the most well known sub-genre, action and its elements are in almost everything we view today. They are fast paced and contain alot of violence. Explosions, guns, fast vehicles and a large area for this to all happen in are always present. These films can also contain elements from the mystery and crime genre.

Thriller sub-genres?

Thrillers are sometimes hard to define because of the many sub-genres they include, with even these having other more elements from other genres. These could be action thriller, crime thriller, religious thriller, spy thriller, sci-fi thriller and many more. Perhaps the most popular are crime and action, which have spawned films and books such as the James Bond franchise, Bourne films, Seven and The Godfather.