Portfolio Project: Genre #2

 Genre: Thriller

Thriller is a very popular genre in film designed to keep an audience at the edge of their seat using suspense, tension, and high stakes. This genre is characterized by fast-paced storylines, many times featuring underdog protagonists and unique plot twists. Some common sub-genres include psychological, action, and crime. 

Thriller films usually have a broad audience with its target being primarily adults and young adults ages 18-50. These groups are often appealed to suspense, tension, and high stakes action. And while there isn't a significant divide between genders, men tend to prefer action, crime, and political thrillers, while women are drawn to psychological, romantic, and domestic thrillers. 

Thrillers usually focus genre conventions on intensity, suspense, high stakes, and quick pacing. Some core conventions include plot twists, red herrings, powerful antagonists and a protagonist in danger, suspenseful pacing, and a central danger, all important in creating a deep and profound story for audiences to enjoy.

Some genre conventions in thrillers use specific techniques such as close-ups, POV shots, and handheld camerawork to show fear, emotions, and create a sense of realism. The editing in thriller films is fast-paced during moments of intense fear and long pauses to create anticipatory suspense. Paring with the editing, sound is relied on heavily in thriller films to build up suspense. These films often use silence to build stress, ominous music, and sudden sounds to trigger a feeling of shock and surprise. And most importantly, lighting and mise-en-scene create a specific atmosphere in a thriller film that ties its intention perfectly. In filming, low key lighting is incorporated, like shadows, dark spaces, and reflections such as glass or mirrors to bring suspense and fear. And finally, urban locations in isolated and dark settings are used to make the fear and danger feel more real for audiences. 

In thrillers, institutional conventions focus on creating an experience for audiences where they cannot be calm until the film is over. It is key to keep the suspense and fear alive throughout the movie, using characters, plots, and cinematic techniques to do so. Posters and marketing for thriller films often use dark colors, shadows, silhouettes, or clues, and a tagline to intrigue viewers. Trailers incorporate quick cuts, intense music, teasers that attract intrigue, and a twist at the end that doesn't reveal anything,  just attracts audiences. 

1.A Haunting in Venice(2023):

A Haunting in Venice is a 2023 British mystery/thriller film following Agatha Christie's 1969 Hercule Poirot mystery, Hallowe'en Party. Now retired and living the worlds most glamorous city, Detective Poirot decides to attend a seance at an old, haunted palazzo. He is then thrust into a sinister mystery when one of the guests is murdered. The film features jump scares, disturbing images, and a dark setting to bring audiences psychological unease through a classic murder mystery. 

2.The Sixth Sense(1999):

The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American psychological thriller film that follows a young boy named Cole Sear who is keeps the dark secret of being visited by ghosts. Living in constant fear and surrounded by the dead he entrusts his secret with child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. As this Doctor works to uncover the secret of Cole's supernatural abilities, they are both awaken to something unexplainable. This film incorporates emotional depth, character development, dark lighting, eerie and immersive cinematography, and an iconic final twist to satisfy the structure of a good thriller film. Rather than a typical horror film, this psychological thriller is chilling, suspenseful, and emotionally unsettling. It relies on an eerie atmosphere, disturbing images, and constant psychological fear to truly impact audiences.