Hello, my name is Shane O'Shea and I am creating this blog following the process of the production of my own thriller film trailer. Each post on this blog will include research, ideas, sources of inspiration (clips, images and other trailers) and of course, each step in the actual film making process itself.
The BLOG: 2 times per week to describe the film-making process. To record ideas and changes
THE BASICS
INTRO
To start off, in order to create a thriller film trailer of our own, we need to understand what a thriller film actually is as well as what it's not? (trying to use something of the genre's ability to reveal or to obscure or the tale, the message, the idea, the plot, the lot......
It (The Thriller) is commonly misconceived as a sub-genre of, or another word for the horror genre which is in fact, incorrect.
The meaning of a thriller film is actually a film which provide effects of suspense, intensity, excitement, anxiety, high stakes and tension.
These are characteristics can also be found in or combined with mystery, action, and horror.
It's understandable why audiences think of thriller as the same thing as horror, as a horror film usually shares similar characteristics, the film Jaws springs to mind.
Genres that can encapsulate Thriller type stories:-
Horror.... dark, brooding Gothic Horror....
trying to induce negative emotions ...e.g fear, fright,
Science Fiction... e.g Gravity
futuristic...alien ETs
terror of the unkown
vampires, ghouls, zombies etc
The opening sequence
Has to 'HOOK' the audience'
Identify with the characters...( or else audiences can't relate to them and therefore they aren't cared about )
the plot unfolds...piece by piece (think of a jigsaw puzzle...)
and from there, there is a build suspense, by coupling a very normal sense of day to day occurrence...(to build emotional investment.) with heightened menace, images, action, etc.....twists and turns....like a fairground ride to heighten excitement, make it less clear the direction in which things are going...lull the audience into a false sense of security before hitting with impact
Component parts:
1. Mystery,
2. Foreshadowing
3 Possible consequences
4 Darkness/ shadows nightmares, fears revulsions
6 Music ( creepy......solemn.......childlike......heavy....) (or lack of it)
sounds, footsteps, breathing, voice etc
7 camera action eg handheld camera movement/shaky-cam
The THRILLER
Suspense and tension building
The threat of danger or violence.
Psychological elements/playing with the human mind.
Why do audiences love Thrillers?
- Elements of Whodunnits
- Use of Red herrings
- Twists and turns
- A GOOD thriller has a buildup of tension
- A GOOD thriller has characters worth rooting for
- There is intensity
- There is conflict
