Lina Inam

Genre Research

In regards to our production, our group was split between

the genres horror and thriller so I carried out research
concerning them and both their codes & convention
and sub-genres. We then concluded that a
supernatural horror film would be the most effective in terms of
interesting our target audience.

Thriller
Thriller is a broad genre characterized by the moods they elicit. Giving
viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise,
anticipation and suspense which are all elements that are used as the
main source of entertainment.

The genre Thriller became popular during the late 1600s as it intrigued
many types of audiences. They were shown to have an immense effect on
the viewer; allowing them to feel multiple interpretations of one specific
concept. Common thrillers now are villain driven whereby he/she must
create challenging obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. The
intensity of these challenges is what acts as fuel for the viewer

The genre Thriller would have many sub-genres, some of which are:

Psychological Thrillers:
Along with the regular traits of Thriller, a Psychological Thriller
incorporates elements of drama and mystery film. The suspense in this
sub-genre comes from the mind as it focusses on the unstable emotional
states of characters, rather than from a physical threat. The protagonists
in Psychological Thrillers must rely on their mental resources to solve the
situation. Because of their nature, many Psychological Thrillers cross over
into the Horror genre. Some of examples of this sub-genre would be Taxi
Driver, Rear Window and Memento

Action Thriller
An Action Thriller based film uses physical action to create suspense
within the movie. Similar to a traditional action film, this sub-genre will
often have continuous motion and action including chases, physical
stunts, fights, battles etc. Often, these scenes will contribute to the overall
sense of danger faced by the protagonist in the film. Relevant examples
would be Die Hard, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and The Bourne Identity.

Crime Thriller
This sub-genre incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a
crime film plot. The plot for the sub-genre usually focusses on the
concepts of a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or a manhunt. Typically, the
storyline for this sub-genre focusses on the criminal and protagonist.
Crime Thrillers use both action and psychological aspects to build tension
Lina Inam

and suspense. Examples of this sub-genres are, The Usual Suspects, The
Fugitive and Jagged Edge.

One physiological thriller such as the film Taken made in 2008 consist of
conventions
such as:

Mind Games
This creates a psychological effect on the audience as their curiosity levels
are heightened due to the storyline intriguing the viewer

Traps
This technique sets a high level of suspense along with tension as it
engages the audience by captivating them by gaining curiosity in what
the outcome of the trap will be.

Tension
This technique engages the audience directly as the tension is built within
them as this is attempting to gain a reaction from them once the tension
comes to an end

Stalking
These techniques are used to interest and excite the audience, this brings
an overall sense of tension that involves the audience, making it seem as
if they are really in the movie.

Low level lighting

shadows to create fear/tension.
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Quick edits & changes in camera angle
increase the feeling of fear and shock. Often used during significant
scenes.
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Music
high tension, eerie, silence.

Flashbacks- time disorientation confusing the audience or showing the

past to give an insight into why the characters are the way they are.

Black and white coloring

increase effectiveness of shadows.
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Crime Thrillers:
The codes and conventions that are typically used in a crime thrillers are:

- Ransoms/Bribery
- Captives/Hostages
- Kidnapping
- Revenge
Lina Inam

Overall, the aims of Thrillers are to keep the audience alert and on the
edge of their seats. No matter the sub-genre of the thriller film, it will
always emphasize the danger faced by the protagonist. The tension with
the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly
stressful climax.

Horror
Horror is a genre seeking to inflict a negative emotional reaction from
viewers by playing on their fears. It was introduced in the1890s in
several of the silent short films created by a director named Georges
Mlis. These films are often unsettling and rely on scaring the audience
through a portrayal of their worst fears

A genre such as horror would contain sub genres such as:

Comedy horror
Are a mix of funny and scary elements, movies like the Scary Movie
sequels are a prime example of this. Movies like this are very easy to not
attract the audience if one part of the genre overpowers the other e.g. if a
child watched a comedy horror expecting a funny scary movie gets scared
he will inform his parents resulting in them not buying the sequel to the
movie meaning the production company will make a loss. Sometimes,
horror comedies are parodies of other horror films and sometimes they are
brand new ideas. Their job is to scare you yet make you laugh at the same
time. Examples include. Bad Taste, Braindead, and Fright Night

Action horror
Action horror is a sub-genre that combines the intrusion of evil, an event
or the supernatural in horror films with the gun fights and frantic chases
that are performed. The main protagonist endures and overcome a
potentially fatal threat. Themes and elements that are often prevalent in
action-horror include most commonly zombies, along with demons, vicious
animals such as were wolfs and vampires. Examples include, Feast, From
Dusk till Dawn and Blade.

Body Horror
Where horror is generated from the gruesome deconstruction of the
human body limbs used to create monsters out of human body parts, or
unnatural movement and dysfunction to create fear amongst the
audience. Examples of this sub-genre includes teeth, the invasion and
cabin fever.

Supernatural horror
Supernatural films are shown to centers around supernatural elements
likes ghosts, religious figures, and miracles. They usually are based on the
unanswered questions of life; therefore, they tend to incorporate religious
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elements in the storyline. As they emphasize the unknown, they are

considered quite suspenseful. For example, the film Poltergeist plot it
based on the haunting of a suburban home and kidnapping one of the
children through the television set.

The codes and conventions that are typically used in a supernatural

horror:
-Danger
-Haunting
-Death
-Religious references
-Possession