Aspects Of A Thriller TrailerPeter Kirkman

What are thrillers?Thriller, “a novel, play, or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage.”

Thriller films have been around since the beginning of filmmaking, and even before that in novel form. The purpose of a thriller is to take the viewer/reader on a journey of excitement, suspense and anticipation whilst including an uncertainty about where the film is heading whilst adding tension.

The plots of the thrillers are often similar however change depending on the scenario, for example the films usually have a similar interchangeable cast with a set number of plot points/ twists, usually involving some sort of death.

Types of thrillerLegal thriller - (plot about a legal action or law suit)Spy thriller - (stealing something or preventing an organisation)Action-adventure thriller - (Thriller involving fighting and an adventure)Medical thriller - (involving a medical emergency or a major character's illness)Police thriller - (involves some sort of police investigation or crime scene)Romantic thriller - (Historical thriller - (involves some sort of historical valuable item)Political thriller - (could be based around an election or a presidential assassination)Religious thriller - ( possibly built around a cult religion)High-tech thriller - (futuristic storyline)Military thriller - (built around a war theme)Sci Fi thriller - ( space and stuff)Western thriller - ( set in the west, possible cowboy bad guy)

Suspense

Suspense is one of the most important factors in the thriller genre, this is because it creates the feeling of excitement mixed with anticipation and tension. It’s created from developing the story line using unpredictable and mysterious events which make the audience believe that one thing is going to happen when something completely different is about to occur, the suspense aspect is created in the last few moments before the factor occurs. The purpose is to keep the watcher hooked wanting more until the story has resolved.

Themes and characters

Characters in thrillers often include: convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, losers, victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops, escaped convicts, fugitives, drug users/addicts, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, old men and women, psychopaths, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

By mixing about 5/7 different types of people off this list there is enough material to write a full thriller about. The contrast between the characters will help the tension and movement in the film as you don’t know how they will communally react to the situation which usually leads to a divide in loyalty which is often resolved at the end of the film.

Story and setting

The location and story are big factors when making a thriller, for example you’re not going to have a torture scene in a sunny park with children running round, in the same way you wouldn't have a happy scene in a dark and gloomy graveyard.

Thrillers often take place in ordinary suburbs and cities but occasionally they may be in exotic locations like deserts or at sea. The use of exotic locations like this often enhance the film as the director will be able to go down different routes to create a more original film.

Often in a thriller the cast will have a certain amount of time to get to a new location, stereotypically a count down or a clicking clock will be used.