Summary of Analysis - What have I learned from my research?

From the research on thriller films I have accomplished, I believe that I have learned in more detail the ways in which a thriller film is created and the reasons why they create them in a specific way. The thrillers often contain very low-key lighting, creating tension and anxiety for the audience. The directors use mise-en-scene to allow the audience to form an opinion on the characters which are introduced; the characters often introduced are the main protagonist, and occasionally the antagonist as well, by establishing the main characters in the opening sequence, the audience are enlightened to who the film will be regarding. Furthermore, the majority of thrillers use camera angles, such as high and low angles to portray the antagonist and protagonists characters, and identify their role within the narrative. As well as this, the amount of dialogue in opening sequences is limited, the audience are merely introduced to the appearance of the main characters, where they create opinions as a result of the camera angles, shots and mise-en-scene which are used; the mise-en-scene allows the audience to judge the characters on their clothing, props, positioning, and facial expressions. For example, the antagonist will often have a facial expression connoting anger, hatred and violence, whereas the protagonist will have a facial expression connoting fear and anxiety. The range of colours will be limited, often showing reds, blacks and whites; although, Casino Royale contains many colours, which highlights the subject of the film, gambling. Lastly, the non-diegetic music reinforces the atmosphere the director's trying to create, for example, the soundtrack of Se7en emphasises the eeriness of the film and the soundtrack in Casino Royale reinforces Bond's significance in the film.

The research has taught me that the need for repetitive but original conventions is vital, however it's essential to use them wisely, else a cliche and tedious opening can be created. By researching the audience, I have gained knowledge on what they expect to see in a thriller film, and what their favourite type of thrillers are; it's fundamental to research audience because if the opening is created with no evidence and information from the audience regarding thrillers, it's extremely easy to create a thriller that only applies to a small select group of people, and not a wide-range audience. Furthermore, a typical and predictable thriller will be disliked, the audience expect as a viewer to see something new and interesting, but still keeping to the repetitive conventions which create atmosphere and reinforce the narrative.