Tuesday 1 February 2011

Why Thrillers Thrive...

'Why thrillers thrive' gives us a good detailed insight into the background of thrillers and explains to us clearly exactly what makes a good thriller and what does not.

The extract explains that as a society we have been 'so screened and sheltered that it isn't practical to experience sufficient thrills at firsthand' therefore we seek out 'emotional disturbances' (thrills) elsewhere on screen where we can participate in the film and the story line. The extract explains well how 'we are transferred to the pilots seat and it is we who are hurtling to death at ninety miles an hour' this shows just how the use of good camera work and camera shots and angles can create such an atmosphere for the viewer. The reason why thrillers thrive so much is because the audience in 'our subconscious' know and are aware of the fact that we are perfectly safe where we are. we know that no harm is going to come of us as we sit and watch the different scenes however we are still able to recieve that 'palpabe shuddering' as we watch on. In the extract we read 'the screen can produce an impression of great danger where no danger is'. This sums up just how effective and how big an impact the camera and the screen has on us as the audience which perhaps we sometimes take for granted or do not fully appreciate as often as we should. The camera is more than fully capable of 'surprising  our imagination into playing tricks on us' and this is just one of the conventions of what makes a good, strong thriller.The extract then goes on to tell us how this can be done in great detail explaining how on stage we are able to hear characters say something thne see crtain parts of the scene however on the screen we are able to see the full extent of the fear that overwhelms a character, placing ourselves in their shoes and seeing things from their point of view allowing us to feel the same fear as they are and believe the evidence with our own eyes as to what is happening. we believe that our hero must be in danger 'for the camera as we know, cannot lie.'

For me there is one small extract that i feel really sums up just how well thrillers work and why. We read 'The audience thrives on thrills, the cinema thrives on the audience, the director thrives on the cinema, and everybody is happy.' It is this longing for a thrill by the audience and their want to feel that excitement and feel the shudder whilst knowing they are safe that really keeps the thriller genre alive and so successful. 'A thriller must be wholehearted - the more exciting the better. And that is why the authentic thriller will live and thrive.'

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