For the context of the short thriller film that our group will be producing, we need to combine everything that we have researched in order to come up with some viable options of sub-genre plots to choose from once we get to the planning stage. A number of criteria will need to be considered and taken into account when developing possible synopsis ideas such as:
- The film's opening sequence will last around 2 minutes which is not much time to portray the beginning of a story that our audience will be interested in - constricted time limit.
- The audience need to be interested and engaged with what is shown on screen - a factor of plot development is audience.
- The codes and conventions of the thriller genre need to be met (or challenged) to make reference to the fact that the opening sequence is of the thriller genre (with hints of other sub-genres).
Here are some of the sub-genres that I think it would be best to at least consider making:
Action/Adventure Thriller:
This type of film uses the conventions of the thriller genre
to create suspense that draws into the plot of the film. However, it is more
concentrated and heavily reliant on the actual thrill rather than the journey
leading up to that point. The directors will take advantage of any
opportunities that may arise, such as a twist in the plot or an action code to
portray a high level explosion or a daring car chase. A classic plot that is often used is where the protagonist must stop the antagonist's fiendish and selfish plot.
The plausibility for making this sub-genre of film is not likely because in terms of practicality and narrative arc, the idea is not feasible - e.g. the props (guns) alone would be hard to obtain as well as the fact that an interesting thriller story cannot be told solely through 2 minutes of action even if it were a trailer instead of an opening sequence.
The plausibility for making this sub-genre of film is not likely because in terms of practicality and narrative arc, the idea is not feasible - e.g. the props (guns) alone would be hard to obtain as well as the fact that an interesting thriller story cannot be told solely through 2 minutes of action even if it were a trailer instead of an opening sequence.
An example of this is in the film 'The Expendables' (2010) where the trailer below shows an action theme based plot:
Trailer for 'The Expendables'
Ideas:
- A man hell bent on finding and exacting revenge on the murderer of his wife
This is sometimes similar to the previous sub-genre in terms
of how the thrill is portrayed, for example being dropped right in the middle
of the action/plot e.g. ‘Terminator’ (1984). Though, other times the narrative
arc builds to one or multiple plots climax - when it comes to suspense and
tension, the director employs a different technique and prefers to entice the
audiences through enigma codes and sometimes dramatic irony. It obviously
contains the science-fiction related themes which include aliens, robots,
futuristic settings etc.
Furthermore, this genre makes use of special effects such as ‘CGI’ (Computer Generated Images) to show things that can not be shown in real life and makes it look realistic at the same time. Characteristics plots can include discovering/fighting an alien species, discovering a new world or reaping/suffering the consequences of advanced technology.
The possibility for making a film of this sub-genre is not at all possible with the equipment that we are using which is limited compared to that of Hollywood crews and budgets. The effects are mostly added on during post-production but the 'iMovie' software's most advanced feature closest to special effects is transitional effects which would not make a convincing science-fiction thriller.
Furthermore, this genre makes use of special effects such as ‘CGI’ (Computer Generated Images) to show things that can not be shown in real life and makes it look realistic at the same time. Characteristics plots can include discovering/fighting an alien species, discovering a new world or reaping/suffering the consequences of advanced technology.
The possibility for making a film of this sub-genre is not at all possible with the equipment that we are using which is limited compared to that of Hollywood crews and budgets. The effects are mostly added on during post-production but the 'iMovie' software's most advanced feature closest to special effects is transitional effects which would not make a convincing science-fiction thriller.
'Avatar' (2009) evidently revolves around science-fiction based themes as shown by the plot in the trailer:
Trailer for 'Avatar'
Ideas:
- Aliens posing as humans attempting to infiltrate human society and must be stopped
- Development of advanced medicine/technology intended to help current dystopian society going to go wrong
This form of sub-genre centres on the protagonist who tries
to solve the problem/case caused by the antagonist. In simpler terms, it is a
portrayal of a game of cat and mouse or the hero versus the villain.
Furthermore, the theme of justice is usually shown in these types of films as the antagonist must pay for his crimes and the protagonist is the
only person able to do so. The plot takes long to build up and is usually a thrilling journey that pulls the audience in making them want to discover more about the plot.
Unlike the previous sub-genres, this is actually possible to make because it requires a good narrative arc to evoke thrills out of the audience without the aid of special effects. As a group we are more than capable of coming up with an interesting story that we can show the beginnings of and get our audiences wanting more.
Unlike the previous sub-genres, this is actually possible to make because it requires a good narrative arc to evoke thrills out of the audience without the aid of special effects. As a group we are more than capable of coming up with an interesting story that we can show the beginnings of and get our audiences wanting more.
The film 'Insomnia' (2002) has a plot based around the pursuit of a murderer as conveyed in the trailer:
Trailer for 'Insomnia'
Ideas:
- Murder mystery
- Tracking down a mass murderer
This brand of sub-genre looks more into the development of
the plot and context of the film. In a way it is parallel to mystery films that
are trying to uncover the bigger picture rather than focusing on individual
events within a film. The film sets out to convey the protagonist as cool and
suave which audiences would wish to aspire towards. Typical plots can include a spy sent
to anticipate a threat from a foreign country or a classic spy versus spy feud.
This is not as easy to produce as the crime/mystery sub-genre but we could get away with making a credible spy story so long as we make it abundantly clear through mise-en-scene (e.g. smart suit, secret location...)
This is not as easy to produce as the crime/mystery sub-genre but we could get away with making a credible spy story so long as we make it abundantly clear through mise-en-scene (e.g. smart suit, secret location...)
A good representation for this sub-genre is 'Skyfall' (2012) in the James Bond series which is about secret international affairs portrayed in the trailer below:
Trailer for 'Skyfall'
Ideas:
- Spy must find enemy spy before they escape
- Spy infiltrates a secret location to gain intelligence on another government
This variety of thriller is normally abstract and abnormal
(compared to the other sub-genres) because it is trying to represent the mind
and how in this type of film, the protagonist is lost with a broken psyche. The
purpose of this is to make the audience feel similar to the way the character
on screen does through things such as a nonlinear narrative, jump cuts and
canted angles which almost create a sense of discomfort. There are also enigmas
in terms of we (along with the protagonist) do not know what is real and what
is in the mind.
When trying to make a film like this, we would need to come up with an interesting and intricate plot that the audience would enjoy but not get confused or turned off by the idea.
When trying to make a film like this, we would need to come up with an interesting and intricate plot that the audience would enjoy but not get confused or turned off by the idea.
For example, the film 'American Psycho' (2000) has a plot based on a psychologically insane man which is demonstrated in the trailer:
Trailer for 'American Psycho'
Ideas:
- Person suffering from amnesia must discover what happened to him and the significance of event
- One person is in another person's body and has presumed their life but does not understand how or why
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