Significant Developments Within The Thriller Genre

• The film industry has progressed greatly over time, with Hitchcock helping to shape the modern-day thriller genre. From silent films, to sound, to colour and beyond, there is little which is impossible in today's film industry. Special effects and editing technology has progressed massively over the years, especially following the introduction of CGI.
• CGI, also known as computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics to special effects. It is used for visual effects, because of the high quality it produces and the effects are more controllable than other more physically based processes. It allows the creation of images and effects which would not be possible using another other technology. This helps directors or thriller films to make other worldly characters and extraordinary conditions. CGI was used to create the extreme weather conditions in the 2004 thriller film "A Day After Tomorrow" and Harry Dent's burnt face in "The Dark Knight" which is a look that could not be achieved by make-up. A recent film which leads to way for future CGI films is the award winning sensation "Avatar", which took years of production to create the fantasy characters called Navis.
• Costume, a carefully considered aspect of all thriller films has also improved greatly over time. Make-up artists are now able to re-create very realistic and gruesome injuries such as burns and bullet wounds, making situations seem more dramatic and real. Costume is a great way to establish characters, especially in thriller films, as creating a mysterious looking individual builds tension and instigates fear in itself. A good example of use of costume is the Joker in "The Dark Knight". The harsh make-up and bedraggled hair, contrasting with the purple suit, enhances his evil, deranged and psychotic nature.
• Explosives are becoming increasingly common in thriller films, particularly action thrillers, as our capabilities increase. Tension usually arises in thrillers when the main character is placed in a dangerous situation, escape or a mission which seems impossible. The use of explosions makes this situation more dramatic and provides thrills to the audience, adding excitement. Thrillers such as the "Bourne" films make use of a number of explosives throughout, contributing effectively to the action and wow factor of the films. Specialised teams will be employed by film producers to deal with these techniques as they are highly dangerous and require a lot of skill and perfect execution.
• Due to the expensive and skilled requirements of these techniques we will not be incorporating them into our film, however it is important to be aware of these developments and possibilities when planning our production.