Location, Set Design, Costume, Props and Music Research

I did some independent research on the typical locations, set designs, costumes and props from thriller films, and this is what I found.

Locations

Most conventional thriller locations will be a generically haunted place, like a house or a village. It will not usually be in a built up area, as being in a more 'cut-off' area, gives the audience the sense of being alone and isolated, with no sense of help or escape, resulting in the inevitable.

One film which breaks away from these conventional ideas is 'Phonebooth'. It's set in a city, and the main focus for empathy is the main male character, not the actual victim herself. Most thrillers will have the empathy focus on the victim of the film.

Set Design

Set design is very closely linked to location, in that usually the set is very isolated. However, set also shows how lighting can help set a scene. Generically, thriller films are lit in quite a dark fashion, using lots of shadows. Most of the time, any dark spaces would be created naturally, again using shadows, and the night time, to emphasise the feeling of intensity and isolation.

Costume

The costume for the main characters or victims of the plot will normally be quite ordinary, 'every-day' casual clothes, or smart clothes, depending on the character. This is because a lot of thriller film will be made to be fairly realistic, so that an audience can relate to it more easily. This makes and audiences reaction to the film more intense, creating a better atmosphere.

Props

Props that would be used in thriller films would be normally something inanimate objects, which could be a way of moving the story on. An example is a film called 'Ronin' by John Frankenheimer. A significant prop in this film is a silver metal suitcase. It obviously of important, and is used the whole way through the film.

Music

The type of music used would be that which builds tension, and is written to provide a sudden jolt when needed, to match the on-screen action. The music can help to build atmosphere if written well and used properly and in the right places. However, the absence of music can also sometimes help to add the overall atmosphere of the film.