The research undertaken as the requirements of the degree is an analysis, evaluation and application of the usefulness of the substructures contained in the classic Thriller screenplay. The research identifies tools and techniques that the screenwriter can apply to the construction of a classically structured Thriller. These tools and techniques have been applied to the creation of an original feature length screenplay entitled Magnetic Fields. The substructures explored in this exegesis are those identified by screen theorist Dr Lisa Dethridge as being essential to the screenplay form, irrespective of genre. They are the premise, protagonist, dramatic problem and plot. The research identifies and defines each of these elements and examines for how they operate in the classic Thriller screenplay. Screen theorist and Thriller genre expert Neill D Hicks provides the theoretical structure for the classic Thriller. A case study, Heavenly Creatures (1994) written by Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, illustrates the discussion of these substructures. The theories of Dethridge and Hicks are compared and evaluated for their usefulness in the construction of the original screenplay, Magnetic Fields. The story is loosely based on a true crime and the challenge in construction this screenplay was the process of identifying and employing the key conventions and techniques of the Thriller genre. Operating within the conventions of the classic Thriller enables the writer to address the requirements of both industry and audience. The film industry requires that a screenplay adhere to a number of standards relating to its format, length and the organisation of content. The audience, or the reader of the screenplay also has expectations. If a film is labelled a Thriller, the audience expects the story to provoke suspense and fear. They will expect to be thrilled. For the screenwriter to achieve this effect the research aims to prove the benefits of adhering to the structural conventions of the classic Thriller film.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/256472 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Neal, Sarah Jane, sarahneal@myplace.net.au |
| Publisher | RMIT University. Creative Media |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.rmit.edu.au/help/disclaimer, Copyright Sarah Jane Neal |
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