Props List

We will also need props for our sequence as these are important in setting the mise-en-scene and as we have seen previously they are an important convention of horror films. Below are the props we will need:


Props Required:



Rope

Wooden Chair



Gaffa Tape



Lamp




Large Wooden basket


We hope we remember to bring all these along on the day of shooting!

Make- Up Planning

I have also conducted research into the way that horror films use make-up to represent their characters even further. The images below are some which have given us inspiration for our own horror film:

Make-up Inspiration:



gothic make up



make up from SAW

smudged eyes

Own Make-up:

Gothic Style

Bruised Face and Blood

In the end we decided that we would use fake blood (red paint) and minimal eye make-up but make up to show bruises around the face. This is because, the gothic look would be unsuitable as the victim is suppsoed to look scared and heavy make-up may distract the audience away from this and represent her to be confident which we dont want as we want to explore her vulnerability. Furthermore, it would look discontinuous as she is a school girl therefore heavy make-up like the ones above are not prohibited.

Costume Planning

Before we can start to film any of the sequence, we also need to consider the asthetics of the character mainly involving their costume choice. Therefore in order for us to ensure we got this right, today we conducted a costume rehearsal. The images below show the different costumes I (Lucy) will be wearing throughout different parts of the film:

Toilet Scene:



Costume: Black trousers, white shirt and putting on tie



Walking to School Scene:



full uniform apart from the skirt I am wearing (forgot to bring in black trousers for costume rehearsal)





Full Uniform: Black Trousers, blazer, shirt, tie, black shoes



Basement Scenes:

Part-Uniform: scruffy shirt, no tie and ripped trousers

Final Target Market

By conducting primary research and further secondary research, I have identified that our final target market are:

• Girls and boys
• Age Range: 16- 24yrs
• Music Type: RNB, Dance
• Films Watched: Saw, The Amytiville Horror
• Like: Scary, Horror themed films

Primary Research
This information was mainly gathered through my primary research as my questionnaire showed that it was a fair split of nearly 50% for each gender. Furthermore, out of the 20 people asked 47% preferred horror films to any other therefore informing my genre aspect.

Secondary Research
My secondary researched further informed the development of my target market as national statistics showed that:

"young people are the most likley to go the cinema to watch movies"

"people of ages 16 - 24yrs preferred horrors and rom coms more than any other genre of film"

This therefore supported what my primary research showed and ensured that I had picked the right target market for our proposed film.

Primary Research Results

the results from the primary research have shown that:

StoryBoarding Film

Target Audience Questionnaire

In order to establish who our target market is, I have decided to conduct some primart research as this is important when deciding on who we will aim the film at. I have therefore produced the questionnaire shown below:

Locations

We are planning on filming the sequence inside and outside of our school as due to timing issues this is the most practical as we have ease of access to equipment for quick filming and also we dont have to plan full days to travel further locations. These are some images of where we want to film each part:

Me trying out the location



Outside School



Timeline of Opening

Now that we have discussed all of the plot of the opening sequence, I have decided to make a time line of the opening through the two minutes it will run to ensure that we are all clear with how the sequence will be conducted and what time each clip will be shown.

Start of Sequence

0- 0.09 secs
The company title and production label will appear both on a black screen.
The sound to accompany these will be instant clicks to add emphasis when they come up on the screen.

0.10 - 0.18secs
Close up of Lucy's face with beam light shining on her, she will be unconciouss in this part.
There will also be fast paced cuts to name titles of two of the actors within the film whilst this is going on.
The music is again the clicks of when each comes up to accompany sudden change of shots.

0.19 - 0.21secs
first flashback is shown of Lucy infront of the mirror putting on her tie for school.
the music here wil change and a suspenseful soundtrack will play whilst the flashback is shown

0.22 - 0.25secs
Starts with a mid shot of Lucy awakening in the chair looking lost
The camera then pans down on her body showing she is fully tied and struggling to move

0.26 - 0.29secs
second flashback is shown here of Lucy in the bathroom again looking into the mirror fixing her hair

0.30 - 0.39secs
Lucy back in the chair starting to get very panicky as she has realised she is tied and unable to move.
Camera will pan down and up her body to show her struggle and her panic building up

0.40 - 0.45secs
third flashback will be shown here of her walking to school on her phone chatting whilst laughing.
the camera will be across the road from her, this will be shown through the moving cars as the camera pans left.

0.46 - 0.54secs
over the head shot/ birds eye view of Lucy in the chair looking around very dazed.
Allows the room to be seen more and the emphasis of it being clostrophobic is shown here.

0.55 - 1.00min
one name title shown.
fourth flashback of her reaching towards her school entrance shown with other people in the frame to set the time and location,

1.01 - 1.09min
arc shot panning right shown here of Lucy in the chair allowing establishing shots to be developed showing more of location
two of the name titles will also appear, breaking down the arc shot and carrying it on

1.10 - 1.25min
title rolls will be conducted here at quite a fast pace due to the build up of music getting faster and faster.
the camera shots are mainly mid shots showing her from a front angle and exposing her vulnerability.

1.26 - 1.30min
mans feet shown moving towards the victim.
all shown from a high angles shot facing towards the feet and slowly developing into a upwards tilt to show Lucys facial expression yet villain isnt revealed.

1.31 - 1.35min
screen will go to black.
gasp noise will be heard, then two clicks
film name comes up, in sync with the gun shot

End of Sequence

Film Idea

I came across this trailer when conducting research into horrors and it has given me an idea for the opening sequence. As can be seen in this short trailer of the film "Neighbors" the victims are all tied up and being tortured. They have used props such as gaffa tape, and rope to tie the victims up.

This idea looks very interesting and I think we should use something based around tying the main character up using similar props and shots as seen within this film.

Synopsis Planning

We have gathered some ideas together and we have come to a synopsis which we all think might work as we all contributed to the idea. This is it:

The film will feature a schoolgirl who is shown to lead a normal happy life, however the focus of the opening is not on this but the way in which her life takes a turn for the worst. She is kidnapped and tortured by one of her school teachers who locks her in the school basement where no one will ever go to look. However, the identitity of the villain is never shown within the opening as this will give it all away and we do not want the audience to see his face until the end to ensure suspense is created.

She will be shown mostly in the basement, which is dark and looks like a make-shift torture camp with various props such as ropes, knives and the only lighting will come from a small lamp they have put on facing the victim. She will be tied up in a chair and at the beggining she is clearly intoxicated or unconciouss (not sure yet) as she is in a deep sleep whilst sitting on the chair. She will be in ragged school uniform, gaffa tape around her mouth and her make-up partially rubbed off to create effect.

Horror/ Thriller Moodboard

I have also created a moodboard of ideas into Horror/Thriler movies as a way of expressing what they personally mean to me and what connotations I have of them.

Horror Moodboard

Initial Planning Ideas

Ancillary Task

The clip below shows the edited, final version of our continuity shot which we need as part of our final portfolio. We shot the sequence together, all being allocated a different aspect of the filming however it is important to note all of the editing was done individually.

AS Prelim Task Group 1 from Sidney Stringer on Vimeo.

Certificate Ratings

The British Board of Film Classification

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-governmental body which has classified cinema films since it was set up in 1912 and videos/ DVDs since the Video Recordings Act was passed in 1984.

Cinema

The British Board of Film Censors was set up in 1912 by the film industry as an independent body to bring a degree of uniformity to the classification of film nationally.
Statutory powers on film remain with the local councils, which may overrule any of the BBFC’s decisions, passing films we reject, banning films we have passed, and even waiving cuts, instituting new ones, or altering categories for films exhibited under their own licensing jurisdiction.

Video

In 1984 Parliament passed the Video Recordings Act. This act stated that, subject to certain exemptions, video recordings offered for sale or hire commercially in the UK must be classified by an authority designated by the Secretary of State. The President and Vice Presidents of the BBFC were so designated, and charged with applying the new test of ‘suitability for viewing in the home’. At this point the Board’s title was changed to the British Board of Film Classification to reflect the fact that classification plays a far larger part in the BBFC’s work than censorship.

Finances

The BBFC is a not for profit organisation, and its fees are adjusted only as required to cover its costs. In order to preserve its independence, the BBFC has never received subsidies from either the film industry or the government. Its income is derived solely from the fees it charges for its services, calculated by measuring the running time of films or DVDs submitted for classification. The tariff must be approved by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Taken From: http://zarahhameed.blogspot.com/

Existing Film Production Companies

Productions Companies

Working Title Films (UK)



Working Title Films is a British film production company, based in London, UK. The company was founded by Tim Bevanand Sarah Radclyffe in 1983. It produces feature films and several television productions. Eric Fellner and Bevan are now the co-owners of the company.


Working title includes films like:

• Nanny McPhee
• Mr Beans holiday
• Paul

Propaganda Films (US)



Propaganda Films was a prolific and successful music video and film production company founded in 1983 by producers Steve Golin and Sigurjón Sighvatsson and directors David Fincher, Nigel Dick, Grey Gold and Dominic Sena. By 1990, the company was producing almost a third of all music videos made in the U.S.

Interscope Communications (US)




Interscope Communications (also known as Interscope Pictures) was a motion picture production company founded in 1982 by Ted Field. Its divisions included Interscope Records(which was founded in 1990 as a joint venture with Atlantic Records).

A&M Films




A&M Films was the movie production division of A&M Records and was established in 1970 by musician Herbert Alpert and recording executive Jerry Moss. By 1983, A&M Films co-produced successful films with various Hollywood studios. In 1989, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment purchased A&M Records and continued until it was closed in 1996. In 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram and Sons and A&M Records was merged with the Universal Music Group and now operates under the Interscope-Geffen-A&M label.


Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still headquartered in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Paramount is consistently ranked as one of the top-grossing movie studios.


Taken from: http://sara2asmedia.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html  

Iconic Sounds: Thrillers

Documentaries: Thrillers

I have also looked into a documentary of a horror/ thriller film called "The Amytiville Horror" which was released in 2005 however it was based on a true story. This documentary explains the origins of the film and the way in which it was shown when scripted. I personally found it very engaging.

Thriller/Horror Conventions

Conventions of the Thriller Genre

As part of  our allocated roles, one of my tasks was to research into the conventions of the thriller genre. A Thriller is a type of film genre that consists of many sub-genres such as crime-thriller, mystery thriller and action thriller. The genre itself uses a wide array of devices in order to build and create certain effects upon the audience, such as creating/heightening tension and suspense as a way of building up exhilaration. The Thriller genre has a lot in common with the Horror genre, with it's two main sub-genres being horror-thrillers and psychological thrillers. A conventional thriller usually takes place within an eerie, isolated location. However, today many thrillers challenge this by incorporating a more modern approach. There are several characteristics which help to define a thriller. Below are the findings that I found through my research:

- They usually involve binary opposites as represented through the protagonist and antagonist. The antagonist sometimes breaks the conventions of thriller by trying to outmanoeuvre the protagonist.

- Complex narratives are also used where misleading clues and pieces of evidence are given. This is a prime example of how suspense is built up for the audience.

- They typically involve sudden plot twists as a way of keeping the audience engaged.

- They also keep the audience in suspense as they are unsure as to what is going to happen next.

- There is often a lot of action which is often chaotic and fast paced.

- A dark, isolated location is often used to create the impression that the protagonist is alone and vulnerable and thus will suffer horrific encounters in order to break free.

- Some are also supernatural where they focus on mystical antagonists.

- Others can be scientific or medial where they force the protagonist to adhere to biological agents or mysterious scientific happenings.

- Some are simply straight mysteries with clever, horrific, or intriguing antagonists, while others be focused on the inner workings of the legal system, environmental threats, technology, or natural disasters.

- One long-established thriller genre is the spy thriller, featuring an often heroic and dashing spy who must confront whichever enemy happens to be popular at the moment.

- The majority of thrillers often incorporate a psychological aspect, where it forces the audience to examine the actions/motives of characters in order to distinguish their back story as a way of  figuring out the plot.

Editing:

Editing is also a significant component of the thriller genre because editing things such as the sound has a profound effect for the audience. If there is dramatic music playing with a particular scene, it adds to the tension and suspense.

Taken from:
http://as-sonya.blogspot.com/2011/03/conventions-of-thriller-genre.html

Iconography Collage

Iconography Associated with the Thriller Genre

As part of our allocated roles within our group, another of my tasks was to research into iconography associated with the thriller genre. Iconography simply means symbolic representations, which often has a conventional meaning attached to an image or object. Thrillers are easy to analyse because they often have various pieces of iconography associated with them. Iconography is very important as it is part of the mise-en-scene and therefore helps to construct certain messages for the audience.

Knives:

  

Knives are a typical symbol associated with a thriller as they have connotations of blood, death, pain and brutality. A typical representation of this would be in the famous knife scene from Hitchcock's film 'Psycho'. Knives are often used to show that somebody is going to get killed and thus it acts a common device to keep the audience engaged.

Shadows:

Silhouettes and shadows are what give a thriller the enigma and mystery for the audience. Shadows are a common piece of iconography associated with the thriller genre because they build up fear in the audience, by instigating that the protagonist is being watch by a human being or some kind of animal/monster. The protagonist is often oblivious to this but can often sense that something isn't right, which leads them on their journey. They often induce thoughts of fear and darkness for the audience as well as giving them clues and they ask questions out of suspense. A character with a silhouette is most likely to be the antagonist, which usually isn't revealed until the end of the film.

Confined spaces:

The use of confined spaces in a thriller also makes the audience feels as though they are too trapped. Being in a confined space often leads the protagonist to start breathing heavily and panting to inform how they are trapped and cannot escape, or it often leads to the start of their struggle as they try to break free.

Woods:

Woods are locations often used for thrillers. This is because they create a sense of being lost as the characters find themselves tyring to figure out how to escape. Woods are often isolated too, which creates a sense of vulnerability and it seems inevitable that the characters will ever find any help. There may be one house in the woods which often turns out to be the antagonist.

Running water:

Running water is often a symbol of death  as it suggests the draining of life or it is often associated with blood  dripping and suggests that the characters are in danger.

Street lamps:

Street lights at night are often used in thrillers to keep the emphasis and focus on the protagonist and the fact that there is almost complete darkness surrounding them, apart from the spotlight from the lamp. This further accentuates the fact that the protagonist is alone in the dark and creates fear for the audience as they do not know what might be underlying in the darkness and therefore a tense atmosphere is created.

Bars on windows and fences:

Bars on windows are used to show imprisonment and isolation, which links to the conventional thriller.  Fences consisting of razor barbed wire also suggest that the characters are imprisoned and have no way of getting out which shows how they are detached from the outside world and therefore conforms to the convention of isolation in thrillers.

Cities:

Psychological thrillers often take place in a city which brings all of the drama closer to home. This often gives a sense of reality for the audience.

After conducting all of this research, I made a collage to present my findings:

(you can click on the image to enlarge it)

Taken from: http://as-sonya.blogspot.com/2011/03/iconography-associated-with-thriller.html

Font Analysis - Opening Sequence

Font Analysis

I decided to analyse some existing thriller opening sequences as part of my research in order to observe the type of fonts they use and how they may/may not conform to the thriller genre. I also looked at thriller DVD cover to see whether they kept to a house-style and used the same or similar fonts.

Opening Sequences:

'Se7en' Opening Credits:

The font featured in this opening sequence is quite child like. It is almost as if it has been hand written and is relatively small. I believe this has been done to keep the emphasis on the fast paced cut between shots which are informing what the film will be like. The font is also in white and is small to stand out against the clips. This is a sequence I've seen with one of the smallest fonts. The font is also quite jumpy and looks quite old which creates an eerie effect for the audience, especially as it accompanied by gory images in the background. This is therefore typical of the thriller genre as it creates suspense for the audience and already contains clues/messages in the sequence of what is to come in the film. It also suggests that a child may be involved through the child-like font. The non-diagetic music playing is also quite scary in the sense that has an eerie sound to it, which accompanies the credits and thus creates an effective opening sequence.

'Panic Room' Opening Sequence:

The font featured in this opening sequence for the thriller 'Panic Room' is very bold. The fact that it is all in capitals reinforces this and shows how the credits are of importance. Although all of the credits are generally big in size, some of them are smaller to give emphasis on the names e.g. 'MUSIC BY' is smaller compared to the name 'HOWARD SHORE' at 1.17.  The credits are also displayed against a natural backdrop of a city. The music is also very intense and heightens tension which coincides with the credits to create an effect on the audience such as suspense.

'Vacancy' Opening Sequence:

This is the opening sequence for the film 'Vacancy'. I chose this film to analyse as the opening sequence predominately consists of text, so therefore I thought it would be good to look at its font. The font mainly consists of the colours yellow, red and black. The font itself is very big and bold and takes up the whole of the  screen through the fancy links between each name i.e. the names follow a path which display each name in a creative and unique way. The font firstly appears as flawless, but then the name 'Vacancy' has some lines drawn into it making it appear broken and therefore indicates danger and conforms to the thriller genre. The rest of the names are also in this format too. An interesting and unique feature I picked out in this sequence is also the fact that when each name appears, some letters continue drawing a straight line as if it is portraying blood dripping as demonstrated from 0.51-0.54. At this precise moment 'Kate Beckinsale's name has the letters K and B expanding as if it were blood. This foreshadows what is later to happen in the film and the audience get a feel that the characters are going to experience something horrific.

DVD Covers:

'Phonebooth':

This is the DVD cover for the thriller 'Phonebooth'. The font is very bold and stands out as an attractive feature, but isn't the main feature of the cover. The word 'PHONE' is written in captials compared to the word 'booth' which is written in lowercase. This suggests that the word 'PHONE' is of more importance and asserts the storyline and matches the image on the front of a man trapped within a phonebooth. The font is also in white with a slight touch of blue which matches the images on the cover, as they mainly consist of tones of blue and natural daylight as they are stills taken from the actual film.

'Not Forgotten':

I've decided to analyse the font for this DVD cover because I found it very appealing. Instantly, it caught my attention because the name of the film is written as though it is a knife with sharp points. The letters are portrayed as sharp knives through the letters F and T, which suggests that the film will have elements of murder and death. As I've already mentioned in my research, knives are a typical piece of iconography associated with the thriller, so therefore this DVD cover conforms to the genre.

'Orphan':

This is the DVD cover for the thriller 'Orphan'. Instantly by looking at the font style you can see that it looks like it has been written by a child and therefore you can presume that the film will be based around a protagonist who is an orphan. The name is also written in red which suggests that this orphan is associated with blood somehow and could possibly represent danger, as reinforced by the statement located underneath which says: "There's something wrong with Esther," which shows how she isn't normal.

Overall, I can conclude that the majority of fonts within the thriller genre are often bold, big and childlike with connotations of knives and blood as a way of representing the iconography of the genre. This shows how the iconography impacts upon the fonts because they need to enforce the genre and make sure that they conform to it so that the audience do not get confused and so that there is no distortion. It is necessary to match the genre in order to appeal to a mass audience and ensure that they perceive the genre correctly.

Taken From:
http://as-sonya.blogspot.com/2011/05/font-analysis.html

Audience Expecations: Thrillers

When watching a specifically a horror movie, the audience expect something more then what you see in everyday horro movies like saw which is basically gore and grotesque they want a  unique and new experience which modern horro movies hardly provide anymore.

The image below is basically one of the questionnaires a person has taken to show what he expects personally from a horror movie. As can be seen suspense is one of the main themes in a horror movie for him and most people expect to be shocked and experience scary feelings, otherwise they havent experienced the whole horror movie concept. Human threats interests this specific person in also watching a horror movie. So a horror movie has to be all rounded to suit most people expectations of a horror movie in todays world.

These are a few of the responses people gave when asked what their expectations were of a horror movie:

1.) Well killings of course. But i like twists. I like to think one thing is going to happen for sure, but then be tottaly wrong at the end.

2.) Well, special effects are important but, for me – I like those that are visually scary and have a good story line to them. The ones that are just a bunch of blood and guts bore me to death.

3.)I *hope* that the movie would have a scary looking dude/monster, blood, a good story line, a sad scene, and.. that’s basically it!

Something like “Pumpkin Head”, or “Haunted in Connecticut”, or “The Messengers”! They were scary!!

Ooo! Good horror movies have to have zombie type of things in them. Or Paranormal things, like weird dead looking ghosts, or dead looking kids… now thats scary!!

Taken From:
http://zarahhameed.blogspot.com/2011/05/audience-expectations-of-horror-movie.html

Nine Frame Structure Analysis

This is a 9 frame grid analysis of another horror opening sequence, our treatment for the opening sequence is pretty similar to this.

The 9 frames show how he is lost and illusionised throughout the first 2:23 of the movie.

 

Taken From: http://zarahhameed.blogspot.com/

Still Frame Analysis

5 still framed pictures, analyse the mise-en-scene within them. from the same genre.

Psychomania Opening Credits

This is a scene from the opening credits of Psychomnia, a horror movie. An extreme eye-level shot displays this grave-yard scene, the scene is very smoky which can connote a suspicous atmosphere as they might not want some things to be seen. A dark cloud is seen above the grave-yard, dark colours like black and grey have am evil, negative connotation along with spiritual symbolisation. The image has a very dark contrast which is a stereotypical convention of a horror movie scene.

Friday The 13 Part III Opening Credits
This horror opening sequence from the movie 'Friday The 13 Part III' displays the more sinister representation of a horror movie, most of the screen consists of pitch black, the centre of the image shows a male head, giving off a grotesque bizzare sense of whats going on, the shot zooms into the head which created suspicion to what the head symbolises. This shot is made to show that is does not use any digital technology to use light within the image, the light used is from the candles and a beam of light coming from the back.
  

Freddy vs Jason Opening Credits
This horror movie is abit different to the ones analysed above, it consists of way more movement unlike the two above which are very still and not much activity is present, this shots mise-en-scene challenges sterortypes of horror movies. (As most horror movies are slow but have grotesque content and the sound and atmosphere makes the story) however looking at the shot above it may seem to look like an action/thrillr movie however the only aspect holding us back from thinking that is the dark contrast and the gloomy colours used within the image above.

Day Of The Dead (1985) George A Romero Opening Credits.
This image again differs from the rest of the images previously analysed, th mise-en-scene consists of more light. The scene is very stereotypical of a horror scene in some ways in the sensethat the scene does not consist of much activity, it is slow in order to awake suspicion. This sense of isolation and closed environment around the individual allows us to acknowledge the person is suffering and they are trying to get away from something (this something could be the horror element of the movies opening sequence) or something unusual is taking place. The pure white mise-en-scene is used to connote strength and bluntness.  


Jason X 1 Opening Credits
This opening sequence from the movie Jason X 1 features a very revoluntionary opening scene. What we seem to see is probably an explosion or some sort of an invasion or landing. It is not clear from the image above what exactly it is. The image is not very clear, there is alot going on, however the colours used within the scene are very connotive of negativity. The black would represent evil, bad and darkness whilst the mouldy colour represents dullness and something prevading the scene. This scene in itself consists of alot of elements.

 

 

Taken from:

http://zarahhameed.blogspot.com/2011/04/still-frame-analysis.html 

Typical Synopsis

Thriller Presentation

Now that I have collected all of the information needed, I made a powerpoint presentation to show my group and intorduce them into thrillers as this is our chosen genre.  I used slideshare to upload this powerpoint as Scribd is not very good at dealing with large files like a powerpoint therefore I had to find another programme to successfully publish my powerpoint so the rest of my group can upload it onto their blogs.

Thrillers

View more presentations from megi93.

General Camera Angles

Media Research

Iconic Thriller Directors

I am urrently gathering information about our chosen genre in order to eventually get enough information for a powerpoint presentation which I can present to the rest of the group. The link provided below is where I got this information from.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)

History of Thriller

Information for the powerpoint and sources:

A Thriller contains certain characteristics. The pace must be quick, there has to be a lot of action, and there should be suspense and plot twists aplenty. Thrillers should have the reader on the edge of their seat, wondering if the good guy can get one over the bad guy and save the world (even though it's extremely rare for the bad guy to win, in your classic Thriller).
Thrillers are often set in exotic locations, although this isn't mandatory and certain sub-genres, like Crime thrillers, don't have this characteristic. The main characters are also traditionally men, with a career that leads them into the plot; spies, armed forces, elite government forces, and of course, chiseled good looks. Sometimes the protagonist is an ordinary citizen who is drawn into the plot, but he (and it's almost always a he) is usually square jawed and cut out for danger anyway. Women are being introduced as protagonists in contemporary thrillers to a limited extent, usually as law enforcement officers, but it's still a fairly male dominated genre. It has also been suggested that Thrillers require the protagonist to solve a current and pressing problem and prevent its occurrence, rather than chase down a criminal who has already committed a crime. The crimes, or evil forces, or bad guys, have to be grand scale as well. The Bill certainly wouldn't count as a Thriller, but Red Dragon certainly would.
http://www.illiterarty.com/genre-thriller


http://allmoviesearch.com/category/genres/thriller