My First Blog Entry

From looking at the thriller genre so far over the past few weeks in Media Studies, I've become impressed with all the different types of thriller signifiers there are included in films. For example, before studying this area of films, I never focused on the small features that actually complete a thriller. For instance, all the car chases and twisting narratives keep me interested in the film. Thriller signifiers are the techniques that make a thriller a thriller, and without them, the film would be boring and not even worth watching. It's also the sort of themes involved that produce a thriller, such as weather it contains mystery or danger. Before studdying thrillers more closely, I didn't realise how strong the stereotypes were, for instance how women are used for there sexuality which connotes danger and destruction, and how men are potrayed as big and powerful. In modern day times, this would be precieved as sexists. Also, I've been watching more thriller films at home lately, but ones that were made in the 1950's, where-as before I always thought the older style were boring and they didn’t engage my interest. However, I now actually think there more interesting, despite the graphics that are used in modern thrillers.

However, my favourite genres of films are still "Rom-Com" as they always make me feel happy and not think about any problems. I also find them light hearted. This is why I prefer them to thrillers. But before, I never really distinguished the difference between horrors and thrillers, where-as now I realise horror films are gorier, where-as thrillers are there to create suspense. For example, the extras such as shadows, staircases and night time scenes complete the thriller genre.

Therefore, so far I'm really enjoying looking at this topic in Media Studies, and I look forward to studying even more types of films, and going into them in more detail. Although I'm concerned at the fact from now on ill never be able to enjoy a film without analysing it! I now find myself looking at the stereotypes, genre, mise-en-scene and symbolic codes.

A the moment, there isn’t an area which I'm finding difficult in Media Studies, apart from trying to remember to write down notes during films, as before I'm used to just watching the films for enjoyment. However, in the future I'm going to try and learn to combine the both!