Research- Thriller character creation.

Name: River Adams
Age: 25
Sex: Male
Ethnicity: White American
Relationship status: Single
Occupation: Lawyer

I created my character through a number of different ways. Firstly we chose certain characteristics which we pictured our character as being then we acted them out in a series of pretend events in class. We then brang in an object which we though would be significant to the character. Mine was an old teddy which hadn't much sentimental value as it did practical, as it used to be something that drugs was kept in. This stimulated my idea of him being an ex drug addict.

River is a typically attractive man, he is tall and mostly wears suit due to the nature of his job, this is contrasted with his slightly rugged stubble and use of casual sunglasses.
My character originated and was based on different thriller characters that I personally liked. For example Teddy Hughes from Shutters Island. As their mannerisms and confidence is similar, although their appearence is disimilar, both characters are attractive. River is a man who has clearly had a difficult upbringing after suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. He has overcome this now but still has a severe weakness to them.

 He overcame the addiction because of the realisation of his Father's alcohol related death and decided to focus on studying instead. He majored in Law and began a highly paid job, four months after graduating. His one priority who he loves desperately is his son Jack. He had Jack with Anna at the age of eighteen and this was another reason for him wanting to make something of himself. He is still in love with Anna but accepts her not wanting to be with him, no matter how much he convinces her he has changed. She fears that alcohol will creep its way back in to their relationship and is too protective of Jack to get back in to a relationship where he was always absent and couldn't provide financially or emotionally for them.

River's past experiences have only convinced him to be there for Jack, so when he goes away on business trips he misses him dearly. I feel River is an interesting and intriguing character who is likeable in many ways, whether it's being able to relate to a past problem with him or his love of his child. He is clearly intellectual and plans now to make the most of it, adventurous as he is travelling to London alone, supportive and understanding as he still helps Anna in every way although she can't be with him. My main task was to make my character likeable to the audience, in order to evoke emotion when the twist is revealed at the end of the narrative..

Similar Products- Misery characters

Paul Sheldon: Summary - Paul is an author of best selling, victorian era, romance novels. With his latest project finished, he decides to drive to Los angeles through a snowstorm and expectedly, landing the car and himself upside down in to a snowbank. He is 'rescued' by Annie Wilkies; an obsessive, fanatic of his books. Little did he know he would be controlled, hurt and tortured by her, in her efforts to keep him to herself in a crazed undertaking.

Looks- Paul is typically a 'normal' looking man, this is purposeful as he finds himself in extreme and very abnormal situations. He is middle aged and clearly successful. The fact that he wears clothes that are ordinairy shows his down to earth character as we see right at the beginning, however his appearence deteriorates as his health, well being and sanity does. In the picture above he is bandaged demonstrating the physical and mental pain he has been through. His clothes become baggier and loose fitted and he is in a wheel chair, these are all signs of him loosing his control and becoming weak to Annie and her power.

Personality- As previously stated Paul comes across as a down to earth character with a creative outlook and friendly ways. We witness this when he is so greatful for Annie's heroic motion, as we would expect. However inclings of her possessive personality are shown but Paul responds calmly to these. For example when she asks to read his new novel which he usually wouldn't let anyone till the publisher had, ' just for you' he says. Although this may not seem like a huge deal, we are aware of how much his writing means to him, as when he crashes he clings to his prize posession- his book. However Paul, when in danger, does not act like the 'ordinary' person might, remaining calm and tactical, his intelligence eventually helps him to escape. For example, he does not simply try and smash windows, panic or wheel away. Paul tries to sedate Annie one evening over dinner, after sharing an almost romantic meal together. However his plan fails after the concoction is spilt, again he remains calm but frustrated as his efforts become more desperate. This shows he isn't a confrontational character, as he doesn't shout at her. He plans his escape out, whilst writing the novel the way she wants in order to manipulate her emotions through the use of narrative in the book. This demonstrates his cunning character and creative side, even in times of terror where his survival depends on staying rational.

Paul's ethics and morals: Paul cares deeply for his family, this is obvious when he wants to immediately call his daughter after being rescued. He insists on this for a while until he realises the phone line is disconnected. This also shows his concern for other people because he knows his daughter will be worried about him and he is desperate to let her know he is safe. Writing is his passion, this is shown in the car when he holds on to his book, however nearing the end of the film it seems he almost loathes it as he is being forced to write all day every day by Annie, to fulfill her dreams of what the book should be like. He does not harm Annie showing his graceful and gentle side. He only resorts to violence when absoloutely forced to.

Annie Wilkins
Annie is a women of about 35, who similar to Paul looks realtively normal, wearing ordinary clothes. However she claims to be Paul's number one fan and her obsession develops throughout the film. We first see her when she saves Paul from the accident, where we can't make any judgement as she is just a heroic figure in the snow storm. It is blatant that Annie lives alone and is a lost soul, she welcomes Paul in to her home and does everything she can to make him feel better. Annie's one passion in life is reading the misery books, so she develops an obsession with the creator of her. This obsession which starts out as almost endearing turns it to a petrifying fixation.
Looks: Annie looks like an innocent character at first glance, she wears denim shirts, dresses and skirts, just like any other woman. Unlike conventional thrillers she is not disguised or has a disfigurement, making the narrative all the more intersting. Her house also compliments her tidy looks, it is spotless, for example, when Paul turns an ornament the other way, she notices straight away and gets angry. This could show her tidy nature or her compulsive personality.

Personality: At the beginning Annie seems innocent, a laudable character who was just in the right place at the right time. However her mental health deteriorates throughout the film as she becomes agressive, violent and excessive. Being Paul's number one fan she feels she must contribute to the book, so she forces him in to writing what she wants to happen and is furious when Paul writes that Misery is dead. So she drugs Paul to sustain his illness, though he becomes aware of this, in an attempt to keep his talent and Misery alive. This all shows her intense personality and mental health issues. Although Annie becomes violent, she feels she has her own reasons for this and seems unaware of how wrong it is. In my opinion, Annie is lonely and doesn't know how to act towards someone she admires so much, this is no exuce for her acting violently towards him, however I feel she is lost and ill.
What do we learn about her? She used to be a nurse so from this we can gather she has a nurturing side, which is shown when she tends to Paul's needs. She is a lonely character who fills her time with reading, naming her pet pig after one of the characters from his novels, demonstrating her lack of companions and other hobbies. She has a dark past, this is shown when Paul finds cut outs of newspaper featuring articles about her killing children in hospitals. This is where we see her threatening side and the film turns extremely dark. We find that she is capable of murder after shooting a police officer and is driven by and devoted to the misery books.

Similar Products - Protagonist Vs Antagonist

Defintiion of Protagonist- Information from Wikipedia:

 A protagonist (one who plays the first part, chief actor") is the main character (the central or primary personal figure) of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify.The terms protagonist, main character and hero are variously defined and, depending on the source, may denote different concepts. In fiction, the story of the protagonist may be told from the perspective of a different character (who may also, but not necessarily, be the narrator).

Defintion of Antagonist- Information from Wikipedia:

An antagonist (opponent, competitor, rival") is a character, group of characters, or an institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend. In other words, 'A person, or a group of people who oppose the main character, or the main characters.' In the classic style of story where in the action consists of a hero fighting a villain, the two can be regarded as protagonist and antagonist, respectively.The antagonist may also represent a major threat or obstacle to the main character by their very existence, without necessarily deliberately targeting him or her. Examples in both film and theatre include Voldemort, the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series, who constantly battles the series' protagonist, Harry Potter, and Tybalt, an antagonist of Romeo and Juliet, who slays Mercutio and whose later death results in the exilation of the play's protagonist, Romeo.



Thriller films use a protagonist and an antagonist in order for the film to have a motive and progress. Sometimes the protagonist and antagonist are not immediately obvious, making the story all the more interesting, this is common in thrillers. For example the antagonist could be something supernaturual, not obvious or visible. The protagonist isn't always obvious either for example in 'Salt' Angelina Jolie's character is hard to place as we are not sure who's side she is on till the very end, as it turns out she was attempting to save countries from danger and not harm them.

Antagonists, similar to protagonists, often have troubled past. They feel everyone owes them something for the suffering they endured, either as a child or currently. This results in psychological problems, this often makes them seem more frightening or powerful, for example, 'The Joker'. His background is never really described properly, however there are some conclusions which can be drawn judging on his appearence and personality. For example the scar across his mouth shows he was victimized.

 However, like some other antagonists in thrillers, he shares a strange relationship with the antagonist- Batman. It's not uncommon for the two opposing characters to share certain characteristics in thrillers, for example, Batman and The Joker share a theatrical film as they hide their identity. The Joker wears make up, messily thrown on, whilst Batman opts for a superhero look of all black mask and cape. Secondly, they both work outside the law to achieve their goals, the only difference being that Batman aims to restore order and law whilst The Joker aims to free it.



The scene where The Joker reveals the truth about his alcoholic father.

The protagonists in films are often men, who are acustomed to danger in their jobs, like policemen, or spies. However they can simply be ordinairy men who have found themselves in the middle of danger by accident, however many thrillers have used females, for example; The silence of the lambs and Salt.  

The antagonists  in thrillers are also typically men, well built and sometimes have a psychical deformity. For example, The Joker has a very visible scar across his mouth, which he explains in the video above. The rest of his costume and make up is also very significant in telling the audience about his character. He wears dark purple clothing, dark costumes are generally used in film to signify 'the baddie.' This dark clothing and messy make up create a character who looks visually frightening, this is coupled with a contrasting 'smart look', this is referring to his suit and tie. Another interesting yet creepy aspect of his look is the fact that his make up mimics a clown. Funnily enough, many people find clowns terrifying, despite their supposedly humorous nature. I think this tells the audience, a lot about his character; like his jokes, with a humorous edge, making him all the more creepy.

Strangely, Batman doesn't look like the average protagonist, wearing all black including a mask, makes him seem cold and unfamiliar. However this is only to make him seem more powerful, without making the two characters look similar. The difference is Batman presents himself in a different way, he appears more handsome and clean cut.