Lesson 4

[Robert Smith]

ROBERT R. SMITH’s BASIC INSTINCT STACKING SUSPENSE.

MAKE A LIST OF THE THING SUYOU LEARNED ABOUT THRILLERS AS YOU DID THIS ASSIGNMENT:

From analyzing BI, I learned how I experienced the film at an unconscious level because of the stacking of suspense. It’s like being saturated with suspense without realizing how it is being done to you but the stacking suspense model is what causes it.

Every scene can be filled with MIS, the scene itself, the characters and the action.

There is even stacking in the murder weapon (the icepick) the way it appears in different circumstances in several scenes through the movie and the way the characters react and speak of it.

I learned that every scene you write in a thriller must be layered with the stacking suspense model as much as possible

Stacking suspense creates the experience of the film at a visceral, unconscious level. You’re hooked and may not be certain when you became hooked.

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[Robert Smith]

ASSIGNMENT 2 SILENCE OF THE LAMBS.

As with the Stacking Suspense Model in “Basic Instinct” everything applies to “Silence of the Lambs.’

THINGS I LEARNED:

With action: The set-up /pay-off method creates continuity and holds attention.

Stakes: The psychological impact.of Hannibal on Clarise takes a toll on her emotionally. The inner stakes are important in creating story.

MIS of character: Motives based on prior psychological trauma,.conflict, or struggle plays a role in character MIS and specifically motive of both serial killer and Clarice.

Examples: Clarice’s childhood trauma involving the slaughter of sheep and Buffalo Bill’s intra-psychic or psycho-sexual struggles as a transexual are noteworthy here as MIS that showed up in the film.

All of the above are important learnings for me in both assignments.

[Bill Phipps]

Things I learned about thrillers from BI:

Every scene needs MIS.

Each scene we are drawn to ask another question or discover another intriguing fact.

Newly revealed facts, but details of those facts are withheld. For example, Nick apparently killed a tourist, but why he did is not revealed right away.

With multilevels of MIS, (Story level, character level, etc.) you have ample details and facts to conceal, partially reveal, and later fully reveal.

These can be facts about the plot or facts about character’s pasts.

Things I learned about thrillers from SOTL:

Stakes become more dire and more of an issue after the midpoint. It can go from failure, to loss of career, to loss of life.

Mystery involves questions. Intrigue involves concealed information.