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Franki Gjoza
Mr. Furman
AICE Media Studies
10/26/16
Film Analysis: Thriller
Thriller, by Michael Jackson, is one of the most popular songs to date because of the
unique music video and dynamic choreography. When Jackson wanted to create a music video,
he did not want a plain, run of the mill video, so he reached out to director John Landis. Jackson
knew that Landis had a unique style in creating thrillers from his previous film An American
Werewolf in London. The music video was unique because it consisted as a short film that
included different camera angles, discrete editing, an ominous sound track, and lively mise-enscene. All of these factors complimented the spooky, Halloween like tone that was portrayed in
the short film.
First and foremost, camera work and angles are the most important aspects in setting a
tone for the audience. The first scene begins with a master shot of Jackson and his girlfriend
sitting in a convertible vehicle. There are many close-ups used to portray emotions of love
between the two characters; however, when the full moon shines, there is a shift in Jacksons
appearance. This appearance change into a werewolf is characterized by extreme close-ups on
certain body parts such as the face, ears, and hands. Furthermore, the audience then realizes that
a horror film was being played, then Jackson and his girlfriend exit the theater and are followed
continuously by a track shot. The track effect enables the audience to feel as if they are walking
with the two main characters down the dark, eerie street. Immediately after, there is a pan shot
that shows a graveyard and zombies digging from beneath out of the tombs. This gives the

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audience further detail about the setting and makes it uncomfortable to watch as the zombies are
digging out of their graves. The scene is then accompanied by a wide shot of Jackson and a
group of zombies dancing which emphasizes the choreography put into the specific scene. At the
end of the short film, there is an eye line match of the girl looking at Jackson and the zombies
approaching her which lets the audience be in the characters shoes during the scene.
Nevertheless, camera shots and angles are paired well together with editing that
emphasizes the spooky feeling and suspense. In the beginning of the film, shot reverse shot is
used as Jackson is conversing with his girlfriend. The shot reverse shot allows for contrast in the
characters and sets the importance of each character for the audience. Furthermore, when
Jackson transforms into a werewolf, there are simultaneous crosscuts that show different parts of
his body through the transformation stage. The crosscuts add detail to his alternate persona and
gives the audience greater insight on the werewolf character. As Jackson and his girlfriend leave
the theater and walk down the street, there is a long, continuous shot that emphasizes the
importance of the particular scene. The street scene acts as a shift into the music video portion of
the short film. Moreover, when the girl is running down the alley, the editing is very fast paced as
it highlights the tone of fear and suspense. This fast pace editing continues in order to keep the
audience on the edge of their seat and maintain interest. When the girl enters the house, the pace
slows down while there are zombie arms bursting through the floor and door. The short film then
ends with a slow motion scene of Jackson and a group of zombies approaching the girl which
leaves the audience in suspense and on a cliffhanger.
Nonetheless, different soundscapes and mise-en-scene are used to depict the spooky tone
of thriller. Throughout the short film, there is a non-diegetic voiceover from a narrator with a
deep, petrifying voice. The purpose of this voiceover is to keep the audience in suspense and

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give insight about the story in an odd, daunting manner. As Jackson and his girlfriend are
walking down the street, the Thriller song is playing in the background. The song has an upbeat
rhythm to it; however, it juxtaposes with the setting and the zombies spawning from their graves.
This juxtaposition leaves the audience puzzled because there is an energetic song playing, but
they dont realize that a terrifying scene is about to happen. Additionally, there was also dialogue
between Jackson and his girlfriend throughout the short film in terms of diegetic sound. This
dialogue allows the audience to feel the emotions of the characters, as when Jackson says, You
were scared werent you! Lastly, mise-en-scene is arguably the most important aspect of this
thriller because it puts the pieces of the puzzle together and creates the spooky tone. The whole
short film was shot in low key lighting which created a desolate mood for the audience. The
costumes were hands down the most eye-catching thing about the short film; these costumes
included fictional characters such as a werewolf and multiple zombies. The settings occurred at a
movie theater, and eerie street that was barely visible due to mist, a poorly lit graveyard, and an
abandoned house. All of these settings and costumes emphasized the spooky and terrifying tone
of the short film to the audience.
Ultimately, John Landis and Michael Jackson created a short film in Thriller that has
over three-hundred million hits today! This was all done by combining different camera angles,
discrete editing, an ominous soundscape, and lively mise-en-scene to create a popular and
spooky thriller of a short film.