Thriller conventions

Thriller conventions

 

Camera work - Mid shots and close ups to show expressions and what the characters are doing. Close ups show involvement and makes the audience feel claustrophobic. Framing may exclude certain things to keep the audience guessing and to create tension. Lots of low angles to emphasise who is the more dominant character. Angle shots to show power. Range of different perspectives to add tension.

 

 

Editing - Dissolves are used to link key events. Fades to black or white to show flashbacks or time movement. Fast cuts to build speed and tension. Non chronoligically edited to add mystery or tension.

 

Opening - Titles show the director and cast. Often there is an ident to show who funded the film. Titles show the name of the film. The opening introduces key characters. Also creates an unsettling atmosphere. The opening shows a little bit of plot.

 

Sound - Music creates an atmosphere. It also enhances the plot. Ambient music to create an unsettling atmosphere. Voice overs can be effective.

 

Mise-en-scene - The props used dictate the direction of the narrative, e.g the use of a weapon. Setting is realistic and believable to the audience, however often use isolated settings. Males often shown to have more power. The killer is nearly always a man. Women are usually used as being the damsel in distress, however femme fatales have more power. Lighting is often low key, which creates mystery as you aren't shown the whole picture.

 

Narrative - Revenge. Justice/crime. The time sequence is often changed. Dual narrative. Sometimes things don't follow in a logical sequence. These all have a psychological effect.

 

Sub-genres - noir, supernatural, disaster, action, crime, religious, political, mystery, romance, psychological, medical and spy.