Thriller
conventions
Camera work
Typical shots
Establishing shot-location
Mid shots-characteristics
Close ups-disorientation
Composition/framing
Key props
Creates suspense
Use of camera movement/angles
High/low angle shots to show power/status
Use of perspective
1st person=empathy
Editing
Shows complex narrative/tension as story converges
Fast or slow cuts to make it fit in with the mood (fast cuts
for action)
Thriller opening
conventions
Drama tension
Use of music
Titles-name of film, actors, directors, company identity
Confusing- questions want to be answered
One significant event
Sounds
Use ambient sounds-music/noises fade in/out = atmosphere
Voice over to create back story
Avoid dialogue
Mis-en-scene
Setting-realistic/isolated
Costume-realism
Actors-males (protagonist, antagonists)
Women usually the victim
Weapons-realism
Lighting-shadows etc.
Narrative
Disorientating start halfway through an event-audience left
with questions
Chronological?
Introduce main characters/plot
Extension of conventions of a Thriller
1. Plot: Generally, thrillers show justice and
injustice (or good and evil) fighting against each other, with an overall feel
of suspense. Most often, the identity of the antagonist is known and the
protagonist must intervene with their plans; a thriller movie usually has a
growing sense of threat and/or danger and there is a clear sense of pursuit,
although they sometimes begin with a sense of equilibrium and show the overall
degeneration of events.
Narrative:
(points of view; events) The story of a typical thriller film will usually be
shown from the protagonist’s point of view, following events that the heroes
must overcome. This point of view allows the audience to become more involved
in the events themselves and therefore closer to the characters, as they see
how the characters interact with each other in different situations.
However,
other points of view are sometimes included in the telling of the plot: often
they will be short clips from the villain’s point of view, allowing the
audience to see how the antagonist acts while by themselves, or how they used
to act i.e. in a flashback, which creates empathy for the villain and possibly
allows the audience to understand why they have become the evil party.
Depending on the character that plays the villain or how much is revealed to
the audience, a sense of guilt can also be created. Most typically, events
covered by the film are important to the film’s progression and lead directly
on from a previous scene.
There are
usually lots of action scenes between characters, which keep the audience
guessing what will happen next and how the characters will interact with each
other. If the characters actions are erratic and keep changing then the film’s
suspense grows, as we do not know what will happen next. During scenes where
the characters are simply talking with each other, the audience generally
understands what is happening but never gets the full explanation of the plot
or events taken place, which allows the film to retain its mystery and suspense
until later. Usually the motive of the villain and their relation to the hero
will be revealed at the end or near the end of the film, and the audience is
then able to understand why the characters have acted the way they have. If the
motive is left unrevealed, the film will end of a note of suspense and
confusion, allowing the audience to continue to imagine what would happen after
the film has finished.
Characters: (dress; typical roles) The two main
characters (antagonist and protagonist) in a thriller are set apart from each
other in the way the audience views them. The heroes in thrillers are often men
that are accustomed to danger in their jobs or lifestyles (i.e. policemen,
spies, etc) or are ordinary citizens that have been pulled into danger by
accident. The male hero usually has an aim to defeat the evil of the situation
and will persevere even if nothing is going according to plan.
The villains
in thrillers are also typically men, usually tall and/ or well built, and with
a shady sense around them that gives the impression that they shouldn’t be
trusted. This character may have some physical deformity, or a traumatic
experience that has changed their outlook on life or humanity. Usually they
will work alone.
