conventions of a thriller

Conventions of a thriller film

Conventions of a certain genre are very important as they are specific segments of a film you would anticipate and know you would see when watching a film. These specific aspects build the mood, setting and story; they help create suspense and keep the audience aware of the surroundings in the movie. The main conventions of a thriller film are: Handheld shots, intense diegetic and non-diegetic music, low key lighting, close ups, point of view (POV), chase scenes and the killer’s identity is hidden

Other characteristics as pointed out in movies like ‘Scary Movie’ a comedy based on the conventions of horrors and thrillers are that the main victim is usually a blond female, the innocent girls always last to the end and the person left alive at the end is always a white women.

The iconography used in the film industry is also important with things such as knifes, guns and general items used as weapons.

 

 

 

Low key lighting is used throughout the whole clip, you can see this from the start right until the last second with flashes of light on occasion. This helps build suspense for the audience as there is the fear of the unknown; this is due to the fact that they can't see clearly what is happening which adds an element of danger. This is conventional to a thriller as danger is associated with the dark and therefore brings the feeling of danger onto the audience as well as implementing it in the movie.

 

There many jump cuts used and a jerky unsteady camera shot used during the clip, they are predominantly used at the beginning and then throughout the rest of the scene. This creates a feeling of uncertainty, anticipation and for the audience as the clips change a lot, also they don't have a clear view of what is happening so it keeps them prepared to be shocked as they don't know what they'll see next or happen next. This is conventional to a thriller as it impresses the audience by keeping them on the edge of their seat in suspense and terror.

Non-diegetic horror sounds are present throughout the clip; this adds to the feeling of what is happening and the audience’s emotions by the disturbing noises working in co-operation with the scene. If there was no non-diegetic sounds playing in this clip; it would be very boring and uninteresting for the audience to watch as it would make the clip very droll and there unappealing to a wider audience.