Holiday Homework Research - Conventions of a Thriller Film

Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim
for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.

Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful

heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings, and cliff-hangers are used extensively.

Sound: Sounds in thriller films are used to create understanding and meaning for the audience. As well as sound being used to evoke the characters feelings and emotions, in order to get a response from the audience, it is also often used to symbolise both the protagonists and antagonists movements in the scene. By carefully using the sounds employed in the scene it creates the right mood and atmosphere and in the context of the thriller genre, helps to build suspense and tension. There are many different sound techniques that directors use within a scene, examples of these are: diegetic, non-diegetic, parallel sounds, on screen sound and off screen sound.

 

Mise-en-Scene:

 

- Colour is a key convention for mise-en-scene in Thrillers, as we associate emotions and thoughts with different colours. For example black can be used to symbolise death and red can be associated with blood.

 

- The lighting is mainly low, which is usually used during mysterious and sinister scene, emphasising the suspense and tension, as well as creating an unsettling atmosphere.

 

- Props are any movable articles or objects used on the set of a film. Referring to Thriller films, the props often determine the narrative, identity of the characters and genre. They usually include weapons such as knifes, guns, etc.

 

- Thrillers often take place wholly or partly in exotic settings such as foreign cities, deserts, polar regions, or high seas.

 

Cinematography:

 

- Tracking movements that follower the characters.

- Close ups; which show the characters emotions clearly.

 

- High angle shots in order to see the larger locations and action in the scenes.

 

Editing:

 

- Fast editing can be used for effects such as time lapsing, whereby each film frame is captured at a rate much slower than it will be played back. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster, so it is lapsing.

 

- Slow editing has numerous of effects. It can create suspense and make a scene seem scary from the build of tension.