CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER

"A FILM THAT THRILLS. THRILLERS CAUSE THE VIEWER TO EXPERIENCE AGITATION, EXCITEMENT, ANXIETY, SUSPENSE, OR FEAR."

Thriller?

A thriller usually consists of a battle between the protagonist character and the antagonist, when there is a disruption in the equilibrium. Then the story shows a chain of bad events building tension and suspense for the climax. The aim of the protagonist is to restore justice, while the antagonist seeks to destroy it.

Watching a thriller is often a physical as well as a psychological experience; they can be breathtaking and spine-chilling. Despite being one of the most popular categories of film there is dispute over whether it is a genre in it's own right. Instead, some critics argue that it is a mode that cuts across different genres.

Often a crime is central to the plot and the key characters are criminals, forces or law, victims and bystanders with action centered around one or more of those groups.

Common conventions of thrillers:

• the purpose of startling, shocking, scaring and surprising the audience
• narrative twists and turns 
• misleading the spectator
• manipulation of point of view, editing and offscreen space
• cliffhangers
• dark, gritty settings
• use of shadow
• hap tic visuality (a sense of physical and touching or being touched created by the emphasis on the image's material presence).

Conventions used withing scenes:

• low-key lighting 
• quick cuts
• shadows
• tension music
• changes in the angle of shots
• diegetic sound of breathing
• non-diegetic sound to implement the clueless remark of the characters; making the viewers feel ahead, thus creates excitement for what is to come.
• black and white shots
• montage of shots
• protagonist is in the mercy on the antagonist

Cinematography of a thriller:

There will be a lot of close-ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist character, this is often to show their emotions. The shots of the antagonistic character will be cut quickly and will aim to hide their identity, e.g. a shot of the back of them, a low key shot, the silhouette, or shadow of the character. This discomforts the viewers as they are uncertain of the figure, which makes them more dangerous and fearful, as the unknown is always more haunting than the known.

Editing of a thriller:

The director will incorporate lots of jump cuts because there will be drama happening that the audience is unaware of but is essential for the film to make sense. Cross cutting is a key point in editing as it is used to build suspense which is essential for a thriller. The 180* degree point of view puts the viewers to shame as they are restricted from their peripheral vision allowing them to only vision what the characters are viewing, To embody the character's emotions and tasks to the audience, to make them feel apart. Accompanied by other editing such as discomforting music to really put off the viewers; taking them on a emotional roller coaster, as they could be certain at one point and not at the next.

Music and Sound editing of a thriller:

Music and sound is an essential part that plays the on the viewer's emotions the most. It signifies the climax of a certain point in a movie, or the pivotal change that causes the chain of events in a film to differentiate. The sound editing can also symbolise one of the character's identity. For example when the antagonist appears there will specific sounds dropped in the scene to highlight their oncoming appearance; almost as though the director wants their viewers to feel prepared for what's to come.

Misce En Scene:

• the location is important for the film because it helps the audience establish the theme (often uses busy streets and environment of is usually urban or suburban areas).
• lighting is often low-key
• costumes - antagonist will in dark clothes. Protagonist the 'casual' look; allowing the viewers to relate to them.
• composition
• make up and hair styles
• acting
• film stoke (black and white, or colour, fine-grain or grainy)