Conventions Of A Thriller

 

Conventions of a thriller movie are that the movie is often shot using a lot of close ups and extreme close ups, this makes it easy to show the characters emotions; shots like this are mostly used on the   protagonist or props and key features. To show the antagonist a lot of quick cuts will be used as their identity is often kept a secret until the end of the movie. This creates suspense throughout the movie and this is often a key element to a thriller movie; something that also adds to the suspense of the movie is the sound track non diegetic sound is added to the scene, it usually starts slow and the music builds. This makes the scene build in tension. 

 

A typical narrative for a thriller movie will make the audience feel that the events could happen to them, it will often start with "norm” and shows ordinary life. Then an event will often happen that will 'thrill' the audience something such as a murder, kidnap or a crime. This then leads the protagonist on a mission to find the antagonist and solve any problems that may have appeared. This often involves fights, explosions and weapons such as guns and knives. Once the protagonist has discovered the identity of the antagonist he will seek revenge or resolve the issues. The setting for this is often in a city and different locations within the city; if the characters are taken to different locations this can often add more suspense, as it is often an unknown location so the character is unsure of what may happen.  

 

A typical character for a thriller movie is a hero; this is usually played by a middle-aged male. There will also be an antagonist/ villain; this is also usually a male. This character is usually very mysterious and shown in dark lighting and will not be seen until the end of the movie; this helps create tension and mystery as the audience will be trying to guess at who the character may be. Another character in a thriller movie is the victim, this character is most likely played by a woman and has been threatened by the villain and someone the hero is close to and trying to save. 

 

Props used in thriller movies are usually weapons such as guns or knives, this adds an element of danger as characters can be put In danger or threatened by them. Other props may include something such as a torch, as low key lighting is used a lot to create mystery; by using a torch it can also create suspense as it will only light some of the shot and the audience will be left wondering what else may be in the shot. Shots like this are usually edited using fast cuts this makes the pace much quicker. This gives the audience a feeling of panic and urgency. Other styles of editing used in thriller movies are fades are often added in to help create tension as the audience are unsure on what will happen next.