Task 2.2: Conventions of a Thriller

Camera shots, angles, movement and position

Extreme close ups are often used in thrillers to show the facial expression of the characters so the audience can tell their emotions. It also captures detail in an important scene. Mid close ups are used to show body language. These are both important in thrillers as it gives a sense of realism and tension. A film that uses extreme close ups is Silence of the Lambs because the characters are expressing extreme intensity in their emotion, especially through their eyes and faces. These close shots let the audience view nothing but the intense emotions driving the scene. 

Tracking is also used because it creates tension and curiosity for the audience as to what will happen next. It also makes out as if the character is being watched or followed. This makes the audience more tense and also makes them quite nervous and makes their heart beat fast, as they know that something may happen next due to the fast pace.

Birds eye view shots make the person or object that is being looked down on seem powerless and vulnerable. Birds eye view is used at the end of the Hunger Games: Catching Fire film when Katniss is being lifted out of the arena. This is because she has just almost been killed meaning that she is vulnerable. Also the fact she is being lifted by a hovercraft shows the power and dominance they have over her. 

Lighting

Dark and low key lighting are conventions of thriller films as they create a gloomy mood and suspense. Shadows are used to represent the inner darkness within characters. For example at the start of the film Unknown, there is low key lighting and shadowing on Liam Neeson, making you believe he is the villain in the film. The lights get turned on when there is a close up on Diane Kruger which makes the audience    believe she is the victim in the film.

Editing

Thrillers very often use quick cuts. There is usually quick cuts on the antagonist characters to hide their identity and keep their personality secretive until towards the end of the film. Also quick cuts can quicken the pace of films and create tension. Furthermore quick cuts are jumpy which may reflect on the atmosphere of the piece and the action taking place at that time. An example of this is in the film Psycho when the woman is stabbed in the shower.
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Also thrillers usually use fades to black when someone is dying or unconscious. This is effective because it allows the audience to be in the characters position. It also adds suspense as the audience are unaware of what will happen next.
Flashbacks are used in thriller movies to create a feeling of time disorientation which can leave the audience feeling confused. Flashbacks are sometimes used in important scenes as it gives the audience an idea about the characters past. The film Memento is an example of a thriller film with flashbacks.

Sound
In thrillers the non-digetic sound is usually there to add suspense. It will often start as slow paves and then build up when action starts to happen which makes it more dramatic for the audience. Ambient sounds of heavy breathing is also quite common of thrillers because it creates tension and makes the audience feel on edge. Sometimes thrillers play non-digetic sad, slow songs when the scene is sad to compliment it. In our film opening we are going to use a non-digetic sad song because the film is about a man murdering teenage girls and the one surviving girl and the murderer are being shown in a police station ready to be interviewed in the opening scene which is quite a sad topic.

Props
Props such as guns, knives or other weapons and abusive objects are used to emphasise the thriller genre. A lot of the opening scene of the purge includes people using guns and other weapons and objects.
Also mirrors are commonly associated and used in thrillers because it reflects the characters and represents the darkness inside some of these characters. Mirrors also potrays the reflection of someones soul and makes the audience feel uneasy and create a claustrophobic feeling. An example of this is the film mirrors.

Themes
There are different subgenres of thriller films, including:

• Crime thrillers: in crime thrillers the theme is usually  ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge and kidnappings. An example of a crime thriller is The Calling (2014).
• Psychological thrillers: common elements of psychological thrillers are mind games, psychological disorders, stalking, confinement/deathtraps and obsession. An example is the film Memento (2000) which involves a man suffering from short-term memory loss.
• Paranoid thrillers: Elements such as fringe theories, false accusations and paranoia are common in paranoid thrillers. The Conversation (1974) is a paranoid thriller. 
• Spy thrillers: Threats to entire countries, spies, conspiracies and assassins are common in spy thrillers. An example is Mission Impossible 3 (2006). 
• Conspiracy thrillers: Where the hero/heroine confront a large group of enemies who's true extent only he or she recognises. An example of a conspiracy thriller is The Da Vinci Code (2006.)
• Erotic thriller: A type of thriller that has emphasis on eroticism and where a sexual relationship plays an important role in the plot. The genre includes films such as Sea of Love (1989.)
• Techno thrillers: The prominent part of techno thrillers is the manipulation of sophisticated technology. There is also bits of action and science fiction. Examples include The Thirteenth Floor (1999.)
• Political thrillers: Where the hero/herione must ensure the stability of the government that employs him/her. An example of a political thriller is Seven Days in May (1962.)

Iconography

Knives are a typical symbol associated with a thriller as they represent blood, death and pain. An example of this would be in the famous knife scene from Hitchcock's film 'Psycho'. Knives are often used to show that somebody is going to get killed and thus keeps the audience engaged.

Shadows are a common piece of iconography associated with the thriller genre because they build up fear in the audience, by instigating that the protagonist is being watch by a human/animal/monster. The protagonist is often oblivious to this but as the audience can see it it makes them feel on edge and tense.

Street lights at night are often used in thrillers to keep the emphasis and focus on the protagonist and the fact that there is almost complete darkness surrounding them. Also the fact that the protagonist is alone in the dark creates fear for the audience as they do not know what might be underlying in the darkness.

Setting

Thrillers (psycoloigal thrillers in particular) take place mostly in cities as it brings all of the drama closer to home, making the film seem more realistic for the audience. 

Woods are also locations often used for thrillers because they create a sense of being lost as the characters find themselves tyring to figure out how to escape. Woods are often isolated too, which creates a sense of vulnerability and it seems impossible that the characters will ever find any help. It is typical in thrillers for there to be a  house in the woods which often turns out to be the antagonist.

The use of confined spaces in a thriller also makes the audience feels as though they are too trapped. It is usually the protagonist in the confined space and they often start breathing heavily and panting to inform they are trapped or they will struggle to break free.

Characterisation

There are many different characters that feature in thrillers including:

A villain, which is usually a male because they seem more intimidating to have more power over women.

An antagonist, which once again is a man, who saves the prtoganist. It is usually a man because  they are considered strong, indestructible characters. Also saving a women is stereotypically their job in thriller films.

A protagonist, which is usually a female because they are considered weak, vulnerable and not able to fight for herself and therefore needs saving.

Police officers, members of the army and members of the government are also quite common characters in thriller movies because often the film revolves around the workings of their particular institutions. 

Other characters includecriminals, stalkers, assassins, characters with deep dark pasts, psychotic individuals, spree killers, sociopaths, agents, terrorists, people involved in twisted relationships,  psycho-fiends, and more.

The primary elements of the thriller genre:

• The protagonist(s) faces death, either his and/or her or somebody else's.
• The force(s) of the antagonist's must initially be cleverer and/or stronger than the protagonist's.
• The main plot focuses on a mystery that must be solved.
• The film's narrative construction is usually dominated by the protagonist's point of view.
• The two major themes that underpin the thriller genre are the desire for justice and the morality of individuals.
• The protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) may battle, themselves and each other, not just on a physical level, but on a mental one as well.
• Either by accident or their own curiousness, each character is dragged into a dangerous conflict or situation that they are not prepared to resolve.