codes and conventions

1. CODES AND CONVENTIONS
OF OPENING SEQUENCE
AND REAL THRILLER FILMS.
ZARA

2. CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER FILM
• Chase scenes– quick paced editing
• Low key lighting- shadows
• Plot twists -conventional
• Crescendo
• Tension
• Suspense
• Mysteries
• Diegetic /Non diegetic sounds
• Silence
• Jump scares
• Against the clock –conventional
• Rain/Storms
These are the typical codes and conventions
that you would expect within the Thriller film
and are the general codes that you are most
likely going to see within the genre. According
to this list, I do not believe that the opening
sequence follows most of these but there are
some that it does follow. E.g. Tension,
Mysteries, etc. But overall, it does not contain
the typical thriller film codes and conventions
but the tension and suspense just about makes
it look like a thriller film.

3. LUCY
This film is a Thriller Sci-Fi about a woman who accidently gets caught up within the
work of her boyfriend and ends up being given a deal of trying a new piece of
technology which could benefit all of mankind. Unfortunately for the organisation,
she agrees with the deal, but also double crosses and becomes a warrior of no
mercy with the knowledge that is beyond human logic.
Overall, the film contains organisations and businesses which is what my own
opening sequence to an extent with it being about an organisation who is trying to
protect a briefcase from other antagonist organisations. Also, it relates to my
opening sequence because the other side of the film genre is Sci-Fi. Ours contains
psychological events throughout the film therefore it can relate to the film Lucy.
Although, the film also does not follow the typical codes and conventions that you
would expect in a thriller films due to the genre of it being a Sci-Fi thriller which is a
genre hybrid. Because of it being a mixed genre, it doesn’t fully match up with the
genre of my opening sequence since it is a Thriller film with no other genres mixed
with it. Just only a few psychological events.

4. Moreover, the props that we have used are seen within the
beginning of the Lucy film as the organisation that Lucy is
caught up with contains a briefcase filled with evidence that
is worth a lot of money with is what our has as well as the
employers involved are in similar suits as the main
protagonist in our thriller film. On the other hand, the setting
is different compared to the Thriller films since the film Lucy
is mainly based outside in a city where as the opening is
mainly based inside within the premises. The Narrative is
also completely different since the opening sequence is
about an organisation protecting a briefcase from other
organisations and the Lucy film is mainly focused on that
once woman who has the ability to think further than human
logic. Although the sound of the thriller film is quite similar
but the Lucy film uses silence to create suspense whereas
our opening sequence uses music that slowly builds up to
create tension. Over all, it does just about match up with the
codes and convention of our thriller film.

5. CABIN IN THE WOODS
This film is about a group of young teens/adults who were given an
opportunity to spend their break within a remote cabin deep within the
woods, and then accidently stumble into the hidden secret of it that
most people do not know about and what and why the cabin was really
built. This Thriller film contains nearly most of the codes and
conventions of a Thriller film including Tension, Suspense, Dark weather
etc. This film is almost could describes as a true Thriller film. Even the
genre which is a hybrid of Thriller and Mystery. Although, this does not
match at all with our opening sequence since it does not contain any
sort of business or employees that work within a building. On the other
hand, it does have a hidden group of people work in labs which has
elements or an organisation that are in control of what is going on with
the cabin as well as the age of the five teens/young adults does match
the age group of our main character therefore the thriller film does
contain elements of what can relate to our opening sequence.

6. But what does not relate to our sequence is the clothing. The
main characters of the Cabin in the Woods film all wear
going out clothes that suit the season of the weather
whereas no matter the season, the main character of the
opening sequence is still wearing a suit. Although they do
wear normal clothing when they are at home so it could also
relate to this also. But does match up is the use of music to
create tension and suspense through the moments in both
the thriller film and opening sequence to indicate that
something bad is going to happen. Yet the Thriller film also
uses more silence like the Lucy film to also create tension.
Overall, the film may not have all of the elements to match
up with our opening sequence but it does have a few codes
and conventions that can relate to it to an extent.