1. The thriller genre could be defined as something which thrills the audience. In thrillers
the protagonist is often faced with dangers that involve an opposing antagonist. This
creates a narrative that the audience can engage in, with them feeling sympathetic and
empathizing towards the protagonist.
• A main theme in thrillers is suspense - through various techniques film makers aim to
raise the heartbeat of audiences and keep them on edge.
• Another main theme is the use of enigma, in thrillers the audience are always
questioning what could happen and his allows room for other thriller features such as
plot twists and jump scares.
• As I’ve discovered in my research of the history of the thriller genre, over time many
horror elements have been prevalent in thrillers such as gore, the supernatural and
blood.
• Violence is also a main theme because in confrontations between protagonists and
antagonists, violence is used to decide who comes out on top.
Conventions of the thriller genre
2. • Conventional props include weapons such as knifes, machetes, axes and guns
(especially in action thrillers), other props include masks, blood and broken glass. All
of these props are effective as they add to the violence and create fear.
• Men are usually the protagonist whilst women the antagonists, this is highlighting the
representation of men who are usually seen as dominant/stronger and contrastingly
women who are seen as vulnerable and fragile, in need of protection.
• The settings in thrillers can differ from haunted and isolated places; such as forests, or
can be in urban settings where there is excitement and a normal busy lifestyle, he
latter is often used as a juxtaposition where the insane activities that take place in
thrillers are masked into a normal urban setting.
• The NVC of characters usually contrast – protagonists have scared/frightened
expressions as they are victims, whilst antagonists have soulless and angry
expressions as they are the predators
• Dress code of antagonists is usually dark clothes to represent that they are mysterious
characters whilst protagonists in regular clothing so that they relate to the audience
which again creates a relationship between character and audience and allows the
audience to sympathize with the character.
Mise-en-scene
3. Sound
• Thriller trailers often use asynchronous sound, as there are often
action sounds such as loud car engines or screaming victims in dark,
gruesome situations to add a dramatic effect and build tension in
the trailer.
• Synchronous sound is also used in fast paced scenes where high
tempo music is playing to build tension.
• Diegetic sounds include dialogue, which is commonly expressed in a
frightened manner through stuttering, low pitch and screaming.
• Other diegetic sounds include creaking doors and glass shattering –
all in aim to build tension.
• Thriller trailers often make effective use of silence, which is to create
enigmas and build tension.
4. Camerawork
• In thriller trailers high angles are frequently used to show the vulnerability
of the characters who are victims.
• Conversely, low angles are also used to show the dominance and status of
the characters who are the antagonists and who are predators.
• Close ups and extreme close ups are common in thriller in order to display
the emotions of characters, as often characters in the trailer show fear as
they are being hunted.
• Establishing shots used to set the setting, usually of isolated areas such as
forests or abandoned houses or busy urban areas such as cities.
5. Editing
• Editing conventions within the thriller genre are often focused
around creating an uncomfortable or suspenseful atmosphere and
quick cuts and changing camera angles are often used which
disorientates the audience. This is achieved through..
• Fasted pace editing - In horror trailers, camera shots will continuously
change after a few seconds to build tension, and establish a narrative
in as little time as possible.
• Editing conventions within the thriller genre are often focused around
creating an uncomfortable or suspenseful atmosphere and quick cuts
and changing camera angles are often used which disorientates the
audience.
• Match on action editing is used as there is a lot of conflict usually
between the protagonist and antagonist so this editing technique is
required to really capture the action.
• Slow motion is also used to build tension and for dramatic effect.
