The document discusses conventions used in thriller films to thrill and shock audiences. It provides examples of conventions like false endings that leave cliffhangers, innocent victims who end up killing villains unexpectedly, villains and victims where the villain's identity remains mysterious, escaped convicts who plan elaborate schemes, supernatural elements that terrify by seeming realistically possible, graphic blood and gore, and psychological elements that challenge audiences. Each convention is described along with examples from films that illustrate its purpose and typical use.

1. Kaya
Examples of thriller films
Devil – 2010
Devil is a thriller film because throughout the film you don’t
know who the devil is and it really thrills you to figure out
who the devil is throughout the film and at the end when
you find out who it is it really shocks you. Also at the end of
the film you think that everything is solved but its not.

2. Kaya
Examples of thriller films
Buried – 2010
Buried is a thriller because throughout the movie your
always anticipating to see what will happen next, to him in
the coffin/box. Also at then end when the sand is pouring in
and he’s about to be saved it builds up all this excitement
but, when you find out they got the wrong guy, it really
shocks you.

3. D.a
Supernatural Suspense
THRILLER
Relief at Conventions Shock
the end
False Villain/
Victim
ending

4. Convention Use / Develop / Purpose and Examples from
Thriller Challenge Description Films
False Ending Challenge – Something Purpose – To keep the Paranormal Activity
demonic and scary giving audience thinking; Cliff
false hope. Keeping hanger. Change the way
audience scared not just you view curtain
annoyed. situations.
Description – We through
there would be a new
equilibrium, but it ended
with a cliff hanger and the
Ending – Demon still in her.
demon is still inside her.
Innocent Use – Young girl. Purpose – To make the Disappearance of Alice
Challenge – Almost audience feel sympathy Creed
Victims being the villain, the for the character and to
victim ends up killing the shock from her killing the
villain. villain
Description – At the end
of the film the woman
taken hostage ends up
killing the men that took
her showing no remorse
over it. The Victim kills the villain.
Kaya Sanel Gia
Rahel

5. Convention Use / Develop / Purpose and Examples from
Thriller Challenge Description Films
Use (villain) – Can’t see You don’t see the Psycho
Villain and details, remains a
villain killing nor who
Victim mystery.
they are killing the
Use (victim) – An
attractive innocent woman in the
woman. shower, it makes the
audience wonder who
it is.
Develop (villain) – You Scream
can hear that it’s a male
in their voice, not that
The villain is a male
much of a mystery.
Develop (victim)– Both and you see the girl he
makes and females, you killed hurt but you
can see them hurt but don’t see how he killed
not them getting hurt. her or the gory details.
House of wax
Challenge (villain) – Very
shy and insecure. The victim is a male who
Challenge (victim) – is killed by a shy and
Male, showing him in a vulnerable villain, you see
gore like manner hurt. the victims get killed and
in detail what it looks like.
Kaya Sanel Gia
Rahel

6. Convention Use / Develop / Purpose and Examples from
Thriller Challenge Description Films
Escaped Use – Middle aged male. Purpose – To show the Law abiding Citizen
Develop – Female. mentality of the character
convicts – how smart and cunning
they are.
Description – The man
planned his escape from
prison before her went in
to out smart the police
and get justice. Planning an escape from
prison.
Challenge – Making it Purpose – To shock the The Human Centipede
Shock horrific and unexpected. audience, showing a real
Not predictable . life situation in a
Disturbing. disturbing and terrifying
manner.
Description – The villain
holds 3 people hostage
and shocks the audience
in doing some extremely
unexpected disgusting the Takes people hostage and
audience creates them into a human
centipede.
Kaya Sanel Gia
Rahel

7. Convention Use / Develop / Purpose and Examples from
Thriller Challenge Description Films
Blood Develop – To disgust the Purpose – To show Saw 2
audience psychological state of
characters and their
horrible mentality, also
how much they believe in
something
Description – When the
serial killer cut out a jigsaw
from a victims skin to show Cut out trademark some
his symbol/trademark.
someone's skin.
Use – To show ghosts Purpose – To terrify the The exorcist of Emily Rose
Supernatural exist audience showing that
Develop – Scaring the supernatural is stronger
audience putting the than yourself and can
supernatural in realistic controlling your mind.
situations Description – The victim is
possessed and cant
control herself, she forms
into unnatural positions
and talks in demonic Possessed on the floor and
voices of the demon. using demonic voices
Kaya Sanel Gia
Rahel

8. Convention Use / Develop / Purpose and Examples from
Psychological thriller
Challenge Description Opening Sequence
Purpose – To shock and
Supernatural Develop – The spirits
scare the audience in a
are hear and seen, but
sudden
also we developed the
Description – The
convention by having
closet doors will open
the spirits interact in
in a sudden out of no-
the real world
where The ghost are opening the
closet doors
Develop – Rather then Purpose – To keep the
Suspense build suspense to then audience interested
scare the audience and build tension so
afterwards, we will they’re on the edge of
build suspense slowly their seats
then show nothing Description – Laura is
after the build up in the closet in pitch
black
When she is in the closet and
Kaya D.b the audience doesn't know
what's happening

9. Conventions of are opening GIA
sequence

10. Conventions of are opening
sequence

11. Convention Use/Develop/Challenge Purpose and Examples from
Thriller Description opening sequence
D.b
False Ending Use- Having the audience Purpose- To keep the
believing that something audience thinking
interesting is about to throughout .
happen.
Challenge- Something Description- Laura
scary but giving it a false walks to the
hope to make the cupboard with fear. When the girl opens the
cupboard and there was
audience scared. nothing in it.
Shock Challenge- By making Purpose- By shocking
something unexpected to the audience to get a
come by not being reaction out of them.
Description- When the
predictable.
victim is about to
experience something
unexpected and strange
to give the audience a
feeling of atmosphere. When Laura see’s someone
running behind her.

12. Inspirational Scenes Kaya E
The boogey man 1 Donnie Darko
Location of the spirit /
Relatable character
unusual happenings
I was inspired by the boogeyman
because of the location where the In reality Donnie Darko is a normal
unusual things happen in connection teenage guy, who is shy and doesn't
to the boogeyman. So I was inspired cause intentional trouble, however he
to have the spirits be connected to a can see and listens to something he
closet just like that film as it was very thinks is real but in fact is pretend.
scary and mysterious and dark

13. Kaya
E Inspirational Scenes
The woman in black
Non-diegetic sound to create
suspense
In this scene, the character is
looking through a spinning
lamp, while there is non-
diegetic sound of a regular
beat building to a climax
where the face of a woman is
seem with a sudden thud to
shock and give the audience a
fright

14. Inspirational Films (Paranormal Activity 3) -2010
Sanel
Db.
Paranormal 3 was inspiring to us because there structure starts of with a equilibrium
because it shows that the family are very close and happy. The film the changes to a
disequilibrium throughout the movie as something starts to happen and we don’t
know what is going on until the family starts to act very strange and different. All of a
sudden the mood has changed. So in our opening sequence we are going to start of
with equilibrium and then change to a disequilibrium as something begins to haunt
someone.

15. Sanel
Inspirational Films (Sixth Sense) -1999
Db.
The Sixth Sense was inspiring to because it involves with spirits and scares the
young boy seeing them and this related to our opening sequence as the girl starts
to see the spirit and gets very scared it shows us that the spirits can be anywhere
and tries to haunt you for a reason or tries to send you a message.