The document outlines some common codes and conventions of teen films and thriller films that could be incorporated into the opening sequence of a hybrid teen/thriller film. For teen films, it notes the use of extreme stereotypical characters, cliques, typical props like phones and cars, settings like high schools and malls, and common themes of love, arguments, and bullying. For thriller films, it discusses using brave protagonists, unknown antagonists seeking revenge, close-ups and quick cuts to build tension, sinister mise-en-scene elements, suspenseful music, and noir techniques like shadows and cliffhangers.

1. Codes and Conventions of Teen
Films
My Media group have decided to create the
opening sequence to a hybrid teen/thriller
film, similar to film such as Heathers,
Heavenly Creatures and Mean Girls

2. Extreme Stereotypical Characters
There are usually no in-between characters. There
are only extreme stereotypes, such as:
• Mean popular girl – Blonde, wears makeup, is the
‘leader’ of her clique
• New girl- Pretty, smart, innocent and naive
• Jock- A bad student and secretly insecure
• Nerd- Unpopular,
• Outsider/Misfit- Sees people for who they really
are, sarcastic, underdog

3. Cliques
There are cliques in almost all teen films. The
most obvious example is in ‘Mean Girls’, all the
different cliques sit on different tables at lunch.
Another example is in Twilight,
the Cullen family sit on their
own table.

4. Iconography
Typical props that would feature in a teen movie
could be:
• Mobile phones
• Makeup
• Cars
• The latest technology
• Alcohol

5. Setting
Examples of typical settings for teen movies are:
• High school
• Shopping Malls
• Houses of the characters
• House Parties

6. Themes
• Love
• Self harm
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Breakups
• Arguments (usually over boys)
• Bullying

7. Codes and Conventions of Thriller
Films

8. Characters
• Protagonists are usually brave
• Antagonists usually reveal their identity during
the film/are unknown to the audience at the
beginning of the film
• The antagonist seeks revenge for something
the protagonist didn’t do

9. Cinematography
• Usually lots of close ups to show the
characters’ emotions and reactions
• Quick cuts when the antagonist is on screen to
hide their identity and make the audience
more eager to know who it is
• Low angle shots used of antagonist to reflect
their high amount of power

10. Mise-en-scene
• Lighting is often low key to make the scene
mysterious
• The antagonist will be wearing a costume that
somehow hides their face (e.g a hoodie)
• Protagonist will be wearing everyday clothes
• Props and locations will have sinister
connotations
This photo is taken from Pretty
Little Liars. ‘A’, the antagonist is
wearing a hood in order to hide
their identity to the audience

11. Music
• Music will often be slow to build suspense and
tension for the audience, therefore it will start
slow and become really loud
• Eerie or intense music being played as either
diegetic or non-diegetic
Jaws is a prime example, the slow
progression of music when the
shark is approaching is famous
for building tension

12. Film Noir
The term is often applied to thrillers, codes and
conventions include:
• Dark streets/sidewalks
• Cigarettes
• Rain
• Guns
• Techniques such as shadows are often used
• Cliffhangers used to create tension