2. Characteristics of a
Thriller
The “Thriller” Genre is a genre that uses a lot of suspense, through the use of lighting,
sound, shot types, use of angles, mise-en-scene ect. By using these techniques it gives
the text that tangible sense of doom and surprise as well as that feeling of sustained
tension. Giving the audience that cliff-hanging, at the “edge of their seats” feel as they
wait in anticipation to see what will happen next as the plot moves towards the
climax.
3. Usual Settings within a
Thriller
Thrillers usually take place in similar setting because they are the types of
settings that gives that give the unsafe, unstable feel to the thriller. These
typical thriller settings include:
• Costa-Phobic Areas; Elevators, Tunnels, Underground/Subway system
• Tiny Rooms; Garages, back room of a shop, Restaurant Freezer
• Alley Ways and,
• Abandoned Buildings; schools, warehouses, docking bay etc.
4. Conventions of a Thriller
• Mirrors: are used as convention because they can be
used to represent the darkness within a character
also suggest there is more to the character than to
what meets the eye.
• Low Key Lighting: gives a darker atmosphere, which
is mysterious. Due to a sharper contrast of light in
darker areas on screen which produce deep shadows
and silhouettes formations.
• Shadows: gives the sense of darkness and sinister
behaviour.
• Obtrusive Editing: to accentuate the feelings of
suspense and tension. Disorientation of time and
Space
5. Conventions of a Thriller cont...
• Quick Cuts: sense of uncertainty as well as what
Obtrusive Editing does.
• Quick Changes in Camera Angles: sense of tension
• Tension Music: music that causes a sense of negative
emotions such as uncomfortable.
• Stairs
• Flashbacks: sense of time and space disorientation to
confuse audience. Ida of what has happened
beforehand in relation to characters.
• Use of Photographs
• Black and White: accentuates use of shadows adds an
effect of feeling quiet eerie and dark at times.
• Montage editing
