CONVENTIONS OF THE THRILLER GENRE THRILLER MOVIES AIM TO CREATE SUSPENSE, TENSION AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE AUDIENCE.

THRILLERS HEAVILY STIMULATE THE VIEWER'S MOODS GIVING THEM A HIGH LEVEL OF ANTICIPATION, HEIGHTENED EXPECTATION, UNCERTAINTY, SURPRISE, ANXIETY AND TERROR. THRILLER FILMS TEND TO BE ADRENALINE-RUSHING.

SUB-GENRES• CRIME THRILLER

• PSYCOLOGICAL THRLLER

• SPY THRILLER

• ACTION THRILLER

• SUPERNATURAL THRILLER

WHAT MAKES A THRILLER GENRE?• CONVENTIONAL CHARACTERS: THE PROTAGONIST (HERO) , THE ANTAGONIST

(VILLAIN) , THE INNOCENT VICTIMS, CHARACTERS WITH DARK PASTS, PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUALS, TERRORISTS AND SPIES.

• THE HERO IS OFTEN AN OUTSIDER, ISOLATED AND SECRETIVE.

• THE NARRATIVE USUALLY REVOLVES AROUND A PUZZLE OR THE INVESTIGATION OF AN ENIGMA.

• IT KEEPS THE AUDIENCE CLIFF-HANGING AT THE "EDGE OF THEIR SEATS" AS THE PLOT BUILDS TOWARDS A CLIMAX. PLOT TWISTS AND CLIFF-HANGERS ARE USED EXTENSIVELY. A THRILLER IS USUALLY A VILLAIN-DRIVEN PLOT, WHEREBY HE OR SHE PRESENTS OBSTACLES THAT THE PROTAGONIST MUST OVERCOME.

• THE ENIGMA OR PUZZLE IS USUALLY SOLVED BY THE END OF THE FILM BY THE PROTAGONIST.

• VIOLENCE AND CRIME IS CENTRAL TO MOST THRILLERS.

• IT OFTEN REVEALS THE WORKINGS OF PARTICULAR INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE POLICE, THE ARMY OR THE GOVERNMENT.

• SOMETIMES THE ANTAGONIST IDENTITY IS KEPT A SECRET UNTIL THE VERY END OF THE MOVIE, LIKE IN THE MOVIE SE7EN.

• TENSION IS DEPENDENT ON A THRILLER MOVIE AS IT CREATES AN IMPACT ON THE FILM, TENSION IS NEEDED IN A THRILLER MOVIE SO THAT THE AUDIENCE IS FOCUSED ON THE MOVIE AND HAS A INTEREST IN IT.

MUSIC/SOUND • THE SOUND/MUSIC IS A IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THRILLER FILM, THE TYPE OF

MUSIC OR SOUND USED GIVES THE THRILLER GENRE MORE MEANING.

• NON-DIEGETIC MUSIC/SOUNDS THAT PLAY IN THE BACKGROUND MAKES UP THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE SCENE.

• SOME THRILLER FILMS USE THE SILENCE TECHNIQUE WHICH BUILDS UP TENSION.

• IN MOST THRILLER MOVIES THERE IS THE ‘CALM BEFORE THE STORM’, THIS BUILDS UP THE TENSION UP TO THE FOCAL EVENT WHICH MEANS THAT SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

FOR EXAMPLE THE MUSIC STARTS OFF SLOW AND CALM AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE CHARACTERS IS ALSO SLOW. BUT THEN AS THE MOVEMENTS GETS FASTER THE TEMPO BUILDS UP AND SPEEDS UP TO THE TENSION, MATCHING THE ACTION IN THE SCENE. THUS MAKING IT DRAMATIC.

LIGHTING• LIGHTING IS ANOTHER MAIN ELEMENT THAT IS IMPORTANT IN A THRILLER MOVIE.

• LOW-KEY LIGHTING IS MOST LIKELY TO BE USED IN A THRILLER MOVIE, THIS IS BECAUSE IT CREATES THE MISE-EN-SCENE.

• THE USE OF SHADOWS THROUGH LIGHTING IS A CONVENTION OF THRILLER MOVIES.

• SOMETIMES SHADOWS REPRESENT EVIL AND DARKNESS WITHIN PEOPLE IN A THRILLER MOVIE.

• SHADOWS CREATE AN EERIE ATMOSPHERE

CAMERA ANGLES/MOVEMENTS• SOME CAMERA MOVEMENTS ALSO MAKE THE AUDIENCE FEEL TENSE AND ALSO

HELPS TO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY ARE ACTUALLY IN THE FILM. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN THE CAMERA MOVES THE CAMERA ABOUT, THEY TRY TO MIMIC THE CHARACTERS BREATHING. THIS CAN BE SHOWN IN THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, WHEN JASON BOURNE WAKES UP IN HIS BED AFTER A NIGHTMARE AND BEGINS TO HEAVILY BREATHE.

• ANOTHER CAMERA MOVEMENT IS TRACKING, THIS IS A FAST PACED CAMERA MOVEMENT, ALSO KNOWN AS A DOLLY SHOT. THIS TYPE OF SHOT HAS BEEN USED IN ACTION THRILLER FILMS WHEN THE CAMERA IS QUICKLY TRACKING ALONG A FIGHT SCENE. CAMERA MOVEMENTS LIKE THIS EXHILARATES THE AUDIENCE.

• CLOSE UPS AND EXTREME CLOSE UPS IS ANOTHER CONVECTION OF THRILLER GENRE FILMS. THESE SHOT SIZES SHOW THE CHARACTERS FACIAL EXPRESSION

MIRRORS• MIRRORS ARE CONVECTION OF THRILLER FILMS AS IT PORTRAYS THE

REFLECTION OF SOMEONE'S SOUL. THIS MAKES THE AUDIENCE FEEL UNEASY AND CREATES A CLAUSTROPHOBIC FEELING.

• MIRRORS CAN ALSO REPRESENT TO SHOW DARKNESS AND EVIL IN A CHARACTER.

• THE FILM ‘MIRRORS’ IS A EXAMPLE OF THIS.

FLASHBACKS• FLASHBACKS ARE USED IN THRILLER MOVIES TO CREATE A FEELING OF TIME

DISORIENTATION. WHICH CAN LEAVE THE AUDIENCE FEELING CONFUSED.

• FLASHBACK ARE SOMETIMES USED IN A IMPORTANT SCENE IN A THRILLER MOVIE AS IT GIVE THE AUDIENCE INSIGHT ABOUT THE CHARACTERS PAST.

• AN EXAMPLE ON A MOVIE THAT RELIES ON THE FLASHBACKS IS MEMENTO