In this post, I shall be demonstrating the conventions of a thriller and how they can be useful to create the appropriate effects for a successful thriller movie. The following conventions consist of the main parts in order to make the thriller a success and not a bust!
Conventions:
.Low key lighting- This is using lighting to your advantage in order to create a perfect theme for a thriller! Low key lighting is when you are using the lighting in order to make a scene look gloomy or mundane/ bland. This makes the viewer feel like the movie has mystery and in turn the viewer will feel uneasy as well as feeling curious to why the scene is darker than a rom-com for example.
Here you can see the contrast between the light and darkness like good and bad.
.Suspense- This is when you make the viewer wait to find out all the answers by having a build up over the duration of the film. This is very effective for a thriller because it makes the viewer want to find out the answers by watching the entire movie and they will have their own personal views on what might happen.
.Tension music- This is when you use music to contribute to the suspense. This is done by having a gradual increase in tempo or/ and loudness to help with surprises or upcoming events in the thriller. This usually consists of an orchestra because it is much more affective than other types of music.
.Slow build up- The reasoning behind a slow realistic build up is for many reasons; to show how time goes by (some detective cases can take weeks), it helps the audience question the thriller for possible answers and to make sure that main plot points are not revealed too early on.
.Action (sometimes)- The reasoning for action is some thrillers is to help the thriller gain some excitement for viewers and to help the movie run smoother because if the thriller had no consistency when it came to entertainment, it wouldn't be worth watching and would be tasteless.
.Isolation- This can relate to both the settings and how the character feels. If it is the setting, it is so it will be harder for the protagonist to get some help if they are stuck in an unfamiliar area or the middle of no where. Where as if the character feels isolated it could be because they are by themselves with no companions or no access to help (however some characters could feel emotionally isolated!)
.Death (usually)- This is another way in which the thriller has some interest to it and makes the movie more entertaining for the viewer to watch this is another way the movie has a more story too it e.g. who killed them?)
.Suspense- This is when you make the viewer wait to find out all the answers by having a build up over the duration of the film. This is very effective for a thriller because it makes the viewer want to find out the answers by watching the entire movie and they will have their own personal views on what might happen.
Who is that? Will we find out who done it?
.Tension music- This is when you use music to contribute to the suspense. This is done by having a gradual increase in tempo or/ and loudness to help with surprises or upcoming events in the thriller. This usually consists of an orchestra because it is much more affective than other types of music.
The music is slowly getting louder and quicker! what's going to happen?
.Enigma- This is when you introduce a puzzle or mystery that needs to be solved as the basis of the story line. This could be a murder case or someone that has gone missing (usually in police/ detective stories). This is one of the main characteristics/ conventions for a thriller to be good.
The puzzle represents all the clues needed to be put together to get the final answer.
.Slow build up- The reasoning behind a slow realistic build up is for many reasons; to show how time goes by (some detective cases can take weeks), it helps the audience question the thriller for possible answers and to make sure that main plot points are not revealed too early on.
If everything is revealed at the beginning, what will be the point in watching the thriller? Let the viewer find out themselves!
.Action (sometimes)- The reasoning for action is some thrillers is to help the thriller gain some excitement for viewers and to help the movie run smoother because if the thriller had no consistency when it came to entertainment, it wouldn't be worth watching and would be tasteless.
Remember it isn't an action, however a little bit of action used correctly can help the movie become more intriguing.
.Isolation- This can relate to both the settings and how the character feels. If it is the setting, it is so it will be harder for the protagonist to get some help if they are stuck in an unfamiliar area or the middle of no where. Where as if the character feels isolated it could be because they are by themselves with no companions or no access to help (however some characters could feel emotionally isolated!)
HELP! *no response*
"No one an hear you scream..."
.Death (usually)- This is another way in which the thriller has some interest to it and makes the movie more entertaining for the viewer to watch this is another way the movie has a more story too it e.g. who killed them?)
The thriller may be due to a death at the begining of the movie?
