Genre conventions of a Thriller

Genre conventions of a Thriller

 

Thriller - a novel, play, or movie with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage normally with a high level of tension and suspence.

 

Types of thrillers:

·         Medical

·         Political

·         Forensic

·         Spy

·         Military

·         Psychological

·         Horror

 

Conventions:

 

Normally thrillers may involve a murder or some sort of grand crime and so usually have a hero and a villain, however a lot of thrillers are recognised through there shooting, editing and sounds. Common camera angles used in thrillers are low angle shots and quick moving shaky shots. Also the lighting used in the shots Is normally quite dark and gloomy and if any light, is usually a grey tinge giving a cold and uneasy feel, and is normally filmed in quite rural areas. The editing usually has a fast pace between shots with less continuity sometimes giving an ‘unedited’ feel as though its being filmed In real time. Added sounds are used quite a lot in thrillers to emphasize a certain action. Sounds such as footsteps or a telephone ringing are usually quite loud and emphasized compared to the other sounds and are normally added in a very quiet moment.

 

Other key elements: (picked certain features from a blogspot post)

·         Cliff hangers

·         Plot twists

·         Red herrings

·         Adrenaline

·         Mind games

·         Paranoia