Thriller conventions

 

Camera work

•establishing shot (location)

 •mid shots (characters)

 •close ups (disorientation)+(claustrophobic)

 

Use of composition and framing

 

•key props

•creates suspension

 

Use of camera movement and angles

•high/low angle shot to show power/status

•1st person=empathy

 

 

Editing

•use of flash back/dual narrative-shows complex narrative/tension as the story progresses

•editing- straight cut-pace=tension

•flash back key

 

 

Thriller opening conventions

•how do thrillers start? drama, tension, use of music, titles -> name of film- actors, sirectors company indents

•what should happen in the first 2 minutes? confusing, questions?, one significant event

 

 

 

Sound

•diegetic, non-diegetic sound- use ambient sounds -> music

•noises-fade in and out=atmosphere

•dialogue/voice over/music-voice over to create a back story

•AVOID DIALOGUE

 

Mise-en-scene

•typical thriller setting, actors roles gender, costume, props, lighting

 •setting -> realistic/isolated

•costume ->realism

•actors-males-protagonists ->antagonists

•         -women- victims

•weapons- realism

•lighting-shadows etc.

 

 

Narrative

•disorientating-start halfway through an event (audience asking questions)

 •chronological order? flash back/forward?

 •introduce main characters /plot

genre-films

Genre	Western	Gangster	Sci-fi	Horror
What we see	Cacti, horses and saloon	Gangs, violence and hats	Aliens, gadgets and robots	Ghosts, un-dead and violence
What we hear	Gunshot, wind and hooves	Gunshot	Spaceships	Screams
Typical characters	Cowboys, Native American’s and bad guys	Males, villains and hero’s	Good guys, bad guys and aliens	Murderer, victim and mental minds
Themes morals and ideas	Revenge and killing	Violence	Something threatening earth and people being sent out to get rid of it	Someone is being chased or stalked by a person trying to kill or cause them serious harm, or the dead are coming back to life, or haunting someone or something.
Example	True grit	The Godfather	Men in black	Paranormal activity

Genre

Genre

Genre is a type or category of film, it is away to class a film.

 

Types of genre

·       Comedy- we are the millers

·       Romantic comedy (rom-com)- love actually

·       Horror- paranormal activity

·       Sci-fi- men in black (1,2and 3)

·       Tragedy- titanic

·       Thriller- the Bourne trilogy

·       Adventure- Indiana jones

·       Fantasy- Narnia

·       Action- the dark night

·       Western- true grit

·       Musicals- Mama Mia

·       Gangster- the godfather

·       War- pearl harbour

Three main types of genre

·       Major- most dominant genre, obvious and easy to define.

·       Sub-genre-major genre that has sub divided, e.g. romantic+comedy=rom-com.

·       Generic hybrid- combination of major genres, e.g. romantic+zombie+comedy=rom-zom-com.