Conventions of the thriller genre

1. Synopsis

1.1. The story-line should be fast-paced, visually engaging and intense.

1.2. Characters involved in the story-line are usually relatable to the audience.

1.3. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are often standard plot elements.

1.4. In many thrillers, the synopsis involves the plans of a hero (protagonist) attempting to overthrow the villain (antagonist).

2. Sound

2.1. Often in many thrillers there is the clever use of silence to help create tension and additional meanings.

2.2. From performing research and analysing thriller openings, such as 'Se7en' and 'Gone Girl', I have been able to identify that often in thrillers, mysterious soundtracks are produced in order to create a sense of uncertainty and tension.

2.3. Diegetic sounds are also often heavily exaggerated to help emphasise certain noises to create the desired effect. For example, a door creaking open.

3. Sub- Genres

3.1. Spy Thriller

3.2. Crime Thriller

3.3. Horror Thriller

3.4. Supernatural Thriller

3.5. Political Thriller

3.6. Medical Thriller

3.7. Religious Thriller

3.8. Legal Thriller

3.9. Conspiracy Thriller

3.10. Disaster Thriller

3.11. Techno-Thriller

3.12. Military Thriller

3.13. Psychological Thriller

3.13.1. Destitute, my thriller opening, is a psychological thriller with elements of the horror genre. It requires the audience to be active as they attempt to address many questions that do not have clear answers, whilst at the same time the opening has some trates of the horror genre, which includes the elements of suspense.

3.14. Action Thriller

3.15. Many different films now fall into various sub genres as they include variuous attributes of numerous categories. It has more recently been proposed that genre no longer exists in the media!

4. Mise-en-scene

4.1. Typical items that are often seen in thrillers include knives, guns and other weapons.

4.2. Often, there is the use of dark lighting to enhance the danger that characters appear to be in.

4.3. The proxemics of characters are often used in a way that establishes a sense of fear amognst certian characters.

4.4. The setting is often a place which is issolated from a people populated area.

5. Camera Shots

5.1. High angle shots are often used to show how weak certain characters are, which can help to heighten tension.

5.2. Thrillers often utilise long shots which closely links with the mise-en-scene. These shots can help to show certain characters are issolated and distant from any means of safety.