BY SUMMER GARRARD

CONVENTIONS OF THRILLER

THEMES IN THRILLERS• COMMON THEMES IN A CRIME THRILLER ARE CAPTIVITIES, REVENGE,

KIDNAPPINGS AND RANSOMS. COMMON THEMES IN MYSTERY THRILLERS ARE INVESTIGATIONS. THEMES IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS ARE STALKING, DEATH TRAPS, OBSESSION AND PERSONALITY HORROR. COMMON ELEMENTS USED IN PARANOID THRILLERS ARE; FRINGE THEORY'S, FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND PARANOIA. SPIES, ESPIONAGE, CONSPIRACIES, ASSASSINS AND THREATS TO ENTIRE COUNTRIES ARE COMMONLY USED IN SPY/ACTION THRILLERS.

CHARACTERS

• PROTAGONISTS ARE USUALLY JUST ORDINARY CITIZENS UNACCUSTOMED TO DANGER, ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES IN CRIME THRILLERS THEY ALSO MIGHT POSSIBLY BE ACCUSTOMED TO DANGER IN PROFESSIONS SUCH AS POLICE OFFICERS AND DETECTIVES. WHILE THRILLER PROTAGONISTS HAVE USUALLY BEEN MEN, WOMEN LEAD CHARACTERS ARE BECOMING MORE INCREASINGLY COMMON. IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS, THE PROTAGONISTS RELY ON THEIR MENTAL ISSUES, IT MAY BE BATTLING WITS WITH THE ANTAGONIST OR BY BATTLING FOR EQUILIBRIUM IN THE CHARACTER'S OWN MIND.

• TYPICAL CHARACTERS ARE USUALLY; STALKERS, CRIMINALS, INNOCENT VICTIMS, MENACED WOMEN, TERRORIST, MASS MURDERS, COPS, PEOPLE WITH DARK PASTS, AGENTS, SPIES, PEOPLE INVOLVED IN TWISTED RELATIONSHIPS, PSYCHOTIC INDIVIDUALS ECT..

CAMERA MOVEMENT AND ANGLES

• CAMERA PANNING AND TRACKING ARE COMMONLY USED AT THE START OF THRILLERS TO SET THE SCENE AND TO FAMILIARISE THE AUDIENCE WITH THE SETTING OF THE FILM. THEY ARE ALSO USED IF THE PRODUCER WANTS THE AUDIENCE TO BE FAMILIAR TO A NEW SETTING SO THEY UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE IMAGE. IN THE CLIP OF ‘THE SWEENY’ A VOICE OVER AND CAMERA PANNING IS USED TO ADD FOCUS TO THE MAIN CHARACTERS WHILE SHOWING THE AUDIENCE THE WHOLE SETTING. THESE ARE SOME STILLS OF THE CLIP AND THE HYPERLINK TO THE FULL CLIP IS BELOW. https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k824WO5EStA&list=LLEp7qKI4ApTD9ZyUMhGk9EQ

TITLES• AS SHOWN HERE FROM THE FILM ‘FIGHT CLUB’,

THE TITLES USED IN THRILLERS ARE GENERALLY ON A PLAIN BLACK BACKGROUND OR WITH A MINIMALISTIC BACKGROUND TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS MAIN FOCUS ON THE TITLES THAT ARE BEING SHOWN.

• THE TITLES USED ARE ALL THE SAME FONT TO KEEP GOOD CONTINUITY. THE FONT USED FOR ‘FIGHT CLUB’ IS SHOW AS ALMOST LIT UP THIS GRABS THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS ATTENTION AND LINKS IN WITH THE OPENING SCENE OF THE BODY CELLS BEING SHOWN.

USE OF SHOTS• CLOSE UPS ARE OFTEN SHOWN IN

THRILLERS TO SHOW DEPTH OF CHARACTERS FEELINGS AND TO BUILD UP SUSPENSE.

• LONG SHOTS ARE ALSO COMMONLY USED TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE MEMBER THE WHOLE PICTURE AND TO SET THE SCENE.

• HERE IS BOTH A LONG SHOT AND A CLOSE UP SHOT TO CREATE TWO DIFFERENT FEELINGS FROM THE SAME FILM ‘CASINO ROYALE’.

LONG SHOT

CLOSE UP

SOUND• NONE DIEGETIC SOUND IS OFTEN USED IN THRILLERS THIS

CREATES AN ATMOSPHERE TO THE AUDIENCE THIS IS OFTEN USED IN EITHER; THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM OR A FIGHT/CHASE SCENE. ALSO VOICE OVERS ARE QUITE POPULAR IN THRILLERS THIS HELPS TO CREATE A SCENE AND GIVE THE AUDIENCE MORE IDEA OF THE CHARACTER WHOM IS TALKING OR WHO THE NARRATOR IS TALKING ABOUT, SOUNDS BRIDGES ARE ALSO POPULAR.

• ALSO SOME VERY SUCCESSFUL FILMS LIKE ‘PULP FICTION’ AND ‘SKYFALL’ BRING OUT THERE OWN MUSIC AND SOUND TRACK THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE FILM.

• DIEGETIC SOUND IS ALSO USED THIS INCLUDES; THE CHARACTERS VOICES AND DIEGETIC MUSIC.

EDITING• JUMP CUTS ARE COMMONLY USED IN

THRILLER THIS IS NORMALLY THE CASE TO QUICKLY SWITCH FROM ONE SCENE TO THE NEXT WHEN AN ACTION SCENE IS TAKING PLACE.

• THIS CREATES TENSION AND BUILDING UP TO A CLIMAX. THIS DRAMATICALLY DRAWS THE AUDIENCE IN.