GENRE RESEARCH SUMMARY

Key conventions of film trailer, and trailers from the Psychological Thriller genre.

CONVENTIONS OF THRILLER GENRE

• The protagonist is typically represented as mysterious, and the shots often show things from their point of view.

• Eye catching sentences are used, in order to grab the audiences attention; these are typically mysterious and keep the audience guessing, especially in the psychological thriller genre.

• Within this genre there is almost always some sort of mental disorder or drug use involved, such as the films Side Effects, and Limitless.

• This genre doesn’t always include a lot of violence, there is some, but it is conventional for them to include some sort of chase scene.

• Also the protagonist is typically represented as weak in the beginning, with some sort of twist nearing the end or vice versa, with them represented as strong, then weak, then a resolution which isn't shown within the trailer.

From my research into the genre and form of Psychological thriller film trailers, I have found out various conventions and elements that I can use when it comes to creating my own trailer.

CONVENTIONS OF FORM

• Film trailers feature text which shows information about the film, which is conventional of the form.

• Film trailers typically include a structured narrative with an equilibrium, disequilibrium and then cut, leaving the audience guessing the resolution, and making them want to watch the full film to find out.

• It’s conventional of trailers to include short scenes from the film, with specific dialogue that will show it’s conventional to the specific genre. For example in a psychological thriller, the dialogue used would show concern and worry, as it’s conventional of the genre.

• Trailers also tend to show the most exciting and conventional scenes, in order to show off all the props and signifiers of the genre, making it appeal to the correct target audience.

From my research into the genre and form of Psychological thriller film trailers, I have found out various conventions and elements that I can use when it comes to creating my own trailer.

USE OF TECHNICAL ELEMENTS Camerawork:• High angle shots to show the protagonist as weak, then transition with low angle shots to show

the psychological change in emotion.

• Close ups to show emotion are very conventional of the genre, mainly to show their psychological disorders, or some kind of mental disability.

• Point of view shots are also very conventional, as they engage the audience with the characters, so you can see from their point of view, therefore showing the psychological side of things.

• Establishing shots are very conventional, to show off the setting, which would be conventional of the genre.

USE OF TECHNICAL ELEMENTS Mise-en-scene:• The use of low key lighting being transitioned with high key lighting later on in the trailer helps

show a turn in psychological behaviour of the protagonist. For example in Side Effects, the lighting is high key, and then when the pills get introduced the lighting turns low key, showing the sinister turn.

• Similar to the lighting, the same principal affects the costume colour used. • Also conventional props of the psychological thriller genre include limited weapon use because

of the thriller side of the genre, cars and then tablets and drug use for the psychological side of the genre.

• Also there’s usually some sort of law enforcement so law enforcement costumes are conventional, and occasionally weapon use, but it is not completely conventional.

USE OF TECHNICAL ELEMENTS Sound: • Typically eerie music is playing throughout the scenes to show elements of mystery in specific

sections of the film

• Also similar to the costume and lighting points that I mentioned on the previous slide, this genre of film typically contrasts scenes with different types of music, for example in the beginning everything may be all cheery and they would include cheerful and peaceful music, yet as action and tension increases, a more eerie and upbeat backing track is used in order to show a contrast in events between the equilibrium and the disequilibrium.

• Also the dialogue would typically change from a cheerful theme, to a depressive, sinister theme and would transition from a happy tone to a distressed tone.

• For example in the trailer for Side effects, the dialogue in the equilibrium is cheery as they’re talking about being in love, yet it turns in the disequilibrium with the use of screams and talk of calling 911, this gets the audience interested as they want to know how this transition occurred.

USE OF TECHNICAL ELEMENTS

Editing:

• For example in the film Limitless, it starts off slow paced as it’s just showing the main character and his daily routine as of then, focusing more on character development, yet when it gets further into the film, the editing speeds up because it shows the use of the drug, and then the consequences that he faces, involving being hunted down by armed men, and then ending the trailer with a final fast paced tilt, from top to bottom of the skyscraper showing the protagonist standing on a ledge, looking “limitless”, but leaving the audience with questions like “Is he going to jump?”, therefore being completely conventional.

• Trailers are all about an Equilibrium, Disequilibrium and then a cliff-hanger, leaving the audience in suspense for what may happen.

• In terms of editing, the editing tends to be slower during the equilibrium, as it is the build up, and more about character development, and plot development.

• Yet when it gets to the disequilibrium, the editing pace tends to speed up, to show and transition between the two, and also to emphasise any action that may be happening, as action sequences are pretty common within this genre, but are not always found.