Research - Conventions of a thriller - Task A

A thriller typically is a battle between and antagonist and a protagonist where there may have been  an upset or an event that has lead to this battle which doesn't always have to necessarily be a fist fight, it could be psychological warfare.

 A list of typical conventions can include but is not limited to:

• Dark/low key lighting
• Quick cuts between shots
• Tension
• Suspense
• Mystery
• Variety of angles
• Antagonist usually pursues the protagonist
• Tension building non-diegetic music
• Fast paced
• Plot twist
• Violence

 A typical main character who plays the protagonist is usually a strong, innocent male who the audience will make a connection with and will emotionally invest into. Then the antagonist may have his/her identity hidden from the audience or from the other characters to create a sense of mystery. A good convention to use is the idea of mystery that is often found in thrillers and the antagonist may wear a mask or have something else similar to conceal their identity.

The storyline should be always building tension and suspense up to a moment where it can be broken perhaps when their is a fight or when the protagonist and the antagonist come together in other sorts of ways. The dialogue should be done at a fast pace to help with this building of suspense which is then broken at the correct time. Often the characters and plot should be portrayed as being average humans so that the audience believes that what is happening in the film could happen to them. Usually the protagonist is the character that is selected to be one that the audience can connect with. Whereas the antagonist may be a super villain in the sense that they have a lot of money and power and are seen as a character that can make things happen.

A lot of the cinematography and the camera work should be used to illustrate the already set conventions. Camera angles such as close ups and extreme close ups can be used well to show emotion in faces clearly so that the audience can make even stronger connections to the characters. Shots that contain the antagonist should be fast paced so that the identity of the character is hidden even more and the mystery surrounding them is ever present. These fast paced shots will also fit in with the tension building that needs to occur.

The editing that is typically used when putting together a thriller is one that entices the audience into building tension and keeping suspense at high levels. To achieve this often the editing may start slow and then build up to something more fast paced and build with the suspension.