Within thriller movies, a range of different shots and camera angles have been used. For example close up shots are used to build tension suspense and also mystery. Long shots are also used in order to set the scene. They are also so used in order to give a sense of isolation; this is done by having a character on their own in a mysterious location, this creates mystery and tension for the audience as they expect that something is going to happen.
Point of view shots are used in order to show the scene and the setting. This builds tension as the audience doesn’t see the character’s facial expression and so they have no idea about what is happening. By using a dark location the audience aren’t able to make out some of the objects within the shot and so this would create tension and suspense. By also using artificial lighting, objects become distorted and so this would make the scene unnerving for the audience. Using point of view shot allows us to step into a character’s shoes and see what is happening from their perspective. By doing this we also pick up on their nerves, which makes the audience tense and so this causes suspense and tension to be built up.
The location and setting used within a thriller either reflects or contrasts the character’s feelings or personality. For example an isolated setting or location may suggest that the main protagonist or antagonist is also isolated and cut-off from the rest of the other characters. The location also gives the audience an insight into what genre the film is and what the film is about as wells as giving them a suggestion about what the characters in the film are like. At the beginning of a thriller, on some occasions the location contrasts the genre of the film. For example a quiet village or even a tranquil, isolated house in the countryside. This creates an enigma code as it makes the audience question what is going to happen to disrupt the equilibrium in the location.
Lighting within a thriller is significant. Artificial lighting is typical of thrillers as it creates lots of shadows. This distorts the image and so this creates mystery and suspense as the audience are not able to make out what certain objects or who the characters are. Back lighting also creates mystery as the audience don’t know who the character is and so this creates an enigma as it makes the audience question who the character is.
In most horror and thrillers, the scenes are set at night time and so the use of lots of artificial light would not be appropriate as the scene would not look realistic. It would create too many shadows and this would distort the objects in the shot. The night time effect creates lots of shadows and so this may create a sense of mystery and suspense.
The non-diegetic music within thrillers is usually orchestral. This type of music is typical of a thriller as it gives the scene a sinister and menacing feel to it. The soundtrack may even be played in the minor key and so this would alter the mood of the scene. The minor key may also give the audience an insight on the character and their personality. However, within some scenes of a thriller no music at all is used and so this creates a more sinister effect as the audience are trying to listen out for both diegetic and non-diegetic noises that will help them to understand what is happening and what is going to happen. At this point diegetic sound such as a character’s breathing or a creaking door is used to build tension. By hearing a character’s breathing, the audience then begin to try and match their breathing to the characters and so this would create tension as the audience would feel a sense of panic and so tension would have been created. The sound of the character’s breathing can be amplified and so this would also help the audience match their breathing with the character’s breathing. The audience rely on the diegetic sounds in a film as this gives them an understanding of what is happening especially if the set is not well lit and so this turns the audiences focus to the diegetic or non-diegetic sound, which is creating the suspense.
Long duration of frames are used in order to build tension as the audience can see what is happening during the scene and we can also see the character’s reaction and facial expressions which add to the suspense. A long duration of frames also signifies that there is not much action happening at that specific point in the scene or it is now leading to the action.
Todorov’s narrative theory is also used within thrillers as this is often the concept of the storyline. There is a state of equilibrium which is then disrupted. The characters realise that this disruption has taken place and so they attempt to repair the damage the disruption has caused. The characters succeed in repairing the damage and so equilibrium is restored. The disruption within a thriller is typically a killer or some kind of monster which kills a majority of the characters before reaching a conclusion. By using some form of a creature this could act on an audiences fear, this would not be as realistic. However, they would be able to relate to the storyline as it presents verisimilitude and so these elements would make the film more believable. By using a human as the killer, this makes it more unnerving as it is more realistic and believable and so this would create more suspense as there is a psychological element to it and so the audience often don’t know what will happen next, causing suspense and tension within the film.
Peaks and valleys is used as this makes the audience question whether the villain will catch the main character. The audience want the main character to live as they have created a relationship between themselves and that character and so this builds lots of tension and suspense as they are unsure whether the character will get away and stay alive until the end of the film.
These are all conventions of a thriller as they are important to creating suspense and tension which is the main concept within the genre.
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