Conventions of a Thriller

A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist and an antagonist, or simply good vs. Evil. Usually in this ‘battle’ there are a series of unfortunate events usually caused by the antagonist that the protagonist has to overcome building suspense and tension for the climax of the film.

Characters: Usually the hero or protagonist is portrayed as a brave male who the audience naturally roots for and the antagonist usually will have a hidden identity which will be uncovered as the film progresses.

Sounds and music: This is incredibly important to thrillers seeing as it can contribute to a tense atmosphere key to thrillers. That might be the abundance of any music at all and maybe only diegetic sound to portray the certain affects the director is looking for. But in most cases the use of music is key to the affect of a thriller. This could include a soundtrack of a one pitched tone some thrillers use, or it could be music that slowly builds up into a crescendo where the action might take place.

Mise en scene: This, like sound and music, is essential for creating an atmosphere. This makes it incredibly important as thrillers are heavily based on a good, gripping tone. For instance most thrillers use lighting to their advantages. Mainly the use of low key lighting to create shadows etc.

Camera work: Usually in thrillers the use of constant, quick cuts create the desired effect. For instance to capture all the action the camera may switch to different positions giving the audience the advantage of seeing the events unfold. Another technique some thrillers use is having the audience watch the film from shots close up to the action to make them feel the chaos of the situation. For example, the use of a hand-held camera or a camera looking form a characters point of view would create this effect.