More Key Thriller Film Conventions



More Thriller Film Conventions...
1) Costumes - costumes are very important in thriller films as they show the personality and type of character that the audience is being introduced to. For example; if a character is wearing black and dark colours, they are automatically judged as being bad and evil. If the character is wearing red they are seen as dangerous or seductive. Or if they are wearing white or any light colours; they may be seen as good and pure. All costumes show who the character is and sometimes what profession they are in, e.g. a policeman or a scientist. Costumes will sometimes tell the audience what time or era the story is set in.

2) Location - location shows where the story is set and sometimes the time it is set in. This is a very important convention as it starts off the whole story. Without the location being clearly shown to the audience it can cause misunderstanding. For example, if a conversation between a detective and a criminal is set in a theme park, it shows that it could be slightly humorous and not taken seriously. Whereas if the same conversation being had was set in a prison cell, the audience will take this more seriously and realise that it is meant to be a serious film.

3) Tracking Shot - this shot can be very effective as it follows the character and the audience knows their every move. This allows the audience to keep up with the action that is going on and since the audiences view is constantly changing, this gives them a perspective that they can easily go along with, without any cuts or confusion as to what the character is doing.

4) Concealed Image - this does not allow the audience to see the characters face, therefore hiding their identity. This adds to the suspense of the film and gives a mysterious image to the character being shown. Quite often, over the shoulder or high angle/low angle shots are used to keep the character's image hidden. The effect this has on the audience is that it adds the element of mystery to the characters profile and leaves the audience wondering who they are.

5) Point of View Shot - this allows the audience to see everything that the character is seeing, so much like a tracking shot; they follow everything the character does. This effects the audience in a similar way to the tracking shot does. It can make the audience feel as if they are the character and literally put the audience in their shoes; they are sharing the same experiences as the character is.

6) Eary Music/Sound Effects - sound and music are very important conventions as they add to the atmosphere and the overall feel of the film. For example; in a horror film, nursery rhymes are sometimes used as they seem like such a normal song but used in an unfamiliar situation will seem creepy and scary. Also, sound effects add to the action on the screen, for example; if someone is chopping meat, the sound effect added will be the chopping on the board.