Codes and conventions of the thriller genre

A thriller film usually consists of a battle between the

protagonist character and the antagonist character.
This causes disruption in the equilibrium.
To this we can apply Todorovs theory. Tzvetan Todorovs
narrative theory suggests that all the narratives follow
a three part structure when they begin with the
equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as
something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium and
finally reach a resolution, when equilibrium is restored.
These are the steps for all traditional stories.
1. Equilibrium ( everything as it should be)
2. Disruption ( by an event)
3. Recognition of disruption
4. Attempts to repair disruption
5. Return to equilibrium

Conventions of a thriller
Low key lighting
Quick cuts
Shadows
Tension music
Changes in the angles of shots
Diegetic sound of heavy breathing
Black and white shots
Montage of shots
Protagonist is in the mercy of the antagonist.
Characters
The protagonist is often a brave male who seeks to
restore the equilibrium.
The antagonist will have a hidden identity that the
audience will uncover as the film progresses. Often the
antagonist goes out for revenge from a past event.

Themes of thriller
The stoyline will be designed so the audience will think
that it can happen to them, which will make them feel
scared

Cinematography of a thriller
There will be a lot of close up shots and extreme close
ups of the protagonist character, this is often to show
their emotions , also it can be used to focus on props to
aid the narrative.
The shots of the antagonist character will be cut quickly
and will aim to hide their identity, e.g a shot of the back
of them, a low key shot, the silhouette or shadow of the
character.
Editing of a thriller
the director will include lots of jump cuts because there
wll be things happening that the audiences is unaware
of but is essential for the film to make sense. Cross
cutting is a key point in editing as it is used to build
suspense which is essential for a thriller. Continuous
editing is used to help the audience understand the film
better.
Sound in a thriller
Music is essential in any film to understand the mood of
the characters and hint at a significant part in the film.
In a thriller it adds suspense and tension. It will often
start a slow pace and then build up to make the shots
more dramatic for the audience.

Mise en scene
>The locating is important for the film because it will
help the audience establish the theme.
>Lighting is often lowkey
>Costumes- antagonist will be in dark clothes if you
see them. Protagonist will be ordinary everyday clothes
>Composition
>Makeup and hair styles
>Acting
>Film stoke (black and white , colour , fine grain or
grainy )