THE CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A

THRILLER

By Cerys Kirby-Thirlwell

WHAT IS A THRILLER?

A thriller usually consists of a battle between two

people, the storyline of a thriller usually consists of a

series of bad events that builds up tension and

suspense for the climax. It normally consists of a

character trying to restore justice and a character

working against them that seeks to destroy it.

CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER

Low key lighting

Quick cuts

Shadows

Tension music

Black and white shots

Montage shots

Digetic sound of breathing

CHARACTERS

The characters are normally male and are seeking to either be

the hero or the villain.

An example of a thriller is Taken where the character seeks to

find his daughter gets taken for grooming, the dad seeks to fight

and kill the men that have took his daughter and be the hero.

There is also a character in a thriller that acts as the victim or

the damsel in distress, this is the character that is taken,

murdered or had something bad happen to them.

THEMES

The storyline of a thriller is to be designed so the

audience will think that this could happen to them as

these are normally realistic storylines, this will make

them, feel scared.

MUSIC

The music in a thriller is used to cause suspense

and tension, the music should make the audience

feel at the edge of their seats. The music must also

make the audience understand the mood of the

characters and hint to a significant part of the film.