Generic Conventions of a Thriller

Audience• Thrillers must keep the audience in

suspense and create tension with plot twists and scenes that could make you feel afraid or uncomfortable.

• Not to much should be given away at the beginning so the audience can spark up questions of what is happening throughout.

Lighting • Lighting especially in more intense

scenes should be very dark and mysterious to make the action more edgy.

• The grit of the lighting acts as symbol of the darkness of the plot.

Shots• Thrillers usually consist of either really quick cut shots to intensify the action or

usually the duration can be a bit longer to build suspense in others, there’s a lot of light and shade with shots to create different emotions.

• Canted angles are used a lot to show the impact of a character’s disorientation or movement. Low and high angles are also used to show the power of evil and good characters.

Music• There is usually diegetic sound

caused by the actors actions in the scene, heavy breathing, screams and footsteps that create chaos or a build up in the scene

• Thrillers usually have a soundtrack that incorporates well with the mood of the scene or the plot, but for scenes that consist of a lot of action the music is usually chilling and dramatic.