What makes a Thriller?

WHAT MAKES A THRILLER THRILLING?

The thriller genre story line is mainly based around action and crime. If the thriller is based around crime then a murder is a typical thing which takes place. There are different conventions in a thriller film such as sound, camerawork, mise-en-scene and editing.

 Mise-en-scene is the term which is used to describe all the visual elements in a single frame/shot. This includes actors, costume, make-up, lighting/background, setting, camerawork and VFX - visual effects. These are all important as they help to define the genre and help to create the scene. A common part of mise-en-scene which occurs in thrillers is props such as guns and knifes. This is because stereotypically the signify danger and are related to crime. 

Sound is also used in thrillers to help to make it thrilling and create suspense. There is either non-diegetic sound or diegetic. Non-diegetic is sound which has been added after in the editing process. For example, music may be added into a thriller to help create suspense. Diegetic sound is the noise which comes from the scene and is not added or edited in after, for example actors voices. Synchronous sound is also used which is where the sound is synchronised with the object emitting the sound. This help to create tension during and important scene. 

Editing can be used in thrillers to help create the tension and suspense by adding different effects and changing how the scene and shot looks in general. A way in which they could do this in thrillers is change the pace of the camera movement to show a dramatic scene. 

In thrillers a main convention is the antagonist and the protagonist. This is the hero and villain which is used in many thriller films and is a convention which helps to make a thriller identifiable to that genre. Actors are a part of mise-en-scene which are key to any film, especially a thriller. Some actors have star personna which means that they are associated with certain genres and personality of character, for example Samuel L Jackson is associated with the thriller genre. 

This is a mid shot. It is dark, in black and white, as James Bond is seen to be a secretive person. He's wearing dark clothing which suggests he likes to be hidden. In this shot you can only really see his head, this could be seen as being ghost like which relates back to the fact bond likes to be hidden and does not want to be seen. This scene is set in an office, which shows the importance of it and shows the authority of James Bond. The lighting sets the seriousness of the scene, creating suspense and tension to the shooting which is going to follow. 

This is another mid shot. The characters are gambling which suggest there is an uncertainty. The body language suggests a sense of tension and concentration between the characters, creating a serious feel. The clothes which the characters are wearing connote wealth and importance, as they're wearing suits. It may also suggest the formality of the event which is taking place. The lighting is focused on the main characters at the front of the shot, whereas the man in the back of the shot has little lighting on him. 

This is another mid shot. Bond is wearing a suit when stepping off the plane, whereas the other passengers are not. This is showing his importance over other people. James Bonds body language also suggests his importance as he is standing tall and not slouching. The shot is in black and white which adds to the seriousness of the scene. The minor characters in the background seemed to be slightly blurred and have no light focusing on them, which also shows that the only important person is James Bond, as he has all the light shining on him. 

This is a wide shot. This scene fits in with the conventional idea of a thriller of violence which is used frequently throughout the film. This is another scene from Casino Royale which is in black and white, which is used to portray the seriousness of the scene. Bonds suit appears to dishevel which shows the severity of the fight. The other character is dressed completely different to Bond. This shows the difference between the two characters, as one is considered and hero and the other is not, this is also fitting in with the conventions of the thriller genre. There are no other minor characters in this scene, which could be so they do not distract you from the event which is taking place. 

This is a close up. Craig's facial expression shows anxiety and tension. In the background of this shot there is an explosion going off, so on the other hand Craig's facial expression could show bravery and how he is perceived as a "hero" because he is completely unfazed with what is going on behind him. Before this scene moves on the lighting fades completely to darkness. This is helping to creating tension as you don't know what happened and is leaving you wanting to know.

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1. Inception 2. Batman - The Dark Knight 3. Divergent

All three of these films are of the thriller genre. Above are screenshots from the trailers for the film. In all three trailers there is backing music which helps to create tension and suspense which is a key part to a thriller movie. All three films have dark settings which also helps to add to the mystery and suspense which is within a thriller movie. All the screenshots are taken at points from the movie/trailer when the film is approaching a crucial point and it's trying to create uncertainty and anticipation whist leaving the viewer's apprehensive.