Research into Conventions - Miss Miller

Conventions of a thriller

Introduction

The word convention means conforming or adhering to accepted standards. Elements and methods that are common within different film genres would be typical conventions of the film. Certain genres can be identified just from the conventions e.g the lighting, characters, narrative. Typical conventions of a thriller are abandoned settings, low-key lighting and hidden identity.

In this clip of scream we see a young women being chased and murdered by a masked killer. Hidden identity is present in this clip as the killer wears a mask. The fact that the killers identity is withheld, creates a more inhuman feel to the clip because there is no human facial features that the killer can display to the audience which means he is unable to portray any human emotion. You are unable to hear the sound of his voice and the audience is unable to gain any relationship with this character. This is due to the fact they are unable to identify anything about him. This is a typical convention of a thriller as hidden identity is usually used to make the audience question who it is and add enigma into the film.

The victim in the clip is female. Stereotypically in thrillers, females remain to be the weaker more vulnerable sex. This enables her to appear as innocent as possible. In thrillers the women normally act as the damsel in distress. Men are usually portrayed as more dominant and violent within a thriller film. This makes the audience build a relationship towards the victim as they feel sympathy towards her and often the females will be more likable as they appear to be the ones being attacked by a man. The female is attractive and usually blonde to support the fact she is innocent. Overall this is a typical convention of a thriller as the men remain dominant and in control throughout most thriller films. Creating a very tense atmosphere and relationship with all male figures.

 The motive in this clip remains to be one of the most popular thriller conventions to this day. The use of a knife is present firstly, when the women tries to defend her self with 'fake knives' and secondly the killers actual weapon is a knife. This use of a knife causes the action and violence to appear more personal and emotional. The killer has to be very close to the victim to reach them and make contact. Compared to a gun more strength and force is put into stabbing someone compared to shooting. This creates tension within a thriller as it causes a fast tempo and fast-pass emotion. This gives the audience a feeling of urgency. They begin to feel threatened by the killer, becoming a lot more terrified of the killers behaviour. Towards the victim is where the sense of urgency and escape really sets home as they already have a bond with this character, due to their purity and innocence. The murder is usually very brutal. This fits the typical convention of a thriller as the deaths are usually more gruesome and contain more violence and anticipation then horrors.


 The setting is also another aspect that can determine what kind of conventions of a film will fit into the genre. Thriller genres usually consist of isolated or abandoned buildings. This is displayed in the sequence when the security guard calls out to the woman checking she is still there, when he believes she isn't he closes the door and locks it. This creates shock within a scene as the audience are now aware there is no one to help her and there is now no escape. The isolation in the scene causes the audience to feel uncertain about the woman's safety. This is a common convention of a thriller due to the misconception that she will be saved. The isolated area in a thriller is what usually leads to the victims death as there is no help made available and there is no escape.

Low key lighting is another commonly used convention of a thriller as it consists of certain lights being positioned in a way that creates lurking shadows. In this scene we see low key lighting used often within the scene which creates a sense of foreboding by keeping the victim in dim light, making her the focus. This lets the audience feel fear for this character as they know she is the one that is next in line to be killed. This can all be suggested just through the dark lighting. This type of lighting can also portray how corned the character appears. Almost again letting the audience know that something is closing in on her. Which overall creates high tension throughout the scene

Conclusion

Overall these conventions are what make up a thriller film. They are what make the scene as suspenseful and shocking as possible, because this clip is represented as a thriller of the need for these conventions are crucial to make it as mysterious as possible. These conventions are what are typically found within thrillers and continue to make up the thriller genre in every day thriller films. I now know that it is necessary to add typical thriller conventions into my own opening sequence.