Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Thriller Conventions

Technical
  • tracking - pursuit, subjective
  • point of view shots - watching, voyeurism (pleasure of watching), immediacy
  • extreme/ close ups - concealment, expressions (fear, anxiety- audience share in the characters dilemma)
  • reveals (tracking or zooming out to reveal detail)
  • close ups (audience thinking about what is outside of the frame)
  • diamatic angles & framing (dutch tilt) - put audience on edge, unease through strong diagonals
  • cross cuts
  • eerie, tense or discordant music, often builds in tempo, volume or pitch
  • off screen sounds - concealment, audience imagination
  • low key lighting & shadows
  • strong directional lighting (chiaroscuro - high contrast)
  • over exposed or other colour/ effect to signify flashbacks/ dreams
  • lots of cutting on tension
  • editing pace changes for chases, building to climax

Narrative

  • plot twists & turns - complex, makes audience work
  • cross cutting - suspense & tension
  • flashbacks - dark past
  • narrative retardation - vital info withheld
  • red herrings - deliberately misleading audience
  • chases/ pursuits
  • mysterious characters (shady past, duplicatous, unsure of intentions, keeping audiences guessing)
  • principle of concealment (leaves it to the audiences imagination)
  • deadlines (bomb ticker, randson demands...)
  • morally complex characters (more grey areas)

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