Conventions of a Thriller

What is a Thriller?

A thriller usually consists of a conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, where the protagonist has to stop the antagonist from doing something that would threaten the safety of others. the antagonist's motives are usually to ruin or disrupt the protagonist's intentions. In a typical thriller there is usually a happy ending where the protagonist conquers his enemy and everyone lives. 

 Some of the conventions used when creating a thriller film:

camera angles/shots 
lighting
black and white shots
non-diegetic music to create tension

It is common for the storyline of thrillers to be realistic, as if they could actually come true. This is because it hooks the audience and makes them want to watch it.

In regard to the characters within a thriller, stereotypically there is a male playing the role of the protagonist. He is very brave and courageous, it is his job to restore justice. The antagonist's identity is very usually anonymous until towards the end of the film. This draws the audience in and makes them want to watch more to see what happens. The antagonist is usually out to seek revenge on events that have happened in the past.

The camera shots in a thriller are very  stereotypical. They use a lot of close up and extreme close up shots to show the emotions of both the protagonist and the antagonist. Furthermore close up shots can also encourage the narrative of the story.  Shots of the antagonist are short, over the shoulder, or just a shadow. This is to protect their identity and provoke a sense of mystery. 

Having the right music is vital when creating a thriller, because it helps the audience understand the mood of a scene, it can build up the climax and also add suspense. 

Mise-en-scene is a very important aspect of a thriller film because it helps to set the scene and create a mood. It is vital to have the correct type of location so the audience can establish the genre, it uses dim lighting and the make-up and hair styles have to show what kind of people they are and their background. Thrillers are famous for using black and white or grainy effects for their movies and they also use costumes to distinguish between the protagonist and the antagonist characters.