Thriller Codes and Convections

Thriller codes and conventions

The main aim of a thriller is to make the audience ask questions about it which makes it mysterious.  The genre of thriller is to do with the parts of the movie that uses sound. The music in the movie will add tension and tells the audience that something is going to happen which scares the audience as they know that something is going to jump out at them and scare them. It is made to be jumpy and scary at the same time. The music that is played is usually strings and other low sounds that changes the mood of the audience instantly. Sometimes they will use high pitched sounds such as screams; this technique is used in “Psycho” when the woman is getting stabbed in the shower. This is a prime example of how it is used and shows how it adds suspense and emphasize that something bad is happening.

The camera angles and movement within a thriller are very important as it conveys the feelings and emotions of the characters; it shows their body language and shows us how they are dealing with a situation. For example, if they’re calm or if they‘re panicking. The moving shots are usually used for when someone running away from someone else which adds movement to the scene and makes it seem as something dramatic is happening. This make the audiences know that something is going to happen at fast pace and makes them tense. The movement sometimes mimics the characters breathing and by listening to the heavy breathing this is done in The Bourne Supremacy when the character wakes from a nightmare. This shows the audience that something is wrong as people only breathe heavily after stress or a struggle of some kind. The camera is also used for close ups which shows the facial expression of the character and gives tension to the scene. Some camera shots make it tense and makes them feel like it is happening to them and something might jump out at them even in the comfort of their own home, which makes the audience uneasy and scared.

Editing is another huge part of making a thriller a good product. The short cuts make it exciting a fast paced to make the audience take in lots of information at once. Some of which the editor doesn’t want them to remember until they are reminded of it. This keeps it mysterious and gives details that aren’t needed to try and confuse the audience so they don’t see the plain picture of what is happening until it is explained. By using the fast paced cuts it makes it tenser and gives the film some sort and thrill. This is good as you don’t know what is going to happen next and it means the audience stay on edge.

Cinematography

Cinematography is made up of four elements. Angles, focus, framing and movement.

There are a few different types of framing are:

Extreme long shot which will include the scenary and the setting. This would be used to show the audience where it film is set and what is in the area.  

A long shot will be of a person from the feet up. This is used to portray the full character and show parts of the surrounds. 

Medium long shot is the knees up. This is used to show the character but also show to show a little of there facial expressions which portay their emotions.

Mid shot would be of the waist up. this is to get even closer on someones emotions and to make it so that you can see the phyicality of the character.

Medium close up is of the chest up. This would show the emotions a little more but it is mainly used to show someone talking to someone else.

Close up would be be on the shoulders up, which is used to show the emotions a lot. this helps to show how the characters are feeling.

...and a extreme close up would be the face only, which adds tension and shows the characters emotions very well. 

Camera angles are used within a product the convay certain emotions or characteristics. For example

If the camera is down low and pointing up at the actor then it will make the actor seem powerful and strong where as if the camera is high and pointing down at the actor it makes the actor seem not as important and weak.
A tilt or dutch tilt is used to portray uneasy feeling.
The camera uses movement also. For example the camera can be used to pan, which is turned from side to side, this is to show where a character may be about to travel or to show them moving across as they walk or run.
Lan is the opposite of the Pan, the camera goes up and down this is to show an area or a character from bottom to top.
A tracking shot would be when the camera moved to the side normally used to follow a character as they walk or run.
The crane is used to go over a surrounding area from a high point.

Media homework 11/9/11

Target audience - this is the group of people that the product is aimed at. The groups good vary due to age, gender etc. A product must have a specific target audience as not every person likes everything.
Genre - This is type of product, for example, romantic or comedy. Sometimes the genres will over lap creating romantic comedy (rom com). The genre of the product can also relate back to the target audience.
Conventions - These are the features that make up a product, for example in a horror movie it could involve a haunted house.
Code - These are items in/on a product that convay meaning without the use of words. These could be symbolic or technical, symbolic could be a knife or mask, an on the other hand a technical code could be lighting or focus.