Thriller Conventions and Shot Analysis

Thriller conventions:

The thriller genre has many conventions that are typically followed in the making of a thriller film. A storyline that is typical of a thriller is that a character is put into a situation that seems impossible to escape, or they are put into danger. The setting of thrillers ranges from suburbs and cities to foreign places. All these settings are realistic, this makes the films seem realistic and therefore more thrilling for the audience. The realism makes it thrilling because it makes the audience aware that the plots could happen to anyone. So therefore the audience are able to put themselves into the vulnerable state that the characters may be put into. A thriller typically incudes character’s such as an antagonists with a hidden identity that is uncovered by the audience during the film, they also include a protagonist that is usually a strong male character that wishes to restore balance. The camerawork usually consists of close ups in order to show the emotion of certain characters, it also consists of quick, sharp shots of the antagonistic character, this is to cover their identity. In a thriller the editing is typically jump cuts and cross cutting, both are used to build suspense. Music in a thriller is used to make scenes tenser and dramatic, the music often builds up with the intensity of the scene. Props that are common in thrillers are weapons such as guns, knives and other items that can be used to cause harm.

Detailed shot analysis:

The shot is a middle long shot and ‘Bane’ is shown directly in the centre of the shot. This denotes the character ‘Bane’ in the setting of a plane, he appears to be positioned on the floor of the plane. This connotes his significance to the audience because he is in the centre of the frame. Therefore demonstrating rule of thirds and putting the audience’s attention onto the centre of the shot. He is wearing dark clothing, this shows his significance and power. The lighting enables us to see all of the setting clearly and draws further attention to the character ‘Bane’. The setting shows the interior of a plane, and the previous shot shows the plane from a very long shot. In the background minor characters can be seen, this emphasises the importance of the character ‘Bane’ as he is the focus of the shot. ‘Bane’s’ appearance also immediately informs the audience that he is the antagonist in the thriller. However his true identity still remains a mystery as his face is covered by a mask.

The shot shown in the still is a long shot, it focuses on the ‘CIA OP’ in the foreground, and this allows his power to be shown to the audience. His power is also made clear by the way he is presented, his stance and his body language suggests his importance. Minor characters can be seen in the background, this also makes it clear to the audience which of the characters are most important, allowing their focus to be put onto the ‘CIA OP’ in the scene. The lighting is dim, this adds mystery and makes the scene seem tenser as the atmosphere changes for the scene. The minor characters are all wearing the same clothing, whereas the ‘CIA OP’ is wearing different clothing, this also makes it clear to the audience that he is the significant character in the scene. Neutral coloured costumes are worn by the minor characters seen in the shot. This connotes that the focus should be on the character in the centre of the frame. Also the minor characters are all dressed in clothing that comes across as dim instead of bright in the shot. Therefore they contrast with what the character f ‘CIA OP’ is wearing as his costume includes a bright blue shirt. This grabs the audience’s attention so he is the focus in the frame rather than the minor characters that are also positioned in the frame.

The shot is a close up of the character ‘Bane’s’ identity being revealed to the audience. This allows the audience focus clearly on ‘Bane’ and also shows his significance. In the background two minor characters are out of focus, this also puts the focus from the audience on ‘Bane’ and yet again allows his importance to be portrayed to the audience. The shot also follows the rule of thirds as ‘Bane’ is the point of interests in the foreground of the shot. The setting is shown to be a plane, this is also the case for the previous shot and the next shot in the opening. ‘Bane is again wearing dark clothing and his mask, keeping his identity slightly hidden but also making his power clear.  The lighting allows the audience to clearly see the scene but is also slightly dark, meaning a tense atmosphere is created.

The shot shown is an aerial shot, it is looking down on the scene. The scene is typical of a thriller as it shows a chase, this creates a tense atmosphere for the audience which is also typical of a thriller. The lighting is dark and therefore it makes the atmosphere tense and the scene is dramatic for the audiences viewing. The outside view of the plane also makes it certain to the audience of where the scene is taking place. After seeing the inside of the plane in previous scene, the shot makes it clear to the audience where they are. The planes are also seen flying through hard terrain, this is also typical for a thriller as once again it makes the opening tenser.

The shot shown is an aerial shot, it shows four minor characters being lowered from the larger plane shown in previous shots onto the plane in which the character ’Bane’ is in. The minor characters are dressed in all black, making their identity unknown and their importance made clear. The lighting is dark and so the scene is again tense and dramatic which is typical for a thriller. The setting shows the plane surrounded by mountain terrain, the scene appears to be dangerous and contains criminal activity and therefore it is typical that this type of activity would be done in an isolated area. The shot also allows the audience to focus on the plane as it is directly in the centre which means their eyes are drawn to it.

 

 

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