From my research of looking at and analysing five openings of different thriller films it has become apparent that there are many common codes and conventions that the majority of thriller openings follow. For example in all of the films analysed, the titles are similar; they are all white font and centred over a clip or black background in order not to distract the audience from what is going on in the film and also for simplicity and ease to read. Also one character is always established first in the opening, which suggests they are the main character, in addition to this there is also very little dialogue used. I found that in most thriller films very little dialogue is used and often the character is established and introduced to the audience through the use of camera shots and emotions, which are recognized through facial expressions, along with the non-diegetic background music that enhances the tension.
Non-diegetic sound is another common convention used in thriller films. It is used very effectively to create suspense and build up tension, either fast past or slow paced. In addition to this suspense is also created through successful editing. Suspense is efficiently created through short takes with longer pauses when a title appears. This immediately tells the audience what the genre of the film is within the first few minutes and what conventions to expect.
Furthermore, the pace of editing differs in various films. Some thriller films have slow pace editing while others have fast pace both of which either juxtaposes the scene or links in with the scene. Slower pace editing creates an eerie, strange and almost supernatural atmosphere.
The camera plays a very important role in thriller films as straight cuts and jump cuts are commonly used a lot through out the film in order to create suspense and tension and also to juxtapose the surroundings. Moreover in some thriller openings there where a variety of camera angles and distances used however they mainly related to the sub genre of thriller.
Conversely mise-en-scene is used to introduce and add to the character, mainly through the use of facial expressions, emotion and props, which is reinforced through the variety of mid-shots and close-ups of the character. The mise-en-scene in a thriller also depends on the sub genre of the text. However the colour of text in thrillers chosen is often white or red, as both are conventionally associated to Thrillers. This is due to the typical connotations and meanings connected to them. For example red has connotations of blood, danger and love all of which are associated with Thrillers. Then white has connotations of innocence and purity, which often symbolizes the ‘good guys’ of the woman who is also good in a thriller film.
Finally from my research i have also found that each sub genre of thriller has a specific and definite style all following common codes and conventions of the hybrid in the opening sequences of the film. E.g. Western thrillers often have the titles superimposed on to the image, which is now a common association with Western thrillers.
Therefore in conclusion, from the five thriller openings that i analysed, I can undoubtedly see that the codes and conventions of a thriller are used in order to create suspense and tension and to introduce the narrative of the film, as well as to engage the audience subconsciously and instantly. Furthermore, the very little narrative and dialogue shown is used with the intention of introducing the establishment of the surroundings, the character and their emotion, which allows the audience to get an insight into the tone, genre, narrative and the character themselves.
Evaluation Powerpoint
17 years ago
