Codes and Conventions of Thrillers

The genre of movies "Thrillers" have a wide range of codes and conventions that usually appear in them, these codes and conventions define the thriller genre.

Camera

The opening shot of most thrillers is an establishing shot of the location it is shot in, the camera is usually fixed and steady. The first shot is usually followed by a series of close ups and medium shots to keep the audience guessing.

Editing

The only editing present in thrillers may be desaturating the image to create a more clinical feel, and fast cuts of footage to build suspense.

Sound

Thrillers almost always begin with a non diegetic soundtrack or score, it will usually be a heavy or bassy piece of music, it will be consistent and deep. The diegetic sound will usually be quiet or muted until the shot changes to a shot of a character, when the music will suddenly cur out. Dialogue or a voice over can sometimes be used to introduce the protagonist.

Mise en Scéne

The mise en scéne of thrillers differs depending on where it was set. However the antagonist in the movie will generally be wearing darker clothes, that are loose and concealing. The lighting will usually be low key to create an ominous atmosphere.