Research Into Conventions - Miss Miller

Research Into Conventions

The definition of convention is conforming or adhering to accepted standards. In films, conventions are elements which are typical of a specific genre, similarities that can be found from different films from the same genre. Conventions aid in setting the setting and atmosphere of the scene as they help produce suspense and keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Typical conventions of a thriller film would be suspicion, drama, antagonist v. protagonist themes, cliffhangers, complex narratives, low key lighting, close ups, reaction shots, female victims, themes of insanity, eery music, iconography including weapons such as knives, crime, enigmas, a fast pace and mysterious occurrences.

Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is used throughout the scene, you can see this from the beginning to the very end of the clip. The audience is unable to see exactly what is happening and where the antagonist is, this generates suspense for the audience as the unknown is feared. This enables the audience to suspect danger approaching. This is a typical convention of the thriller genre as darkness and unknowing produces a sense of danger and uneasiness. This, in turn, helps the audience develop a relationship with the victim as the audience are able to sympathise with the victim, placing themselves in the characters shoes, allowing them to feel more involved in the situation they are watching, heightening their senses, causing them to feel anxious and afraid, portraying parallel emotions of the character in the film.

Female Victim

A very common convention often found in thriller films would be the female victim. This convention has been used in the above clip from the movie Kiss the Girls. The character Kate plays the young female victim who is alone in her house when the antagonist breaks in and kidnaps her. Using female victims is typical of the the thriller genre as women are portrayed as weak and vulnerable easy targets. This convention is effective as it tells the audience that something is likely to happen soon in the film if there is a young woman alone in a secluded location, this enables the audience to build a relationship with the character as they presume the characters survival rates are slim and that its likely the character is either going to be hurt or killed in the near future.

Hidden Identity

Another very commonly used convention in the world of thriller films is the theme of hidden identity.  This convention can be found in many thriller films such as Scream, Halloween, Strangers and Kiss the Girls (clip above). A killer behind a mask adds a sense of mystery to the thriller genre and generates enigma. In the clip I have used above the antagonist's identity is not revealed. Throughout the majority of the movie up until the very end where the film reaches the dramatic climax and the hidden identity of the antagonist is finally revealed, the identity of the antagonist if kept unknown as the camera either avoids the character or the character is masked. This is an effective convention of the the thriller genre as being instantly introduced to the killer would be nowhere near as exciting as being left guessing who it could possibly be. Also, it seems that antagonists with a hidden identity are portrayed as being more violent than those without in thriller films. This allows viewers to build a negative relationship with the antagonist, leaving the audience feeling uneasy and frightened when presented with the antagonists presence in scenes in the film. This causes the audience to feel a range of emotions that could be considered to be similar of that of the victims, feeling afraid and apprehensive. Finally a masked identity hides the flaws or weakness' of the antagonist in order to make themselves appear authoritative and strong in comparison to the victims portrayed as weak and helpless and this enables both the victim in the movie to feel intimidated and the audience as the emotions of the audience reflect those of the victim, generally
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Non-Diagetic Sound

Non-diagetic eery sounds such as rain, thunder and creaking of the house, are presented in the clip when the character Kate is awoken in bed to hear strange noises. The use of these eery sounds adds emphasis to what is going on in the characters surroundings. If there was no use of non-diagetic sound the film would become dull and uninteresting for the audience as the use of this sound exaggerates and heightens both the character and the audiences senses as tension builds. The use of this non-diagetic sound would be conventional to a thriller as the sounds lead to suspense accumulating until a shock or jump scene occurs.

Diagetic Sound

In the above scene, there is use of diagetic sound, which is conventional to thriller films. Diagetic sound is sound whose source is visible on the scree or whose source is implied by the present action of the film. In this scene the use of diabetic sound is evident when we hear and see the clothes hanger swinging on the door handle and the increasingly heavy breathing of Kate a she begins to become panicked that there may be an intruder in her home. This use of diagetic sound is effective as it builds tension as it is made obvious that someone else has been in the room and this is confirmed by Kates heightened state of emotion which is evident through the increasing rate of her breathing heavily. This build tension and suspense preparing for a jump scene which shortly follows.

Conclusion

In my own thriller opening sequence I will ensure that I take into consideration all conventions of the thriller genre as I would hope that this would encourage the audience to enjoy the film further. I would hope that by using as many thriller conventions as possible and effectively I may be able to produce an opening sequence that is thrilling, suspenseful and nail biting for the audience. I will aim to do this through ensuring I use the appropriate thriller conventions to capture and engage the attention of the audience.