Typical Conventions of a Thriller Trailer

Typical Conventions of a Thriller Trailer

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  Typical Conventions Thriller Trailer
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  Genre  The genreof a film dictates how a film will be presented to the audience. This includes the cast (some may be known for being in a specific genre or could fit a character well) and storyline.  The thriller genre in particular has been successful in capturing a wide audience and has many codes and conventions thriller films tend to follow.  The essential details are made up through mise-en-scene, sound, cinematography and edit. These are used to create an atmosphere full of suspense.
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  Typical conventions ofa thriller include:  Tension and suspense  Violence and blood (though these are more typical of a horror they can be part of a thriller as well)  Dreary, creepy music  Murder/Crime  Low Key Lighting  Dark environment
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  Mise-en-scene  Many differentprops, sets and locations have sinister or tense connotations.  A technique often used in thrillers is the use of mirrors which often reflect how the character feels as well was symbolises the reflection of the character’s past choices.  Stairs are often used to symbolise how powerful a person is in a situation. If a crime is going to happen, it may involve the victim falling down the stairs as to show a dramatic loss of power.  Props that are often seen within thrillers are confined spaces, bars on windows or street lamps. These have connotations of being trapped or a dark area.  A dark environment is often used as it has connotations of something being scary. It casts shadows so that the audience can’t quite make out everything on the screen.  Shadows also imply there is something to hide intriguing the audience.
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  Cinematography  Camera anglesare important when depicting whether a person is important.  They are also very important when showing a character’s reactions to a particular event. For example, since thrillers tend to be jumpy, the audience expects to see how the character has reacted to a certain situation.
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  Editing  Editing isoften used to create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. This can be achieved through quick cuts and changing angles to disorient the audience.  Tension is vital in a thriller because that’s what an audience watches it for.
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  Sound/Text  Thrillers oftenuse eerie music and elaborate sound effects (such as creaking doors) in order to make the audience feel uncomfortable.  Many trailers use text cards in order to create a sense of suspense through separating the sentences. They explain the trailer to the audience while keeping a tense atmosphere. They can be used with a sound over as well.  The male voice is typical of thrillers as it is low and thus, not high pitched and happy.  Many thriller trailers use an enigma approach to confuse the audience and leave unanswered questions.
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  Theory  Many trailersand films use Todrov’s theory of equilibrium:  Everything is in order  There is a disruption to the order  The characters recognise this disruption has happened  There is an attempt to repair this  The characters either return to the original equilibrium or create a new one.