Conventions of a Thriller

Thriller films usually have a theme that is designed to make the audience believe that they could be in the same situation, it should make them feel scared and on edge due to the build-up of anticipation and the urge to find out what happens next.

They usually have low key lighting, tension building music, and a variety of shot types.

In the Cinematography aspect of the thriller genre, there should b a lot of close ups/extreme close ups of the main character, this is to show their emotions such as their fear. This can also be used for key props to help narrate the story. The shots of the antagonist character will be cut quickly to help hide their identity. E.g. mainly seeing their shadow or reflection.

The director will include lots of jump cuts to show everything that's going on at the same time, to help make sense of the storyline. Cross cutting is also very common in thriller editing.

Music is essential to understand the mood of a character or the general vibe of the scene, it can help hint at a significant scene.

In thrillers it usual attempts to add suspense and tension. It will often start at a slow pace and then will build up layers and in volume to make the shots more dramatic for the audience.

The location is important for the film because it helps the audience establish the theme, lighting is often low key. If/when you see the antagonist; they will be in dark clothes. The protagonist will be in everyday clothes.