Research into conventions - Miss Miller

The conventions a thriller film are what they audience expect to see in the film, the are all things that link in with the genre and match the theme of the film. Conventions can be anything from and particular scene to the camera angle. It could be lighting or the narrative involved with the film. some very popular conventions of a thriller film is having a victim or having a mysterious character, the antagonist. All the codes and conventions help make the film even more effective and they add to the emotions trying to be made for the audience. the clip i have chosen to analyse is a sequence from Dont be afraid of the dark, i have chosen it because it has lots of conventional elements that i can research into.

Sally is the main victim in the clip and as she is female it makes her conventional to the genre because there is always normally a female victim within a thriller film. The audience can see that she is the victim of the film immediately as she is against the ground and a point of view shot shows her vision is slightly blurred, and that she has just woken up, this shows that she could have been hurt by the antagonist. The fact that she is female is because women are seen as vulnerable and innocent which makes them an easy target for the antagonist. Sally is already weak from her previous injuries caused and which mean she is now an even better target as she cannot fight back to her full strength, it creates sympathy for her and knowledge that she is in danger. The audience can tell that she is in trouble and the stereotypical female victim that needs help. The suspense builds through this section of the clip because the audience know she is weak and the antagonist is at an advantage, they are waiting for the actions to take place. The female victim is conventional because using a female is more effective than a male, they are less able to fight for themselves and they usually need saving, the women not being as strong as the men creates more tension because the audience know they have less chance of suing in the film.

The next convention is also as character, this time it is the antagonist's. In my chosen film they are creatures not people, they unknown animals that the family hasn't seen before or know anything about. There isn't just one of them there are over one hundred, they are the size of a rat and look very dirty and feral, they have lots of sharp teeth and have some human like features. In thriller films the antagonist can be human or creature of some kind but they always very secret and no one understand a lot about them. In this case they are unknown animals who could potentially be dangerous. The audience bcome wary of the straight away as they havnt seen them before, but they also what to find out what they are going to do. These characters are conventional because they are stereotypical, they are unknown, mysterious animals, these two thing are what the audience like to see because it build suspense about what they are capable and it build up to a possible surprise.

The slow editing in the sequence is used to let the audience relate to Sally's emotions. The camera shots last for longer than the average sequence and they don't change as often, in this case it is used when Sally is walking down the hallway trying to find Kim and her dad. She know that the creatures are in the house and that they only come out in the dark to she is aware that they are normally out at the time that she is wondering around. The editing is slow here to show Sally's slow movements and her precaution as she searches for them. The audience can see that she is going as slow and quiet as possible because she is scared of what has happened to them and what could happen to her. This slow editing allows the audience to feel what Sally is feeling and how nervous she is about the surroundings in the house. The slow editing is conventional because it emphasises Sally's anxiety by using the same movements she does, the fact the tension is built because of her nervousness make it typical of the thiller genre.

The lighting is also conventional in my chosen sequence because it adds to the main effects that are wanted to make it realistic. The lighting is low key the colours used are dark browns and blacks to create shadows and mystery. The dark lighting helps add to the tension because it makes it harder for the audience to see what could be hidden in the shadows, it makes them nervous for the characters and the wary of the antagonists actions. The low lighting is a convention to a thriller film, it adds to emotions needed to make the it effective and it is typical to have the colours dark and mysterious to help build the suspense that the audience want. Low key lighting is conventional because the emotions it creates and adds to, the mystery and suspense build on the shock and surprise element of the film which give the audience the stereotypical feelings needed to make it scary and thrilling.

The sounds used are also seen as a covention of a thriller because they add to the actions in films. The sound used in 'don't be afraid of the dark' that stood out was when Sally and Kim are being smothered in the antagonists, Sally screams as the image goes black. The scream is powerful because it shows the fear she feeling in a very dramatic way so that it is clear she is scared and in danger. The audience worry for her well being as the scream allows them to know she is upset, they feel sympathetic for her and link her into being the victim. It is conventional to have a victim and as this particular sound elaborates on her fear it gives the typical sound of panik and distress normally included with in a thriller film.

My research of the conventions of the thriller genre has helped my understand what make the film scary and what makes tension build. It has showed me what the stereotypical elements of a thriller film are and what would be useful to have mine. I now know how to create the shock, suspense and surprise needed to create the realistic thriller that the audience want to see. I have found out that lots of things can be conventional not just props and characters but the micro elements used to edit the shots. I intend to use lots of thriller conventions to make my film more realistic for the audience and to engage them by allowing them to relate with the characters and situations.