Ryan GooderhamS
Technical Conventions
of Thriller Films
Ryan Gooderham
Camerawork
Ryan Gooderham
CameraworkUse of tracking – follows the action and
creates a sense of pace and danger
Ryan Gooderham
CameraworkPOV – shows from the point-of-view of
the character and involves the audience
Ryan Gooderham
CameraworkECUs / CUs (close ups) – clearly shows
the expressions of the characters
Ryan Gooderham
CameraworkReveals (track in/zoom in) – create a
sense of tension and suspense
Ryan Gooderham
CameraworkDramatic angles – create a dramatic
ambience
Ryan Gooderham
Sound
Ryan Gooderham
SoundSilence – creates real tension and
suspense
Ryan Gooderham
SoundExaggerated sound – pinpoints key
sounds to the audience and makes the sounds overly dramatic
Ryan Gooderham
SoundEerie, tense music – creates suspense
and an eerie atmosphere
Ryan Gooderham
SoundOff screen sounds – creates an aura of
mystery
Ryan Gooderham
SoundDiegetic – sound heard by both the
characters and the audience (e.g. dialogue)
Ryan Gooderham
SoundNon-diegetic – sound heard only by the
audience (e.g. background music)
Ryan Gooderham
Mise-en-scene
Ryan Gooderham
Mise-en-sceneLow key lighting – creates an
atmosphere of suspense, mystery and spookiness
Ryan Gooderham
Mise-en-sceneChiaroscuro – when a strong contrast is
created between light and dark colours
Ryan Gooderham
Mise-en-sceneStrong directional lighting – used to
highlight a key prop or character, and often contrasts a lot with darker, low key lighting
Ryan Gooderham
Mise-en-sceneOver exposed or colour manipulation –
creates a feeling of unrealism, making things seem disjointed and confusing
Ryan Gooderham
Editing
Ryan Gooderham
EditingFast paced editing –
used especially in chase scenes, create a sense of danger, action and pace
Ryan Gooderham
EditingJump cuts – create a sense of
confusion and nervousness
Ryan Gooderham
EditingParallel editing – seeing two scenes at
once, one after the other, consecutively – forcing the audience to link the two scenes together
Ryan Gooderham
EditingObtrusive editing – this is when the
editing is done so that the audience are aware and reminded of the fact that they are watching something that has been filmed and edited
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