Genre Conventions - Thriller

The thriller genre is used in films such as The conjuring (2013) and Zodiac (2007) for example. The typical aim of using a thriller genre is to create tension and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. 

The conventions of a thriller seems to be that the equilibrium is broken through the antagonist and the protagonist. The aim of the antagonist seems to be to cause problems and incidents in the film. On the other hand, the protagonist wants to create a new equilibrium between everyone. The tension is created through things such as low key lighting and the tempo of the music used. 

The technical codes within the horror genre are the types of shots used such as the frequent use of close up shots to add tension to the film and bring the audience closer to the action. Also, the type of shot used shows the importance of characters and how dominant they are in the film. Close ups may be used as well to show the audience the emotions and feelings of the characters as a dramatic point in the film is occurring. The typical way in which the antagonist is shown is through unclear shots, creating mystery around them, an example of this would be the use of dirty shots. 

The editing within the film is used to create tension, this is through the use of jump cuts to get the audience to have tension. They're used especially at time of high tension and when the scene is reaching its climax in terms of tension. Moreover, cross cutting is used to build suspense also, therefore, adding its own unique effect to the genre. Continuous editing is used to make sure the audience can follow the storyline and keep track of the events occurring.

Furthermore, in terms of characters in the genre, the protagonist is normally the character who tries to restore equilibrium and is the hero in the film. In contrast, the antagonist normally tries to defeat the protagonist and is the character who creates disequilibrium in the film. The protagonist would typically wear dark clothes throughout making the audience and other characters more suspicious about them and creating more tension around them.  The film may also be based off a real life event or be a real life scenario to interact to the audience more and make them feel more tension because they feel as if it could happen to them, making the film conventions and genre more successful.