Codes and Conventions of Thrillers

Here are the code and contentions of the thriller genre, which we have tried to include into our opening.

Key Concepts

• Codes and conventions of mise-en-scene (everything within the frame e.g. costume, location etc)
• Representation of particular social groups and ideology (values and messages)
• Audience - Every media targets a specific audience
• Institutions - film, place of exhibition (i.e. cinema, dvd)

Generic feature of a thriller is entrapment. Thus claustrophobic spaces are a key generic signifier in thriller.

Flightplan, Snakes on a Plane, Phonebooth, Kill Bill 2 and Panic Room all have claustrophobic spaces and a sense of entrapment

Flightplan - location - plane

Snakes on a Plane - location - plane

Phonebooth - location - phonebooth

Kill bill 2 - location - buried in a coffin

Claustrophobic spaces such as:

• planes
• coffins
• under water
• boot of a car
• elevator/lift
• walk in freezer
• tube trains
• white van
• small room
• car
• prison cell
• narrow alleyways
• multi-storey car parks
  
  

Lighting

• Very dark
• Chiaroscuro - light against dark - creates a sense of illusion, nightmare whilst also being aesthetically pleasing.