Codes and Conventions

The codes and conventions of a thriller include colour, objects, music, location, lighting, quick cuts, diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, shadows, humour, quick editing and camera angles causing tension.

Objects

Objects such as the mirror which is often used within thriller films it is used to show a different side of a character (evil/good), The mirror is used to help the audience to understand the true qualities of the characters, and often represents darkness, deceit, danger, it also reflects the powers and morals a character possess. It is often used to show the truth and uncover the real intention of someone.

Shadow

 Shadows are very commonly used within  thrillers movies, it is used to hide and bring the theme of mystery and suspense into a movie as it allows the audience to predict what's going to happened and ask questions like who? Why? how? And what's going to happen next? Shadows can also be used like the mirror to show a different side to the characters. Shadows can be used very effectively in thrillers to also represent and symbolize a dark side to a character, all these help to keep the audience engaged and interested wanting to know more and who the person beneath the shadow really is.

Editing and Camera

Quick editing and camera angles in are used in thrillers to help engage the audience and build the feeling of fear, anxiety, suspense and tension between the audience and the movie, some thrillers would make the audience feel they were in the characters position at certain points to create this fear. The camera angles and positions are used to make the movies come to live almost as if it was happening right before the audience capturing the emotions and body language of actors. This allows the audience to connect with the characters and feel the same way that they do. Close ups are used to show the fear/expressions of a character and also his/her other emotions, it also helps to bring the audience closer to the personalities of the actors. Different movie angles make the audience feel the tension and scary scenes such as a mid-shot/two –shot would allow the audience to see the full action of a villain about to attack and this would often cause the audience to give a reaction.

Location/scenery and Mise-en-scene

Within thrillers these aspects are very important as they help the audience to understand the situation better; also the scenery helps to increase the level of anxiety and tension in a movie as well as the editing and sound. Certain locations are commonly used in thrillers such as stairs, grave yards, dark rooms, car parks, underground stations and abandoned houses and they can help express the state of the situation and what is about to occur in a particular scene, also the lighting and colours of the Mise-en-scene is very important in helping the audience feel and understand better the moods of the characters and also the type of occasion that is being represented. Colours are very useful in signifying the mood of the actors and the sense of what’s going to happen. It also contrasts between characters and can help the audience to understand the actions taking place and characters. Colours of different objects, places, light in a movie helps the audience to understand the mood of the actors and also helps them to foretell the expressions and educates them more about the scene and what is going on or about to take place

Black

The colour black in a movie thriller would often signify darkness, sense of danger and evil. Black is used to express bad moods and help the audience understand the emotion of the characters in a movie. It also helps the audience differentiate evil from good. Black is used within scenes to create a tense atmosphere for the audience it helps the audience to understand the surroundings, predict some scenes and perceive it to be evil. Dark pathways, stairs, rooms, villains, masks, dark clouds would fall under the colour black and are often scene in thriller movies.

White: The colour white is used to show the opposite of black, meaning good, happiness, heaven, heroes, light, safety, peace and purity. It helps the audience to differentiate between good and evil.