Common Conventions of a Thriller

• Protagonist - Normally female, sometimes male and normally appear vulnerable. This is why women are normally seen as the weaker sex.

• Antagonist - Normally male because they are normally stronger. this makes them more threatening and more believable.

• Lighting - Low key to create tension and fear.

• Sound - Slow tempo music to begin, as Protagonist is revealed, this appears to be unassuming and makes the audience anticipate something bad in future events. Fast tempo music, this gets the audiences heart pumping and scares them a little as the pace of the music creates uncertainty.

• Close Up - Show facial expression. 

• Extra Close Up - Highlight something to the audience. The effect of this is that it magnifys the expression of the protagonist and therefore reflects on the emotions of the target audience.

• Long Shot - Introduce the scene. Normally used to make the protagonist look vulnerable as he/she looks small and insignificant.

• POV - feel part of the action so the emotions of the protagonist is reflected in the emotions that the audience experience.

• Colour - Dark: Fear - Red: Danger