The Initial Idea - Genre and Brief

The Idea

This is the mind map we created of the our ideas and things that we wanted to include in our film. Based on our ideas, we came to the conclusion that we wanted to make a thriller

CLASSIC CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER

In Thrillers a sense of mystery is usually created, this is often by not showing all of the event that happens. In a thriller film it's more the things you don't see that scare you the most, leaving you feeling unsettled and on edge.
Unlike the blood and gore of horror movies, thrillers are more subtle at scaring, the full effects of certain psychological thrillers lasting for days after watching them.
The tense music is also a large factor in this, creating a build up to an event on screen, making the audience wonder what is going to happen next. Music and sound effects were an extremely important part of thrillers such as The Woman in Black - with little dialogue most of the tension and scare came from the music and silence, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. Often the music and sound build up and stop suddenly, as though nothing will happen. Then out of nowhere something jumps into view, such as in the example of The Woman in Black below.

Low lighting and the setting are also important. Most of the main storyline of a thriller is set at night or in the dark, helping to add to the feel of isolation of the characters. Classic settings of thrillers include the woods, deserted roads and derelict houses in which the characters deem perfect to stay the night. These settings further add to the feel of isolation, making the audience feel as though the character is alone and helpless.
In most thrillers there is a sense of being watched and shadow passing in the background, leaving the audience waiting for what will happen next, will it be the end for the character or is it just a stray dog in the background? Thus tension is an extremely important part of a thriller.