Investigating Thrillers - Max Amaden
- 2. Tension created through editing, anticipation. Mise-en-Scene is used a lot – darkness, large/sprawling locations with lots of blind-spots and unknowns, often horrific or shocking scenes. Conflict between protagonist and antagonist. Motives can be crime-led, psychological, personal. Audience can often anticipate events, although there are usually unexpected plot-twists. There is often a mysterious element that is uncovered throughout the film.
- 3. Music builds tension by growing louder and faster before action scenes. Lots of close-ups at the beginning to show obscurity and mystery about the characters. Cross-cutting between character viewpoints to show what each character is doing. This gives the viewer a clearer idea of what is happening, whilst building tension by making them anticipate certain actions.
- 4. Tension is built through narrative anticipation due to the viewer’s knowledge that the antagonist has power over the protagonist. The antagonist is invading the protagonist’s territory and making them uncomfortable – a reversal of power. Intense emotion shown in facial close-ups, thrilling and exciting. Absence of music in parts, builds tension as the only sound audible is diegetic, making the scene feel more real and impactful.
- 5. The isolated location is used to create an atmosphere of vulnerability, as there is no help from the outside available. Cross-cutting between shots of dead bodies and the little girls builds tension through mystery and the sinister, surreal nature of the scene. Narrative convention of friends becoming enemies is used to build tension, and give the film a sense of paranoia and betrayal. Shots often show the characters faces, along with key items and objects, both building tension and giving meaning by being able to see emotion in a character as well as what is currently happening.