Research into Conventions - Miss Miller

Codes & Conventions are used in films to create a precise effect on the audience. Conventions are things that we, the audience expect to see or happen as it is typical in the type of genre they're watching. As i am going to being making a thriller opening sequence, i would definitely consider and include the connections that are used in the thriller genre: Abandoned setting/ isolated, low-key lighting, chase scenes, antagonist, victims, enigma, suspense, shock, surprise, tension, eerie music and sounds. 

In this post I'll be analysing the some of the different types of conventions used in my chosen film ' Scream 3 ' - Shattered Glass, I have chosen this particular scene as it does acquire many elements of thriller conventions in it which the audience may gather.

Characters - Antagonists and Protagonists 

Ghost Face - Antagonist 

My first convention to a thriller film that I found in this scene is the use of characters and their positions in the film. Every thriller film usually has an Antagonist, which is seen to be ' bad guy', villain and the one who is the killer.  This is convention because without an antagonist, there will be no thriller, as the antagonist is the one character that the audience follow as they're the ones that are set to kill or have a mysterious dangerous motive for its victims. This creates tension in the audience as they would want to know who the antagonist is killing and why. Most of the time the Antagonist has a hidden identity in thriller but some films may differ, likewise in this film the killer does have a hidden identity as he wears a mask which is known as the ' ghost face '. The ghost face could represent that the antagonist feels like a dead person inside , so they prefer to portray themselves like that because they may like death and not the living. The use of hidden identity is conventional to a thriller as it creates enigma and suspense for the audience, as they're curious on who the person behind the mask is, this can also make the audience want to watch more of the film just to find out who the antagonist is. More over , it creates a distant relationship between the audience and the protagonist as his anonymous prospective makes him not trust-worthy, sly and dangerous because you don't know who he is.

Protagonist - Young lady

In contrast to an Antagonist, the opposite to that is a Protagonist who is the good, hero or victim in thriller films. The protagonist in these films is always set against a problem - an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what, thriller films will emphasise the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the antagonist and protagonist is built throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax. In this scene , the protagonist is a young lady who tries to run away from the masked killer but unfortunately ends up getting killed. The use of this convention is essential to the thriller genre as women are usually seen to be innocent, weak targets for the antagonists. As she is a young lady, the target audience chosen for this film can build a close relationship to her as they're roughly around the same age as her, so they can view themselves in her position, which no one would really want to be in. Furthermore, having a victim in a thriller is very vital as it helps follow the narrative as well as give the audience someone to follow through the story and want to sympathise. 

Iconography

Antagonist stabbing the girl with a knife

Secondly, iconography is another convention that is used in thrillers. In Scream 3, the antagonist uses a knife which is he's signature murder weapon, to stab all of his victims. As a knife is used in an everyday life by the audience, the use of this weapon provokes fear and exaggerates the bad use of it within the film as the audience are used to using it for reasonable situations unlike murdering someone. It also makes the audience shocked when they see the antagonist use the weapon because of its likelihood of being used in the real world. The use of a knife is a weapon that is quite quick to use and access, which suggests that the antagonist has every intention and motive to kill these people. Knifes are often conventional to a thriller because of their easy access, and it gives the antagonist more power and control on his weapon, whereas a gun is not controllable, as the bullets are what effects and harms the person. The use of this iconography makes the audience build a distant relationship with the antagonist as they are taking someones life and using all their power to make sure they do. Also the use of the knife could symbolise a sacrifice that has to made for the antagonist to feel better as he is in control of the possession and he continues to stab into the girl with pleasure.This makes the audience feel angry and sympathise the victim as no one would want to be in her position making them build a closer relationship with her. A knife also connotes blood as we see in this scene, when he is stabbing her with the knife blood is splattered everywhere, which exaggerates the injuries she has from the antagonists act. 

Chase scene

Antagonist pulling the rug 

Chase scene in thrillers consists between the protagonist and the antagonist. In this scene we see two protagonists both trying to get away from the antagonist from killing them. The first protagonist already looks badly injured but is still running for his life away from the masked person. When he is running away from him the antagonist, he runs across a rug which the killer finds an advantage in as he pulls the rug causing the injured man to slip and land on his neck. This exaggerates the power that the killer has as he stops bothering running after him and uses something else to eventually hurt his victim.

Protagonist banging on the mirror

In addition, the second chase scene is with another character who is a girl. As the antagonist is walking; whereas she is running and banging mirrors calling out for help, it shows that the killer is confident that he will achieve his goal and will catch her. This is conventional to a thriller as antagonist often walk to confuse their victims and the audience as they're not trying nor running after their protagonist which makes them more superior and powerful in the situation. Chase scenes are conventional to the thriller genre as they  make the audience build a closer relationship with the victim because they would like them to run away and save their own lives however with the antagonist walking, this creates more suspense as they don't know when they're going to attack.

Low-key lighting 

Protagonist running away 

Low key lighting is essential to a thriller as it creates tension, enigma and makes everything a bit of a blur. This convention is used in this scene when the antagonist is chasing after the girl through the closet hall way. The use of low key lighting in this scene is that it gives a dim, shadowy setting which benefits the antagonist with his hidden identity as in the screen shot on the right, you cannot even see his mask which was another convention used. The use of this low lighting creates enigma as you cannot see clearly where the antagonist and victim are but also suggest that something could be lurking in the darkness which makes the audience feel tense and aware of whats happening. This creates suspense and tension because you don't know what the killers going to do next as he's almost camouflaged in the dark surroundings. To continue, the use of lighting confirms the roles of the two characters in the scene, as the girl you can see her face and whats she wearing means that she's the protagonist. However, in contrast the antagonist lighting is blackish as you cannot see what he's wearing and the only light we see on him is the reflection of the knife, highlighting that he is very dangerous. This is conventional to a thriller as it helps the audience create a a closer relationship with the victim as there is limited lighting, so the audience will want her to be safe. Also and like her, we cannot see clearly on both of hers and the antagonists whereabouts which creates anxiety and tension in the atmosphere, so the audience are made to be put in her shoes.



Conventions in a thriller are very important as it helps convey the three S's: Shock, Surprise and Suspense.  The Scream 3 - shattered glass scene that I analysed was very successful on using conventions for thrillers as each helped make the audience understand the situation and feelings of the characters in the scene. This research will influence my choices of conventions I would like to use in my own thriller as it helps make it easier for the audience engage and understand what is going on. The conventions I would consider definitely using in my thriller are iconography: the knife , as it makes the audience question what the antagonist is going to use it for and creates suspense. Furthermore I will use a dark setting and lighting to create enigma as it will make the audience more focused on what they're watching. Overall this post has helped me explore more and understand the conventions within a thriller so that I can refer to these points when creating my own.