My genre (Thriller)

Thriller is a genre that uses tension and suspense to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. In thrillers; the protagonist is conventionally against a some form of a problem or mystery - this often creates enigma. Thrillers are more commonly hybrids today and no matter the sub genre they come under, the protagonist will always have an obstacle to overcome; softening following Todrovs narrative theory of equilibrium. Tension built throughout the film will often lead to a very climatic ending, however in more dystopian thriller movies like Se7en; there is no satisfying happy ending like me might expect or perhaps want to see.

In the image above is what I believe to be the important elements and most common components of a thriller film in the contemporary cinematic world. One key thing I mentioned was hybrid thrillers; this is the combination of two or more genres mixed together - for example a sci-fi thriller (Alien 1979).

Thriller key genre elements

•Building tension

•Suspense

•Main character unknowingly involved in dangerous situation

•Force of the antagonist is initially stronger

•Idea that there is something bigger: e.g. terrorism vs one murder

Various techniques are used to help build suspense and tension; cinematography is key here.

Sound

Lighting 

Editing

Camera 

Mise en scene

Editing
Editing is one example of cinematography that could be used to build suspense and tension by cutting between characters. An example of this would be the "Hit me" sequence in Christopher Nolan's 2008 "The Dark Knight".

Joker had just been in a crash; he emerges from the wrecked and looks unbalanced. We know this because he accidentally fired his gun as he nearly falls over when he stands up. Here the Joker is directly in Batman's way.

We then cut to Batman racing towards the joker and the cut from the joker to the batman and back to the joker may suggest Batman will run the joker over and this editing technique makes us question this, thus building suspense and tension.

Iconography

This is similar to mine-en-scene  and helps to give obvious indications that point towards a genre and help to build a plot line; sometimes the director might exploit this and leave things for die hard viewers to find.  For something in a film to become iconic it must be recognisable and linked to a genre; for example a certain catchphrase. Iconic things could also be objects, certain images and even locations.

Often iconography refers to set pieces and props; in thrillers said things may include;

A knife is very commonly used in horror/thriller movies. It has the connotations of blood, pain and death which all are quite sinister, weather a knife is used in a violent manner; the threat of it is enough to either create or maintain tension

Guns are also very common; they are seen as a quick way of murdering someone. They connote, violence, mob culture and death.