This document discusses conventions used in psychological thriller films and trailers. It examines conventions related to genre, camerawork, editing, mise-en-scene, and sound. For genre, conventions include a central character with psychological issues or who faces psychological tests. Camerawork conventions establish mood through close-ups, high angles, and point-of-view shots. Editing conventions involve fast-paced cuts and cross-cutting to reveal flashbacks and thoughts. Mise-en-scene uses props, costumes, lighting, and settings to convey isolation and mental states. Soundtracks and voiceovers increase in intensity to build tension as the trailer progresses.
2. Genre
The conventions of a genre are revealed within the themes and narrative of the films.
They often feature either a central character who has psychological issues or who
is tested psychologically throughout the film. I studied several well known
psychological thrillers in order to get a well in depth knowledge of my genre to
fully understand what should be in my trailer. For example:
• Social commentary
• Psychological illness
• Intense action/ Violence
• Death and mourning
• Merging of reality and imagination
I incorporated all of these ideas into one plot to show that a character with a well
known illness such as schizophrenia to not know how his son was killed to then go
into a psychological state where he doesn't know what he is doing anymore.
3. Camerawork
Camerawork conventions are very relevant in psychological thrillers, as they
set the scene and mood the trailer some of these includes;
• Extreme close up, this is used at the beginning of the trailer this it to
convey extreme emotion.
• High angle shots revealing the emotional state of the character as they
are seen as week and vulnerable.
• Establishing/wide shots to reveal the isolation and pressure mounting in
on characters.
• Point of view shots allowing the audiences to relate to a characters
experiances.
4. Editing
Official trailers such as memento and beautiful mind used techniques such as
fast paced editing and cross cutting to reveal thoughts and flashbacks
from a protagonist which is very conventional for the psychological thriller
genre. This section my own work as this made it look conventional as well
as professional, as this emphasises the main characters psychological
state.
5. Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene in psychological thriller trailers are used conventionally to add
great effects to the trailer for example;
• Props such as weapons to establish to extremity of the storyline as well as
the state the main character is in- i used a knife as this is the main theme
of the storyline.
• Costumes such as black clothes to convey his dark personality
• Low key lighting to create a sense of dark and suspenseful atmosphere
• Setting that connote a sense of isolation and mental state for the
protagonist.
6. Sound
Soundtracks in psychological thrillers are used to support the themes of
darkness and the nature of the film. In memento and beautiful mind is
picked up in pace, volume and intensity as the tension in the trailer
increased. In our trailer, the intensity of the music increases throughout
the trailer as the fast pace adds more tension and this is conventional.
Other conventional sounds that are used in these trailers are;
• Voiceovers from characters helping reveal key elements of the complex
plot.
• Added music such as taps and knifes to add more of an effect to the
trailer as the audience can hear more of the surroundings.
