Conventions Used in Films

Conventions

There are many conventions that are used in thrillers to make the film very successful and effective.
Some of these are:

Cliff hangers -Is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction. A film that has an example of this is North by North West the end scene where 'Mr Kapling' is hanging off the edge of a cliff.



McGuffin-The most common type of MacGuffin is an object, place or person, the exact details of which are not integral to the narrative A film that has an example of this is Unknown. This is because everyone thought that the main plot about the film was about the prince and the scientific discovery. When in fact it was about him finding his true identity.

Tension-it is apparent in thrillers and sets the mood. This is specially apparent during the climax of a film An example of this would be The birds as there was tension within the audience to see whether or not they would make it out alive.

Red Herring -  refers to a type of logical fallacy in which a clue is intentionally or unintentionally misleading or distracting from the actual issue. An example of this would be Psycho because the audience thought that the it was really the mother that was doing all killings but in actual fact it was Norman Bates himself that was doing all the killings

Dilemma - A dilemma is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is practically acceptable.
Suspense - A feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. An example of this would be the film Sabotage. When we were in suspense to see whether or not the boy would deliver the bomb on time.