Research into conventions - miss Miller

Conventions are aspects within the film that are often present throughout and are common throughout a particular type of film or genre.  In the thriller genre, there are various number of conventions which are present in all most all films that fit that genre. The purpose of this is to create shock, surprise, tension and suspense for the viewer. I am going to analyse a clip from the 1991 thriller "Silence of the lambs" cops deaths scene
URL link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEaxwyBjTwU

Typical examples of thriller conventions include;

- Tense music                                   - Shadows
- Diegetic and non diegetic sound   - protagonist/antagonist
- Killers/victims                               - handheld/POV camera
- Chase scenes                                 - Black and white shots
- Varying angle shots                       - Unknown/eerie locations
- Mise-en-scene                               - Iconography
- Enigma (often the narrative can revolve around it)


The music in the scene, which is provided by the record player (an example of on screen and diegetic sound) plays throughout the scene (excluding the fighting sequence), and is of a orchestra type (piano). As the scene is in a prison setting, the sound is contrapuntal because it does not match with what is happening on screen. However, as the fighting scene starts, the background music (non- diegetic) instantly changes to a faster paced thriller like track, drastically increasing the pace of the scene for the audience. The contrast created between the relaxed music and the fast paced music creates surprise for the audience, as the atmosphere changes from relaxed to fast paced action. This creates a relationship between the viewer and characters, as the viewer creates a connection between the relaxed music with the police officers as they represent law and order whereas with the antagonist they associate him with the fast paced music experienced during the part in which he attacks the officers. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the setting in which the scene takes place is common of that of the thriller genre (prison/trapped environment). The music in the scene is conventional to the thriller genre also as the contrast in the pace and type of sound alongside the visuals and narrative create surprise for the audience, which is a common attribute towards thriller films.

There are various references to different types of iconography during this segment. The camera zooms into the eye spray and batons which the officers are holding, quickly zooming into a close up shot before focusing on them briefly. The use of focusing the screen on the weapons could connote to the audience that the following scene will contain an element of violence, as they dedicate screen time towards it, drawing particular attention to the items. Showing the officers with the weapons, with the context of the scene (which is of a psychotic killer) could make them build a connection between the police officers and having to prevent violence caused due to the antagonist, as this is a common association with them in films (and the real world) that they are the borders between bad and good.  Due to this, the viewer can create a relationship between the  officers and there weapons as representing law and order. The audience may foreshadow the actions of the following part of the scene because of the reference to violence mentioned previously. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the iconography focused upon is present within other thriller films, and are commonly associated with each other. Creating a connection between a piece of miss-en scene and characters could potentially allow the audience to identify scenes of violence before they occur on screen, by doing so allowing the producer to create suspense and tension as the audience is aware as to what is going to happen, but during the period before this, the scenes will be very tense and suspenseful.

Slow editing is used during the majority of the sequence, particularly during the part in which the door is being opened into the cell, in which beforehand particular attention is payed to towards the iconography in which the police officers possessed (weapons and such). This is done to build up tension for the audience as they are aware (as mentioned previously) that something is about to occur, and the use of slow editing builds tension and suspense as the scene is running at a slow pace, but as soon as something occurs it drastically increases, creating surprise for the audience from the contrast in atmosphere created from visuals and sound. This enables the audience to create a connection between the use of slow editing with anticipation and suspense, as the audience becomes aware as to something is going to happen due to the slow build up before hand, but has a slow build up before the action occurs. This is convention to the thriller genre as slow editing is present in essentially every film categorised in the thriller genre, as the result of which creates and enables the presence of main thriller concepts (surprise and build up in suspense).

This research was helpful in advancing my understanding of the conventions within the thriller genre, for a number go reasons. Looking and analysing more clips the better, as I can compare the use of common conventions within the thriller genre and see its use and purpose within this context, by doing so allowing me to establish what conventions I should include within my own opening sequence as I can see what would be suitable in that context. It was also helpful in improving my understanding as I could identify all of the conventions within rather than having to focus upon one individual aspect of media, as demonstrated in previous planning posts, so this analyse has enabled me to combine my knowledge gained from previous analyses and apply it as a whole. This particular clip is also helpful also as it is different to that of many thriller clips, as it does not always follow the typical conventions of thriller films in the same way to that of others, such through the use of contrupantal sound, as within a film of this nature it would be expected to have dark eerie music and low key lighting due to the nature of the clip however, it still creates feelings, tension and suspense for the viewer regardless, through the use of different conventions, expanding my knowledge upon how to create certain feelings for the viewer through the use of different conventions within a different context.  I have taken inspiration from this research within this clip and I intend to incorporate aspects into my own opening sequence. Particular examples of which is that I intend to incorporate slow editing into my sequence, as the feelings created will enable the viewer to be keep on the edge of there seat due to the tension and suspense build up, and as my opening sequence will be of a similar nature as to this clip, slow editing will contribute towards having a eerie and unsettling atmosphere. I have also taken inspiration with this clip to incorporate weapons as iconography within my sequence, as my the antagonist within my narrative shall be welding one during the majority of segments in which he is on screen, at time having the weapon (knife) as the focus of the shot, drawing attention to such to the same effect demonstrated within this clip.