How do I intend to use and abuse the codes and conventions of the thriller?

When creating our thriller opening, we are going to stick to many of the stereotypical codes and conventions of the thriller. However, we are going to add a slight twist. After having researched the codes and conventions of thrillers, I have come to a conclusion as to what I am going to do with them for my target audience (women aged 18 to 24).

Throughout our film, we will use many codes and conventions commonly found in a thriller, such as:

• Quick cuts
• Obtrusive editing
• Creating an enigma
• Hand held shots
• Close up's
• Over shoulder shots

We will use these to create suspense and, quite simply, to ensure that our film is successful. As, for example, a thriller film without an enigma would be boring and the audience would not feel so involved, meaning they would be less effected in terms of heightened senses. 

From the very beginning of our film, we aim to create an enigma in the form of the briefcase. We will do this by taking close-up's of the woman picking up the briefcase, which will have been placed in an unknown area and collected by the character without having being given any dialogue. This will enable the audience to begin questioning the motive of the woman, why she has the briefcase, what is in the briefcase and where she is going. The creation of the enigma is essential in our film, as we plan to have no dialogue throughout and so the audience must remain interested without it. 

The use of quick cuts and obtrusive editing in our film will be critical, as we plan to film a woman being followed, and so "jumpy" editing will enable us to create the illusion that the woman is quickly being followed, not only by a member of the public but an expert. In addition, if the editing is fast-paced for someone being followed, it gives the idea that there is a "race against time" or that the matter is serious rather than leisurely. This creates suspense and also leads the audience to questioning where the character has to be, what they are doing and why they are being followed.

The use of over shoulder shots also create the illusion that someone is being followed, but also the idea that the person being followed does not realise this. This will be critical for our piece. As we aim to illustrate the idea that the woman does not know she is being followed, we will also use some handheld shots in order to create the idea that the person following her is doing so secretly, with motive. We will also use many close up's, which will be used to both determine the emotions being experienced by the woman while she is being followed, but also to reinforce the idea that the woman is being watched secretly, and so is a distance away.

However, we will also abuse the codes and conventions of a thriller in order to ensure that our piece is more modern and relevant to the ever changing media scene. Firstly, the idea that we are using a woman to be followed goes against typical stereotypes, as it would often be considered that a man was powerful, cautious and in control - rather than a woman. The woman will also be carrying a briefcase, an accessory which would stereotypically be associated with males.

We will represent the protagonist in our film opening, the woman, as strong and independent and an object of female aspiration rather than of male desire. We will do this in many ways, the first being the use of costume. As she will be wearing a smart outfit, including black trousers, a blazer, a classic up-do and immaculate makeup, the audience will view her as a successful, powerful woman, as the costume used will create the illusion of status and power. 

In addition, we plan to do all of our filming in daylight. This means no shadows, no dark alleyways... features often found in a thriller film. By doing this, we believe that it can, in some ways, create more suspense as the audience would not be so used to this format for a thriller, meaning their senses would be further heightened as they attempt to work out what should happen next. In addition, by filming in daylight around other people, the film will appear more realistic, and the woman carrying the suitcase will seem more suspicious and mysterious when surrounded by "normal" people in a "normal" area. This will engage the audience and make them further question the intentions of the woman. 

In conclusion, we are aiming to stick to the codes and conventions of the thriller in order to ensure that our thriller opening is successful, however, we also aim to go against some of the codes and conventions, such as having a strong, powerful man as the protagonist and filming in the dark using alleyways and shadows. By doing this, we believe that it makes our thriller opening more modern and up-to-date with the current media scene. This is essential as we do not want out film to look dated or irrelevant.