Genre Choice
Welcome to week two of my portfolio project. I decided to do some more research for a new idea for my two-minute film opening. As I mentioned in my first research blogs, when I was introduced to the first step of the project research, I started brainstorming genres I enjoy and could use to meet my expectations. At first, I was thinking of horror because it would be one of the more interesting options. However, I found that the horror genre can be very repetitive, as many works share similar elements. That's why for my first two genres I researched drama and action. That was what I started with at the beginning of this project, but then I came up with the idea of three friends in a car in an empty parking lot at night, waiting for one other friend. One of the friends in the car notices a strange bag in the middle of the parking lot. He tells the others, then steps out to check it. When he opens the bag, he enters a trance. The others start yelling at him, and they also go out to see what he's looking at, but they are too caught up in their own trance. Then the scene cuts to the fourth friend walking up. When he gets there, the car is still running, with no one in sight except a strange bag and some of his friends' personal belongings laying on the floor.
Definition of Thriller
The definition of a theory is a book, play, or movie that has an exciting story, often about solving a crime (Cambridge University Press & Assessment, n.d.). Thriller films keep audiences on the edge of their seats as tensions build. Most thriller films include suspense, unexpected twists, and fear to keep audiences engaged. The subgenres of the thriller genre are psychological, crime, political, action, and supernatural. For our new idea, we are stuck between whether it is a psychological or supernatural thriller.
Conventions and Audience
Like in my other research blogs, it is important for me to research conventions for my two-minute film opening. The first convention is content convention. In thriller films, the character often face dangers, tensions, and conflicts. These characters are placed in high-pressure moments where they must problem-solve, escape threats, and uncover hidden details. Some common themes in thrillers are suspense, paranoia, fear, and survival. Moments like chases, investigations, or characters internal thoughts during high intensity moments add to the suspense by making the audience question what will happen next. Internal conflicts of thriller films includes anxiety, guilt, and struggles make films more realistic, allowing audiences to connect with their own lives.
The next convention is the technical conventions that will help develop my opening. Some techniques, such as close-up shots, reveal stress, fear, and suspicion. Another technical convention is handheld and tracking shots, which make scenes seem more realistic , and adds to the character's emotions. Low-key lighting creates shadows, making scenes seem darker and more tense. Fast-paced editing adds intensity, and slow-paced editing builds up tension.
The final convention I researched is institutional conventions, which are used in marketing to attract audiences to the film. Thriller films commonly use trailers and posters to show mystery, danger, and unanswered moments. These moments make the audience want to uncover the full truth.
The target audience for thriller films is between the ages of 15 and 35, with a majority of males. Viewers who share an of uncover the full truth of the movie.
Case Studies
Carry On, by Jaume Collet Serra in 2024, is a thriller about a TSA agent who is blackmailed into ignore that people are trying to get a dangerous package onto a plane. The film uses high-stakes moments, time pressure, and moral conflicts. Themes within the film are fear, manipulation, and survival. The film uses close up shots to show the characters emotions building tensions and suspense. The protagonist's internal conflicts are fear and doubt, and the external conflict is caused by the antagonist, who controls events. Together all of this adds the films suspense, tensions, and fear.
The next film is The Platform by Galder Gaztelu Urrutia, from 2019, which takes place in a prison with a platform that holds the prisoners' food, which moves from the top to the bottom. The protagonist is in unpredictable, dangerous environment where he needs to rely on himself and the people around him to survive. Themes within the film are greed, power, and inequality. Tensions create a sense of constant fear of starvation and violence. The film uses close up shots to show the characters emotions building tensions and suspense. The internal conflict is the character's struggle with hope of survival, and the external is the prison system itself. The film what can do when under intense pressure that affects their survival, keeping the audience curious about what will happen.
Reflection
As before, through this research, I gained a better understanding of the thriller genre, how to use its conventions, and how other productions engage audiences to achieve their goals, as I will have a similar goal when I produce my two-minute film opening.
References
IMDb. (n.d.). The Platform (2019) (Film). IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8228288/
IMDb. (n.d.). Carry-On (2024) (Film). IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21382296/
Netflix Tudum. (2024). Everything you need to know about The Platform 2. Netflix. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-platform-2-release-date-news
Netflix Tudum. (2024). Carry‑On ending explained: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, director Jaume Collet‑Serra on the tense final scene. Netflix. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/carry-on-ending-explained
Coyne, Shawn. “Thriller Genre: The Blending of Action, Crime, and Horror Stories.” StoryGrid, storygrid.com/thriller-genre/. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Dukes, J. (n.d.). What is a thriller? Celadon Books. Retrieved January 30, 2026, from https://celadonbooks.com/what-is-a-thriller/
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