Technical Aspects to a Thriller

Camera work: mid-shots and close-ups to show expression of the character to emphasise what the actor is doing. This gives the sense of involvement and claustrophobia around the character. The composition of the shot composition will sometimes show certain items or people to create tension in the shot, where they are placed in the shot affects the audience's perception. The low angles and high angles give a sense of who is more dominant in the situation. The framing can exclude certain things to also create tension this is in the sense that we can see what is happening. We also get a high amount of empathy with the character if the producer uses first person shots.

Editing: Dissolves are used between shots to link key events in film. To show flashbacks however we see fade to black or white, showing the audience the flashbacks. Straight-cuts are more commonly used to build a sense of pace and speed. To create mystery and tension the producer can show the narrative in a non-chronological order.

Thriller conventions: The titles we expect to see include who is in it and other peoples' roles in making the film. Other titles at the start of some thrillers we see the ident which is the film company that produced the film.In the first two minutes of the film the producer should introduce the key characters of the film. The point is to create an atmosphere and it needs to unsettle people. It is also key for the producer to show a small part of the plot (or a key event) for the audience to build on.

Sound: Non-diegetic sound can create a mood and is used to fit the mood of the setting. As an example the film Psycho uses the chromatic violins to reflect peoples actions. There can also be non-diegetic voice overs to give a sense of the characters. It is usually better to add voice overs after filming.

Narrative: The narrative rely heavily on revenge. Many thrillers begin with a murder or a criminal act showing us the perspective of someone involved. The psychological effect of making something seem disturbing to the audience is a key thing. The sub-genres of the thrillers are also key in deciding the narrative and who the film is suited for:
- Techno
- Crime
- Film Noir
- Supernatural
- Disaster
- Eco
- Medical
- Political
- Religion
- Action
- Psychological
- Sci-fi
- Conspiracy
- Mystery
- Romance
- Spy

Mise-en-scene:

Mise-en-scene is typically used in a thriller to give a sense of what is about to happen to the characters involved in the action. A typical thriller setting is one that is familiar.