TH: Conventions of Horror and Thriller

Horror

The Shining (Kubrick, 1980)

• In the establishing shot the audience are panning over a lake, in a very open space. Ultimately I feel there is a sense of irony as we follow a car travel across an empty road as if all where normal.
• However juxtaposes this idea is the heavy soundtrack playing over the top, it is stereo typically scary with harsh tones and powerful instruments such as a tuba.
• I like how throughout the title sequence we as the audience are following a car, panning across rural country side. Again ironic, when thinking about the genre of the film.

Thriller

Vantage Point (Travis, 2008)

• In the establishing shot, we see distant shots of somewhere rural in foreign country, however what immediately highlights this as being a thriller is the heavy base in the sound track to accompany the visuals. 
• Another technique highlighting the genre is the high cutting rate and fast paced transitions between each scene. An example being the cars driving past and a sharpish change to the scenes of the crowds chanting.
• As well as this freeze frames are used on particular things to create tension. An example being  when the scene freezes on the sign of a cross through USA.