Chase's blog: Genre Research Activity

Genre: Suspense

Conventions: Suspense consists of many dramatic elements which are portrayed through careful cinematic choices. It aims to build uncertainty, tension, and anxiety in the viewers. It allows the audience to know that something will happen, but not know what it is. Suspense usually creates a conflict or a threat, which creates that "edge of your seat" feeling in it's audience. It then follows up on this by building on events that lead up to the climax, where the suspense is broken. Once that tension releases, the viewers get a thrilling feeling; this is one of the main points of suspense.

Genre Conventions: Given the information on what suspense is, there are careful techniques used to build suspense and give the audience the thrill they are hunting for. One of the main techniques utilized is the lighting. Suspense films use darker themes and lower lighting to create that anxious feeling in it's viewers. While it is similar to horror, it is very different in it's goal. The lighting aims to create these feelings through mystery, not fear. Additionally, a vast multitude of camera techniques are also employed in suspense pieces. Things like low angle shots, POV shots, and the use of handheld shots are all commonly utilized in these films. Low angle shots are used to make characters or situations feel more threatening. POV shots are used to put the audience directly in the characters situation as a way of emersion. Handheld shots are used for realism, which are an excellent technique to build these anxious feelings in audiences since it is the most impactful

The Blair Witch Project utilizes handheld shots throughout to create a sense of realism and emersion in the audience

Institutional Conventions: Marketing a suspense film has various core elements that define the genre. The goal is to tease, not reveal. This technique creates that sense of mystery just through viewing something like a poster, or a trailer. They aim to build anticipation in the audience since creating that anxious feeling in the audience directly correlates to more views on the film. Adding on to this, they also aim to create questions in the audience, which would draw more attention to the film.

Without spoiling, one could easily argue the film "Get Out" is a prime example of a suspense movie. From the first scene, it creates a sense of wrongness in the audience and builds on this scene throughout. This gives us the anxious feeling that things are not what they seem, which is a prime example of a suspense. It also uses darker colors throughout the film, as well as dramatic sounds, and stings. It also uses close ups and tight close ups to highlight the emotion of the characters, while directly transmitting it to the audience. The producers also carefully use sound as a tool to build suspense throughout the film. Specifically, they use silence to create an awkward feeling which also builds tension in the audience.

Also without spoiling, many would agree that the series "You" uses various techniques to efficiently create a suspenseful piece. The series revolves around a stalker, someone who lurks in the shadows, quietly watching and waiting. Consequently, the series follows the stalker as he maneuvers around his life, hiding his identity, and his existence as a whole. This creates suspense as the audience is constantly on the edge of their seat, anxiously waiting to see if the stalker will be caught or not.

Some Other Suspense Pieces: