Generic Signifiers

In order to make sure the viewer understands that our opening sequence is a thriller, we need to include generic signifiers of this genre.
In our scene we have several of these, for example:

• The setting - the setting of our sequence, a dense forest (Grovelands Park), is very conventional to the thriller genre, but probably even more so to the thriller subgenre of horror and slasher.
• Lighting - although set early - mid morning, the lighting within the wood is still very dark and full of shadows often used in thriller films. Shafts of light are sometimes seen to create tension and a silhouette of the villain is also used. The lack of lighting, and its foreboding connotations are a signifier of the thriller genre.
• The victim - the victim is a young, innocent looking girl, dressed in white to connot her purity. This is commonplace in many thriller films, the helpless victim defenceless against the villain.
• The villain - the villain is a tall, muscly man, dressed in black to connote his evil personality. His whole face is hardly ever seen in shot to suggest his hidden agendas and his menace

Liam