Match On Action

This is making sure that after the shots are edited, the scene fits and there are no jumps or breaks in the scene.

Shot/Reverse Shot

Shot reverse shot (or shot/countershot) is a film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_reverse_shot

The 180 Degree Rule

The 180° rule is a basic film editing guideline that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule

Sub Genres of Thrillers

There are different sub-genres. I researched on the internet on wikipedia and got a list of the sub-genres and what they mean. here they are:-

Action thriller - In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place.

Conspiracy thriller - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes.

Crime thriller - This particular genre is a hybrid type and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects.

Disaster thriller - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster.

Eco-thriller - In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity - often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story.

Erotic thriller - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration.

Horror thriller - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical.

Legal thriller - In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives.

Medical thriller - In which the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnel's working to solve an expanding medical problem.

Political - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him.

Psycological thriller - In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical.

Spy thriller (also a sub genre of spy fiction) - In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists.

Supernatural thriller - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King and Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre.

Techno thriller - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot.

Top 100 Thrillers

This is a list of the top 100 thrillers according to "http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/06/13/entertainment/main296270.shtml" :-
1. "Psycho," 1960
2. "Jaws," 1975
3. "The Exorcist," 1973
4. "North by Northwest," 1959
5. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991
6. "Alien," 1979
7. "The Birds," 1963
8. "The French Connection," 1971
9. "Rosemary's Baby," 1968
10. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981
11. "The Godfather," 1972
12. "King Kong," 1933
13. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967
14. "Rear Window," 1954
15. "Deliverance," 1972
16. "Chinatown," 1974
17. "The Manchurian Candidate," 1962
18. "Vertigo," 1958
19. "The Great Escape," 1963
20. "High Noon," 1952
21. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971
22. "Taxi Driver," 1976
23. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962
24. "Double Indemnity," 1944
25. "Titanic," 1997
26. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941
27. "Star Wars," 1977
28. "Fatal Attraction," 1987
29. "The Shining," 1980
30. "The Deer Hunter," 1978
31. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," 1977
32. "Strangers on a Train," 1951
33. "The Fugitive," 1993
34. "The Night of the Hunter," 1955
35. "Jurassic Park," 1993
36. "Bullitt," 1968
37. "Casablanca," 1942
38. "Notorious," 1946
39. "Die Hard," 1988
40. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968
41. "Dirty Harry," 1971
42. "The Terminator," 1984
43. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939
44. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, 1982
45. "Saving Private Ryan," 1998
46. "Carrie," 1976
47. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," 1956
48. "Dial M for Murder," 1954
49. "Ben-Hur," 1959
50. "Marathon Man," 1976
51. "Raging Bull," 1980
52. "Rocky," 1976
53. "Pulp Fiction," 1994
54. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969
55. "Wait Until Dark," 1967
56. "Frankenstein," 1931
57. "All the President's Men," 1976
58. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957
59. "Planet of the Apes," 1968
60. "The Sixth Sense," 1999
61. "Cape Fear," 1962
62. "Spartacus," 1960
63. "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?", 1962
64. "Touch of Evil," 1958
65. "The Dirty Dozen," 1967
66. "The Matrix," 1999
67. "The Treasure f the Sierra Madre," 1948
68. "Halloween," 1978
69. "The Wild Bunch," 1969
70. "Dog Day Afternoon," 1975
71. "Goldfinger," 1964
72. "Platoon," 1986
73. "Laura," 1944
74. "Blade Runner," 1982
75. "The Third Man," 1949
76. "Thelma & Louise," 1991
77. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," 1991
78. "Gaslight," 1944
79. "The Magnificent Seven," 1960
80. "Rebecca," 1940
81. "The Omen," 1976
82. "The Day the Earth Stood Still," 1951
83. "The Phantom of the Opera," 1925
84. "Poltergeist," 1982
85. "Dracula," 1931
86. "The Picture of Dorian Gray," 1945
87. "The Thing from Another World," 1951
88. "12 Angry Men," 1957
89. "The Guns of Navarone," 1961
90. "The Poseidon Adventure," 1972
91. "Braveheart," 1995
92. "Body Heat," 1981
93. "Night of the Living Dead," 1968
94. "The China Syndrome," 1979
95. "Full Metal Jacket," 1987
96. "Blue Velvet," 1986
97. "Safety Last," 1923
98. "Blood Simple," 1984
99. "Speed," 1994
100. "The Adventures of Robin Hood," 1938

SE7EN

We watched the opening sequence to the film se7en. It shows a very phsycological approach to the antagonist. For example, we see the antagonist cutting hid fingerprints off, and also, we see him sticking some sort of book together. However, through the whole sequence, we do not see the persons identity as this adds to tension. Tension is also built by the style of music, and also, the way the writing ( opening credits ) flicker on and off of the screen. Overall it is very disturbing and unsettling.

Ask The Audience !!

I decided to ask around 25 people for what they think makes a good thriller. here are my 10 top answers :

A murderer
Police
Night/Dark
Damsel in distress
Scary villain
Guns (weapons)
Confrontation between viallain and hero
Mystery
The unexpected
Suspense.

Conventions of a Thriller

A crime at the core of the narrative, often a murder, but not always.

Themes of identity.

Themes of mirroring.

Themes of voyeurism.

Extraordinary events, happening in ordinary situation.

There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist in peril.

Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.

A complex narrative structured, with false paths, clues and resolutions.

There are also some simple techniques to lighting and camerawork that also give and edge.
For example :

Low Lighting gives an extra effect, fast editing will give and uneasy effect. There could also be some sort of music or sounds that give effect.