Suspense

The Silent Approach

• Silence can be cleverly used for suspense. This is because for the long scenes where a character is being stalked, they try to remain quiet. Then they make a sound, like stepping on a twig with a “snap” noise, and the murderer or enemy suddenly becomes aware of them. This changes the pace of the film from slow which is quiet to quick which is usually a lot more louder and fast paced. An example of this is a scene from “The Lovely Bones” where the girl is trying to place a floorboard back into the floor. During this the paedophile downstairs is slowly searching his house, with a slight suspicion. However, when she drops the floorboard and it makes a noise, the man downstairs suddenly becomes aware and starts to rush upstairs to find her.

The Pan for Clues

• During a sequence where a character is looking for clues a pan is utilised to show their search from one side to the other side of the room. At the end of this pan, the clue is usually found which raises their suspicions. Once they notice this clue they usually realise they are in a dangerous situation with them being in a killers house or noticing a piece of evidence that relates to a nearby killer. An example of this is in “The Silence of the Lambs” where the police officer inside a suspect’s house looks around the room, pans, and notices that there is some stitching equipment and an insect. She realises that the killer makes coats from his victims skin and places an insect in their mouth. These two signs she sees in this guys house instantly makes her think that he is the killer.

Weather

• Rain is used in films to build tension. This is partly due to its effect of obscuring the audience and characters vision which makes them vulnerable. Also when lightning is used it builds up tension. This is because in the darkness where the protagonist cannot see, lightning reveals the enemy/enemies which builds up the fear and tension in the scene. An example of its use is in the “Lord of the Rings” where lightning is used to reveal the orc army as it marches in the dark, obscured by rain, towards the “Good Guys” and where the protagonists are.

Lord of the Rings Example:

Point Of View

• A point of view shot can be used to create tension. This is due to the fact that it can be used from the killers perspective. It can be used to show the killer stalking the victims and showing the killers position without actually revealing who the killer is. This is used in the “Silence of the Lambs” where the protagonist is in a dark cellar and cannot see but the killer uses night vision goggles to walk right up to her face without her even noticing. Another example is in the film “Halloween” where the killer is stalking his sister and you dont see his face which adds to the shock of him being revealed as a child.

Close Up

• The close up is used to mainly focus on the victims facial expressions. This can build up tension in a scene by not only allowing the audience to see the victims facial expressions and realise that something is wrong but also obscure the vision of the audience, so that when the killer is revealed, their is more of a shock. Also, close ups can be used to create a claustrophobic atmosphere and make the audience feel trapped. This is used in “Silence of the Lambs” where the protagonist is in a cellar and she cant see, this makes her essentially “Trapped” and during these scenes the camera is held close to her face to emulate her feeling for the audience.

Low Angles

• Low Angles can be use to show vulnerability in characters. This is because the camera is looking down on them from above which creates this tension in the scene by making the audience feel their is someone watching or that certain characters are vulnerable to attack or targeted. An example of this is in “The Silence of the Lambs” where the protagonist is talking to the killer, the camera looks down on her. This is used to make the audience feel uneasy and that she has walked into a danger zone.

Pacing of Music

• The pacing of the music can change the suspense of a scene. This is because slower music is played during the “Alerted” scenes where as a faster pace is played during the “Chase” scenes. This is seen in “The Lovely Bones” in which a fairly slow pace of music is heard before becoming quicker as the paedophile notices someone is upstairs and chases them.

Parallel Editing/Cross Cutting

• Parallel editing and cross cutting is where the shot cuts to two different events, in different locations, at the same time. This can be used to add tension to a scene by showing a victim and the approaching killer. An example of this is:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM

Framing

• The framing of a shot can add suspense. This is because it can tempt the audience to search for clues as to the killers whereabouts in another part of a scene. An example of this is in “Scream” where the protagonist is looking out of a small window on the left side of a door, the camera has a clear view out the right side windows into the hallway behind her which makes the audience believe that’s where the killer might be.

Lighting Contrasts/Darkness

• Having some parts of the room dark makers the audience believe that that’s where the killer will emerge. Having the protagonist move from a light part of the room to a dark part puts the audience on edge as it makes them believe she is going into danger. This is prevalent in “Scream” where the victim moves from the lit up part of her living room towards the dark windows.

Zooms

• Zooms can be used to show realisation in a character. This can be used effectively to show a character’s reaction to them being spotted. Zooms could also be used to show the discovery of clues which could start the suspense in the scene by giving the audience ideas created by the newly discovered clues.

Diagetic and Non-Diagetic Sound

• Using a mix of on scene sounds and added sounds can bring a reality to a situation and make a scene feel more real. This can add suspense by pulling the audience from being a mere observer of the action to being a part of it.

Jerky Camera/Chase

• Jerky camera movement is used to create suspense, especially during chase scenes. This is to show disorientation of the protagonist which conveys to the audience their desperate attempt to flee.