A difficult or impossible challenge – see Game of Thrones, especially battle episodes like “Hearthorn” and “Battle of the Bastards,” which put characters up against long odds and then watches them to near death. An approaching villain or enemy. From every slasher movie ever made to the ridiculously intense No Country for Old Men, the cat-and-mouse chase scene is a classic suspense trope. A moment the audience understands but the characters don’t. Known as dramatic irony, we naturally start to squirm when we know a character is making a mistake but are powerless to stop them. The classic Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo commits suicide because he thought Juliet had died (she was only faking), is one of the best examples. [1] X Research source
Stanley Kubrick made history with completely silent scenes of suspense in 2001: A Space Odyssey (among other tricks). [2] X Research source Hitchcock’s Psycho changed movie history forever by killing the lead actress first – not last. The death scene itself wasn’t revolutionary, but he masterfully subverted audience expectations to create shock and suspense. The Departed created suspense simply, but effectively, by showing both sides of the story. By making you see the cop’s perspective and the mafia’s, you understand before anyone else in the movie that everyone is royally screwed. [3] X Research source
Characters must make believable decisions. Everyone’s seen the horror movie where the idiot “hero” walks out into the dark night to confront the villain and gets promptly cut down. When characters do things no real person would ever do, audiences tend to laugh. All characters need some personality. Again, look to slashers to see what not to do. When your characters have no backstory, goals, or personality, you couldn’t care less what happens to them. The easiest way to do this is to give them a dream or goal in the scene – something they are striving to (escape, victory, food, etc. ), so they are active participants, not just your next victims. Both success and failure must be plausible: If it is obvious the character is going to die or going to win, you lose all-important the suspense of wondering what happens next. [5] X Research source
Some filmmakers like to write out the scene in paragraph form first, as this is a good way to “tell” the story and figure out the pacing. You can print out free storyboard sheets online with a simple search. The more detailed this plan is, the better you will be when it comes time to shoot. [6] X Research source
A good rule of thumb is to work with a wide range of lighting, using big, clear bright areas offset by dramatically dark shadows. Putting your camera into black and white mode is often the best way to check for well-lit scenes. [7] X Research source
This is where storyboarding ahead of time is your best friend. How can you compose each shot to have suspense – not just the scene as a whole.
Voyeuristic shots, where the camera acts like a predator hunting prey. As an audience member, you understand someone is watching your hero without every showing the villain. Frequently, filtering the shot through tree leaves, blinds, etc. can help. Unnaturally low or high shots, as well as extreme close-ups, don’t feel like real life. They jar the viewer and keep them on edge. Hand-held camera work with shakes and unsteadiness, give a chaotic, uncomfortable feel, especially in moments of tension. [8] X Research source
Long shots naturally put viewers on edge, as we’re used to relatively short cuts between each shot. The longer you hold the frame, the more people feel like there is something they are missing or is about to happen, building the coveted suspense.
The villain just missing his/her strike. Frequently, the hero doesn’t know how close they got to dying yet. But the audience does, and it is terrifying. [11] X Research source “False scares,” like when the viewer expects to see the villain, but it is just a stray cat popping out. Be careful about using too many of these, however, as they can feel easy and cheap very quickly if viewers never get real suspense. Cutting before the climactic action is often a good way to hide the villain or scare for later. It also makes the next time the characters visit that spot extra terrifying. [12] X Research source
The length of cuts. Do they use long, slow shots, short and quick cuts, or a combination of both? When do they use each? How long is the scene, and at what point does each key event happen. You’ll be surprised how similar this is in many movies. What are the music and sound cues? When do they come in, rise, and fall away? What is the lighting like? How does color, tone, and brightness affect the mood of the scene?[13] X Research source
Watch how some movies “fake” the release, making you expect a scare, but actually providing nothing terrible (like a cat jumping out). This puts your audience on edge without blowing the big scare. Remember – suspense comes from worrying about what is going to happen next, or seeing what is happening and being unable to stop it. Note how your favorite movies build this horror. Check the climactic basement scene near the end of The Silence of the Lambs for a master course in long takes punctuated by quick bursts of action.
You can find thousands of free sound effects online with a quick search. For serious movies, consider paying for access to a professional sound bank. Silence is key to suspense, especially when broken by a nerve-clenching noise like a sharpening blade, slowly opening door, or sudden breath or whisper.
No Country for Old Men famously used no music at all, which created its own unique, silent suspense.
