Is it difficult to turn a home-made blooper into a real suspenseful thriller?There is almost nothing suspense about the actual set-up and shooting of a good, suspenseful scene.A good suspense scene is hard to visualize until the very end, unlike a comedy or drama where the dialogue is weak or obvious.There are a few short tips that you can use to succeed.
Step 1: The scene is building up towards a big moment.
The best way to create suspense is to work backwards, so you know what needs to happen, and build towards that moment with suspense, patience and tension.The idea of tension and release is a basic principle of film suspense.The audience is convinced something bad is going to happen even if they don't know what, and the suspense comes from wanting and waiting for that release."Battle of the Bastards" and "Hearthorn" are battle episodes that put characters up against long odds and then watch them die.A villain or enemy.The cat-and-mouse chase scene is a classic suspense trope.The audience understands but the characters don't.When we know a character is making a mistake but are powerless to stop them, we start to cringe.One of the best examples is the classic movie, "Romeo and Juliet", where a man commits suicide because he thought Juliet had died.
Step 2: Determine what will make your scene unique.
This doesn't have to be huge, but a little originality goes a long way towards making a scene.The suspense is immediately sucked out if the audience can predict what will happen.Stanley Kubrick made history with completely silent scenes of suspense in 2001: A Space Odyssey.The lead actress in Psycho was killed the first time.The death scene wasn't revolutionary, but he masterfully subverted audience expectations to create shock and suspense.The Departed created suspense by showing both sides of the story.You understand before anyone else in the movie that everyone is screwed when you see the cop's perspective.
Step 3: The audience needs to empathise with the suspense in any scene.
The more the viewer can place themselves in the viewers shoes, the better the scene will be.The rest of the movie is about creating believable characters and scenes so that you buy into the suspense without thinking.There are some big tips that you must remember to prevent the viewer from being ripped out of the scene.Audiences tend to laugh when characters do things they wouldn't do in real life.Look to the killers to see what not to do.You can't care less about what happens to your characters if they have no history, goals, or personality.Giving them a dream or goal in the scene is the easiest way to do this.They are active participants, not just your next victims.If the character is going to die or win, you lose a lot of suspense.
Step 4: Pictures, text and dialogue are included in the storyboard.
You are not going to be able to shoot everything at the same time.You need a comic book-like version of the movie to plan each shot out, even if you do.This is the time to shoot the scene before you even turn the camera on.Paragraph form is a good way to "tell" the story and figure out the pacing of the film.You can find storyboard sheets online.The more detailed the plan is, the better it will be.
Step 5: It is easier to remove light while editing than it is to add it.
Since most directors want low-lighting in order to be dramatic, this rule is more important than ever.If you want to make a scene more mysterious or suspenseful, you can add light, but it will decrease the picture quality.A good rule of thumb is to work with a wide range of lighting, using big, clear bright areas offset by dramatically dark shadows.Black and white mode is the best way to check for well-lit scenes.
Step 6: The foreground and background should be used.
A good shot is like a picture, you can stop the movie and still see it.In suspense filmmaking, you can use the background to show things to the audience that the character might not notice, because the shots need depth.A woman is washing dishes and someone enters her house.A shot over the woman's shoulder as she washes is frightening.storyboarding ahead of time is your best friend.How can you have suspense in each shot, not just the scene as a whole?
Step 7: To unsettle the audience, experiment with odd or dramatic camera angles.
The most famous example of this is in The Shining, where the "180-rule" that claims that cameras shouldn't be on opposite sides of the room is broken.Without knowing this rule, viewers were completely confused because it was unlike anything they'd seen before.The masters are different from the amateurs.There are other ideas where the camera acts like a predator.As an audience member, you know someone is watching your hero.The shot can beFILTERED through tree leaves, blinds, etc.Can help.Extreme close-ups don't feel like real life.They keep the viewer on edge.In moments of tension, with shakes and unsteadiness, give a chaotic, uncomfortable feel.
Step 8: The actors are in motion before and after the scene.
There are moments of quiet that build feelings of dread until the big moment.Don't just film the "action" of the scene, make sure you get plenty of slower, spooky, and more atmospheric footage as well.The editor will thank you.We're used to relatively short cuts between shots, so long shots put viewers on edge.The longer you hold the frame, the more people feel like there is something happening.
Step 9: Save the full reveal for last when you slowly tease out your major scare of tension.
You're only feeling nervous when you wait to see what's coming, because no one is suspenseful after they know what happens.You have moved away from suspense and into action once you show your cards, but not just yet.Knowing that the audience's imagination is far more terrifying than any you can show on screen gives you the best suspense.
Step 10: Mess around with different angles.
The transition between a super shallow shot to a big wide-angle lens will keep interest and force the audience to suddenly look at the screen.I don't know if I'm missing something dangerous.Is something big about to happen?There are subtle technical points that will make your scene more artful.
Step 11: Pepper in 1-2 "false scares" and close calls to heighten the tension.
It's not necessary to be suspense-free until the last minute, just because the biggest scare has to come last.Good suspense artists know that close calls pull you further up in your seat while also giving you a bit of hope for success.You can't get suspense without a balance of fear and hope, so pay off the viewer to keep them engaged.The villain missed his/her strike.The hero doesn't know how close they came to death.The audience does, and it is frightening.When the viewer expects to see a villain, it is just a stray cat popping out.If viewers never get real suspense, they can feel cheap and easy to use.It's a good idea to cut before the action starts to hide the villain.It makes the next time the characters visit that spot even more frightening.
Step 12: You can get your hands on many scenes.
When it comes to thrillers and horror movies, editing is the place where you get to create the real suspense.A quick master-class on your favorite movies will do the trick.Pull out a notepad and write down the length of the scene.Do they use long, slow shots or a combination of both?When do they use each?How long is the scene, and when does each event happen.You will be surprised how similar this is.What are the sounds?When do they come in, rise, and fall away?What is the lighting like?How does color, tone, and brightness affect the scene?
Step 13: Use the length of each shot to build.
Pay attention to the length of the cuts.Longer cuts tend to build dread and suspense with shorter cuts breeding excitement and confusion.A key to good suspense is to play with tension and release.Some movies make you expect a scare, but actually provide nothing terrible, like a cat jumping out.Without blowing the big scare, this puts your audience on edge.Being unable to stop what is happening or worrying about what will happen next are some of the reasons for suspense.The horror is built by your favorite movies.Near the end of The Silence of the Lambs, you can check the basement scene for a master course in long takes and quick action.
Step 14: Sound design is more important than visual cuts.
Sound is one of the best ways to create tension and suspense.Why?It hints at things the viewer can't see.You can get a lot more tension out of subtle sounds like floorboard creaks and the whistling of the wind.There are thousands of free sound effects online.If you want to see a serious movie, pay for access to a 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.
Step 15: The music builds slowly throughout the scene.
There are hundreds of copyright-free suspense songs on the internet, which you can find using violins, piano, and ambient noises.If you want your scares to come from visual and sound design, use the music as a final touch to pull it together.To subtly impact your audience without drawing their attention to the scene, keep it in the background.No Country for Old Men used no music at all, which created its own unique, silent suspense.