Research - Building tension

 Building tension : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ss-dEGn05g

Filmmaking Basics : 8 Ways to Build Tension in a Scene | PremiumBeat.com

From this video I learned 8 ways tension could be built during a scene, but I plan to focus on these 4 listed in my film opening. 

1. Background, this is when the cinematographer or director shows something in the background that the viewers can see but the subject isn’t yet aware of. This puts the audience in a position of superior knowledge. With them not being able to warn the subject it can lead to them feeling uneasy or tense.

2. Blur. By taking a shallow depth shot, it creates selective focus. Blurring the foreground and the background forces the audience to only look at part of the frame. With theses parts blurred but not covered, it leaves the viewers to notice movement or important details but not clear enough to understand what they are looking at. In a 2008’s film called “The Strangers” we can see this technique being used. 

Example from 'The Strangers"

   A still from the movie "The Strangers"

3. Sound effects/ music. Using music in thrillers is very effect. The high pitched frequencies that sound unnatural gives the audience an uneasy feeling. This is because they break the normal expectations of music. Subconsciously the audience will associate these strange sounds with danger, building fear and anxiety. Often times just the sound is enough to build tension, without visuals. 

4. Camera movement, is used to control how the audience feels. For example, with a handheld, shaky camera, it can create feelings of unease. This is because the scene isn't "smooth" or still, making that off-balanced feeling. This also builds anxiety because it closely mimics the shaky feeling tied with it.