Stories without tension feel flat. Sherri Sheridan shares 26 tricks for adding layers of suspense, conflict and surprise to every scene in your film.
Stories that lack any tension, suspense, conflict or surprise will feel flat, boring and slow. Look at each scene in your film and see how many layers of suspense you can add to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. 1.
Add a twist, reversal, surprise or shock to each scene.
2.
Add a ticking clock time pressure to the main plot goal and each scene. A bomb about to go off or a pressing deadline.
3.
Show antagonist in hot pursuit closing in on protagonist who is unaware of how close the enemy is getting.
4.
Create a question the audience’s mind about whether or not a main character is crazy or lying after introducing them in a sane believable light.
5.
Show two characters that do not like each other, or do not get along, stuck together in a place or situation. Let us watch as their relationship builds in tension over several scenes then reaches a breaking point.
6.
Show the antagonist doing something scary, evil heartless to someone else first, then going after the protagonist or loved one.
7.
Place antagonist in dark colors like black, wearing scary costumes, driving dangerous looking cars, living in haunted houses, surrounded by weapons, bad pets or creepy soldiers.
8.
Place main characters unexpected life death situations over and over again.
9.
Show one character tricking another one into a life or death situation to settle a secret or hidden score.
10. Show another set of characters giving chilling background information on antagonist. A crime lab with stickpins of 100’s of murders on map.
11. Place protagonist characters in situations where they are clearly going to lose against overwhelming odds, then have them succeed in some surprising way after failing repeat ably.
12. Place innocent or vulnerable character in the middle of great danger or evil unaware or unprepared for the situation.
13. Have an antagonist type of character act friendly at first then turn on protagonist at a key moment.
14. Show protagonist thinking about giving up since the odds of succeeding seem so bleak but then finds some reason or solution to continue.
15. Show antagonist popping up by surprise all of a sudden by chance encounter.
16. Show two characters falling in love that cannot be together because they are with other people, money issues, status or family will not allow it.
17.
Show character wanting to do something that is forbidden then hatching a plan to do it secretly. Let us watch as plan goes wrong and character almost gets caught or does.
18. Show a machine, radar, security camera, computer, PDA readout indicating danger ahead while no one is watching.
19. Show loved one being taken by antagonists when protagonist is not around.
20. Show characters engaging in risky plan, using dangerous transportation, stunts or faulty weapons.
21. Disable protagonist in some way trying to save loved one’s life (prison, dungeon, gets knocked out, shot, thrown in hole, held captive).
22. Show protagonist escaping a place with the antagonist in hot pursuit.
23. Show character trying to hide a secret that keeps being about to be revealed.
24. Show character trying to cover up crime and almost getting caught in several scenes by family member, police witness.
25. Show main character being squeezed emotionally to come up with money or results forcing character to do things they would not normally do.
26. Show antagonists pressuring protagonist for information or whereabouts of plot goal object by torturing protagonist or harming loved ones.
INTERACT: Discuss films and scenes that illustrate each of the “26 Tricks for Adding Layers of Suspense.” Post your ideas, comments, and questions in the Online Screenwriting Forum at the industry forums moderated by experts at www.studentfilmmakers. com/bb.
Sherri Sheridan teaches storytelling techniques to digital filmmakers and animators with her books, classes and workshops. She’s also the creative director at Minds Eye Media in San Francisco (www.mindseyemedia.com), where she directs, produces, animates, writes and designs projects for a wide range of clients. Sherri is the author of the books, “Maya 2 Character Animation” (New Riders 1999) and “Developing Digital Short Films” (New Riders / Peachpit / Pearson 2004). Recently, she created a 20 hour DV workshop based on the books called, “Writing a Great Script Fast,” available at www.MyFlik.com.
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