A tense scene can keep the audience hooked or the reader flipping pages.
As someone who came up as an assistant and as a writer who tries to keep readers interested, I do not think there is a more important part of scene direction and writing than tension. Tension is that terrifying inevitability of what is to come or what could happen.
If you have tension in a scene, you have an inherent reason for the person to read or continue to watch.
Tension keeps movie watchers attentive by creating a feeling of uncertainty or unease in the audience. This can be achieved through various methods such as suspenseful music, cliffhangers, or unpredictable events.
The audience is kept on the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next, which increases engagement and makes it harder for them to look away from the screen. By creating tension, filmmakers can hold the audience’s attention and make the experience more thrilling and memorable.
Today, we’ll cover eleven ways you can add tension to your scenes and excel as a writer or director.
Let’s get started.
Author: Jason Hellerman
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
