How to Build Suspense and Silence of the Lambs

To Build Suspense

• Peaks and valleys-  These are when there are sudden intense moments in a film then there are calm parts
• Music- in many old fashioned films organs were used to create suspense such as in Dracula however now they have been over used so there are mainly strings being played to build suspense.
• Shot Sizes- varying the shot size can build suspense also as tracking inwards from a medium shot to a close up could show worry. It is unlikely to see long shots being used to create suspense unless used in a certain way for instance how the editor cuts the shots..
• The Cuts- How the editor cuts the clip can create suspense as for example: if you see the villain from  far away then cut to the victim then cut back to the villain closer to the victim to before, this shows the audience something bad is going to happen as you didn't see them move.
• Lighting- Low Key lighting is normally used as it creates shadows so the audience can only see part of the shot which creates mystery and spots lights are normally used for the same effect.

Silence of the Lambs suspense techniques

• Heavy Breathing
• Point of View shots
• Camera focuses on main character, this makes you feel like you are part of the scene
• Use of night vision- the main character can't see anything but villain can see her
• Long shots are not used
• Use slow motion to capture every movement but the switch back to a faster pace

From looking into how to build suspense I now feel more confident on building it myself, I hope to use the right type of music and shot sizes in our opening scene and also include some peaks and valleys to keep the viewer engaged in the action as well as building suspense.