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Written by Robin Hall, coauthor of the book (and online course) Behind the Score.
This post was brought to you in collaboration with our partner site Behind the Score. Discover the Harmony Secrets of Modern Film and Video Games.
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As a film composer, you will encounter many common cinematic devices that require an almost formulaic musical response. One such example is the ‘jump scare.’ We’ve all seen this used probably hundreds of times, yet its effectiveness often relies heavily upon the music. Your job as the composer in this situation is to make the audience premeditate what’s about to happen without giving too much away. It’s the musical setup leading to the expectation of the event, i.e., the scare. Keeping this in mind, there are several important factors that you should be aware of when composing for this type of scene.
Mislead the Audience Into a False Sense of Security
Firstly, the purpose of the music is commonly used to mislead the audience into believing the event is about to happen only to be fooled. It’s the delayed resolution of the music that creates the prolonged sense of anxiety for the audience.
“It Won’t Make You Jump If You Know When It’s Coming”
We know something is about to happen, but we don’t know when it’ll happen. This is an important distinction to make when scoring this type of scene. The music that builds to the actual jump scare usually drops out entirely (or at the very least to a minimal ambiance) before the jump occurs.
If Your Music Has a Pulse, Use It to Make Their Heart Skip a Beat
If the music you’ve written preceding the scare has any distinct rhythmic consistency to it, then it’s important to make the musical hit point at the scare fall on an offbeat. The more jarring it is, the better; this’ll shock the audience out of the monotony that you’ve developed. In The Conjuring, the music builds steadily with a heartbeat-like rhythm before the jump scare, enhancing the sudden jolt when the scare occurs.
It is also worth pointing out that the human heart beats roughly 60-100 times per minute at its regular rate and increases during episodes of anxiety, stress, or fear. Imitating this effect in a score is a common technique that is incredibly effective and seems to have a profound subconscious impact on the audience.
Silence Is Never More Deafening Than When Placed in a Horror Score
When it comes to actually scoring the big jump in the film, less is often more. Overwriting for a scene like this can quickly turn the film from creepy and atmospheric into cheesy and too ‘on the nose,’ quickly sucking all the suspense out of it.
Keep in mind that, depending on the scene, there may be some large sound design elements involved, and when it comes to the dubbing stage of the film, sound design always gets priority over the musical score. I’ve always found that if the score has built enough tension before the hit point, it is the musical anti-climax in conjunction with the cinematic delivery of the scene that makes the viewer’s blood run cold. For instance, in A Quiet Place, the use of silence before a sudden orchestral hit amplifies the fear, as the audience is left in a state of high tension.
Simply scraping metal across cymbals can be subtler, yet often more terrifying than a full orchestral hit.
As in Life, It’s Often Better to Say Too Little Than Too Much
The story arc of the film is also a good way to determine how large you need to make your musical hit with the corresponding scare. All good film scores, regardless of genre, will follow the dynamic arc of the story. If you were composing for a horror/suspense film such as a ghost story or slasher, then much of the suspense and anxiety the audience will feel comes from the mystery of the story. The first two acts of the film usually leave the viewer guessing, and it’s only by the third act that we normally start to get answers: Who is the killer? What does the ghost want? Etc.
By understanding the story arc of the film, you will better understand your overall picture for the score. If you make your grand musical statement too soon in the film, then there will be nowhere left to go after that, which in turn will lower the impact of the film’s third act.
No Need to Reinvent the Wheel, Just Be Grateful the Wheel Was Invented
Composing music to film is a craft entirely different from composing concert works or ‘art for art’s sake.’ That’s not to say that one can’t be the other. I am not saying that you shouldn’t try to be new, original, and creative, but I am saying that tried-and-true musical devices are your friends. They work well and are useful tricks to have in your musical toolbox.
When you’re scoring a film, time is a luxury that is rarely given, and knowing how to approach certain scenes quickly and effectively is only ever a good thing. Put another way, it’ll allow you more time to work on that ‘grand, sweeping orchestral epilogue’ you’ve been looking forward to writing at ‘that one scene’ in the film.
Happy writing!
This post was brought to you in collaboration with our partner site Behind the Score. Discover the Harmony Secrets of Modern Film and Video Games.
Master the art of film music composition with everything you need to know about creating impactful scores. Complete Collection Study Pack is currently on sale for 67% off:
