Anatomy of a Scene: Using Suspense Instead of Big Action Sequences

It's been said that an action beat is simply a suspense scene that can only be solved with violence, which often points to a big action sequence. Well, sometimes you don't have the budget for that or — as a screenwriter — are wisely trying to limit such scenes. But as a storyteller it's still your job to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, and when you don't have much to work with, your best friend in the world is suspense.

When making The Terminator on a shoestring budget, James Cameron had to pick and choose his battles. While the movie does feature car chases and shootouts, the big engine for the drama is the knowledge that its protagonists are literally being chased by an unstoppable killing machine. The tension you can get from that premise can go a long way, and James Cameron knew it. When he comes to the end of act one in The Terminator, he sets the stage for such a high tension scene that — even before the bullets start flying — the tension is thick enough to see in the air.

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So what's the set up for this scene?

Two men are looking for Sarah Conner. One — the Terminator — is on a single-minded mission to kill her, while the other — Kyle — is methodically stalking her. Sarah knows someone is trying to murder her, and is pretty sure it's this creepy Kyle guy. She ducks into a night club called Tech Noir and leaves a message on her roommate's answering machine asking for a pick up.

Little does Sarah know her roommate is dead and the Terminator heard the message.

So what is Sarah up to?

She gets through to the police on a pay phone, who tell her to stay put while they send a squad car over.

That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

Unfortunately for her, the Terminator is already on the way and will probably get there first.

Does he?

Literally seconds after she hangs up the phone and sits down. He heads into the bar and starts searching for her. The tension in the scene rises big time.

And then he finds her?

No, that would be too easy. Remember, it's important to draw the suspense out and have the tension reach a boiling point. You want to hold the action until the last possible second before the bullets start flying.

So what happens?

Sarah drops something and bends over to pick it up. As she does, the Terminator scans in her direction and just misses her.

Does she see him?

She doesn't know about him, but she does see Kyle the stalker at the bar and gets pretty darn freaked out.

It's at that moment the Terminator sees Sarah and moves in for the kill. The use of Kyle as a red herring for Sarah here rises the tension a great deal, because we know that the real threat is coming for her and she knows nothing about it.

Does the Terminator try to take her out?

He walks up to her and draws a laser-sighted pistol. At the exact same time, Kyle draws his shotgun. Both take aim. Things are reaching their boiling point.

And just as the Terminator is about to put one between Sarah's eyes...

Kyle fires his weapon, the two have a brief firefight, and Kyle blows the Terminator to the ground.

Then Kyle gets to Sarah and tells her "Come with me if you want to live."

What's the takeaway here?

The scene works because it doesn't immediately start with a firefight. The suspense comes from the fact that people are after Sarah, and she doesn't know who or why. When they do converge in the same spot, the film teases you along with their meeting until the last possible second when all is revealed to both Sarah and the audience. Anticipation is a much more powerful tool than CGI, and without it even the best action scene in the world will fall flat.

Remember to take your time, hold your reveals until that last moment, and don't be afraid to hold your audience back from getting the action they crave. If you build up to it properly, they'll thank you for a much richer experience.

Watch the whole scene unfold here:

This article was written by Ashley Scott Meyers who is a screenwriter and podcaster over at SellingYourScreenplay.com. He has sold and optioned dozens of scripts over the last two decades. Through SYS he runs a screenplay analysis service, provides paid job leads to screenwriters, and helps screenwriters connect with producers who are looking for material.