Advice on tension building

[H.Z.]

Does anyone have any amazing tips on how to escalate tension in a dialogue scene? I have an act climax that I want to take place during a dinner scene, things need to heat up enough that the characters hit a breaking point, but I really really really need to keep most if not all of the scene from being on the nose. I have three characters that have reached an impasse with their dynamic with one another, but for most of this scene they are not going to be willing to voice that, so I need to build the tension with indirect dialogue.

Hopefully this question isn't too specific.... I feel like this is something that I should be able to do fairly easily, but I typically have my emotional script moments as strict visuals.

Thanx!

[Godchoo]

make it extremely silent and uncomfortable.
make it so you can hear the chewing and the silverware ware hitting the china.
or you can hear the ticking of the clock.
Then do close ups of actors and simultaneously switch between them.
The silence is what helps build the tension.
Then either have someone break it somehow very loudly or just eccentrically.
Like have a glass shatter and everything just stops.
It helps contrast things and eventually blow up the whole thing.
hopes this helps.

[indietalk]

Watch The Celebration.

[H.Z.]

Yar! Thank you both

[wcmartell]

Here's an article I wrote on dramatic tension...
http://www.ScriptSecrets.Net/article...ts-tension.pdf

I will remove that link in a couple of days.

- Bill

[H.Z.]

That was a great article Bill, thank you for posting it!

[indietalk]

Bill, do you want me to attach that link to this thread so you don't have to host it? It seems informative. Unless you want to remove it for other reasons.

[Godchoo]

wow that article was real great bill.
Thanks for posting that up.

[wcmartell]

No - the issue is the article is from a magazine I write for, and there is a period of time where *they* own it and I do not. Plus, these are proofs of the actual pages (which I will never own - though the words will return to me).

- Bill