History Main / JumpScare

[[caption-width-right:350:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this instead.[[/note]]\\

The classic film example uses a loud brass horn or a woman's scream. Jump Scares follow the law of diminishing returns: they're effective when accompanied by a slow build-up of suspense, but using too many quickly turns them into a nuisance. Jump scares have been called lots of things: "cheap," "lazy," and "the lowest form of horror," because the jump caused by a sudden loud noise is a physiological reaction you can't control, even when you're expecting it. The film critic Nigel Floyd refers to the occurrence of this in films as "cattle prod cinema" -- you're not being scared, just jolted. Not to say it can't be done right. When creators who ''do'' understand horror make use of the trope, they can do so to ''extremely'' good effect.

[[caption-width-right:350:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this instead.]][[/note]]\\

[[caption-width-right:350:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this. "MEOW!" might be scary if you happen to be a bird, but if you are, then what are you doing on TV Tropes, huh? [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing more important bird things?]][[/note]]\\

Building up suspense without boring the audience is not easy. Whatever is a director to do? Jump scares to the rescue! Everyone knows what a jump scare is: it's the horror technique of having something happen unexpectedly and suddenly (usually something popping up out of nowhere). It's frequently accompanied by an [[ScareChord equally sudden]] [[HellIsThatNoise loud noise]] to go with it, and often happens after a period of tension-building to ramp up the nerves of both the character(s) and audience and make the scare that much more effective for both.

Building up suspense without boring the audience is not easy. Whatever is a director to do? Jump scares to the rescue! Everyone knows what a jump scare is: it's the horror technique of having something happen unexpectedly and suddenly (usually something popping up out of nowhere). It's frequently accompanied by an [[ScareChord equally sudden loud noise]] to go with it, and often happens after a period of tension-building to ramp up the nerves of both the character(s) and audience and make the scare that much more effective for both.

Sometimes overlaps with MirrorScare, ScreamerTrailer, SpringLoadedCorpse, PeekABooCorpse, TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath, NightmareFace, ScareChord, SurpriseCreepy, and LastNoteNightmare.

[[quoteright:344:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/byJohnFish2_8101.png]]
[[caption-width-right:344:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this. "MEOW!" might be scary if you happen to be a bird, but if you are, then what are you doing on TV Tropes, huh? [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing more important bird things?]][[/note]]\\

'''Administrivia/NoExamplesPlease! We're just [[Administrivia/DefinitionOnlyPage defining the term.]] Especially Administrivia/NoVideoExamplesPlease If we ''did'' include examples, chances are we'd be sued for accidentally scaring some of our more delicate readers into the next life.'''

[[caption-width-right:344:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this. "MEOW!" might be scary if you happen to be a bird, but if you are, then what are you doing on TV Tropes, huh? [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing more important bird things?]][[/note]] ''[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/4175352901/ source]]'']]

->''"Survival Horror" is a fancy way of saying "Monsters will come through windows."''
-->-- '''Gabe''', ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'', [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/1999/09/29/ "Dino Crisis Sucks"]]

The classic film example uses a loud brass horn, or a woman's scream. Jump Scares follow the law of diminishing returns: they're effective when accompanied by a slow build up of suspense, but using too many quickly turns them into a nuisance. Jump scares have been called lots of things: "cheap," "lazy," and "the lowest form of horror," because the jump caused by a suddenly loud noise is a physiological reaction you can't control, even when you're expecting it. The film critic Nigel Floyd refers to the occurrence of this in films as "cattle prod cinema" -- you're not being scared, just jolted. Not to say it can't be done right. When creators who ''do'' understand horror make use of the trope, they can do so to ''extremely'' good effect.

When used on its own in a WebOriginal, it can be known as a [[ScreamerPrank screamer or a prank]]. You know, the videos that encourage you to [[SchmuckBait turn up the stereo and/or examine the picture closely]]. Related to ShockSite, where the startlement and horror arises from unexpectedly viewing a disturbing image. Contrast SuddenSoundtrackStop, where the sudden ''lack'' of noise can be used for horror.

'''Administrivia/NoExamplesPlease We're just [[Administrivia/DefinitionOnlyPage defining the term.]] Especially Administrivia/NoVideoExamplesPlease If we ''did'' include examples, chances are we'd be sued for accidentally scaring some of our more delicate readers into the next life.'''

'''No examples, please. We're just defining the term. If we ''did'' include examples, chances are we'd be sued for accidentally scaring some of our more delicate readers into the next life, if you catch our drift. [[Administrivia/NoVideoExamplesPlease Even video examples ain’t exempt from this!]]'''

[[caption-width-right:344:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this. "MEOW!" might be scary if you happen to be a bird, but then if you are then what are you doing on TV Tropes, huh? [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing more important bird things?]][[/note]] ''[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/4175352901/ source]]'']]

If you’re scared by jump scares, then you must edit tv tropes

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%% Image and caption selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1363298331003285800
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
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[[quoteright:344:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/byJohnFish2_8101.png]]
[[caption-width-right:344:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this. "MEOW!" might be scary if you happen to be a bird, but then if you are then what are you doing on TV Tropes, huh? [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing more important bird things?]][[/note]] ''[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/4175352901/ source]]'']]

->''"Survival Horror" is a fancy way of saying "Monsters will come through windows."''
-->-- '''Gabe''', ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'', [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/1999/09/29/ "Dino Crisis Sucks"]]

Building up suspense without boring the audience is not easy. Whatever is a director to do? Jump scares to the rescue! Everyone knows what a jump scare is: it's the horror technique of having something happen unexpectedly and suddenly (usually something popping up out of nowhere). It's frequently accompanied by an [[ScareChord equally sudden loud noise]] to go with it, and often happens after a period of tension-building to ramp up the nerves of both the character(s) and audience and make the scare that much more effective for both.

The classic film example uses a loud brass horn, or a woman's scream. Jump Scares follow the law of diminishing returns: they're effective when accompanied by a slow build up of suspense, but using too many quickly turns them into a nuisance. Jump scares have been called lots of things: "cheap," "lazy," and "the lowest form of horror," because the jump caused by a suddenly loud noise is a physiological reaction you can't control, even when you're expecting it. The film critic Nigel Floyd refers to the occurrence of this in films as "cattle prod cinema" -- you're not being scared, just jolted. Not to say it can't be done right. When creators who ''do'' understand horror make use of the trope, they can do so to ''extremely'' good effect.

Sometimes overlaps with MirrorScare, ScreamerTrailer, SpringLoadedCorpse, PeekABooCorpse, TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath, NightmareFace, ScareChord, SurpriseCreepy, and LastNoteNightmare.

CatScare and BatScare are subtropes in which the scare itself is false but the jump effect is retained.

When used on its own in a WebOriginal, it can be known as a [[ScreamerPrank screamer or a prank]]. You know, the videos that encourage you to [[SchmuckBait turn up the stereo and/or examine the picture closely]]. Related to ShockSite, where the startlement and horror arises from unexpectedly viewing a disturbing image. Contrast SuddenSoundtrackStop, where the sudden ''lack'' of noise can be used for horror.

See also ChandlersLaw. Not to be confused with SurpriseJump.

'''No examples, please. We're just defining the term. If we ''did'' include examples, chances are we'd be sued for accidentally scaring some of our more delicate readers into the next life, if you catch our drift. [[Administrivia/NoVideoExamplesPlease Even video examples ain’t exempt from this!]]'''

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[[caption-width-right:344:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this. "MEOW!" might be scary if you happen to be a bird, but then if you are then what are you doing on TV Tropes, huh? [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife Shouldn't you be off somewhere doing more important bird things?]][[/note]] ''[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/4175352901/ source]]'']]

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Jesus Christ, how do you remove videos?