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16[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4175352901_7feb44b164_o.png]]
17[[caption-width-right:350:"MEOW!" [[note]]A real jump scare would be scary, so we put this instead.[[/note]]\
18[-[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnfish/4175352901/ Photo by John&Fish]], used under [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]] license.]]-]
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20Building 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.
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22The 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. [[TropesAreTools 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.
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24Sometimes overlaps with MirrorScare, ScreamerTrailer, SpringLoadedCorpse, PeekABooCorpse, TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath, NightmareFace, ScareChord, and LastNoteNightmare.
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26CatScare and BatScare are subtropes in which the scare itself is false but the jump effect is retained.
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28When 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 arise from unexpectedly viewing a disturbing image. Contrast SuddenSoundtrackStop, where the sudden ''lack'' of noise can be used for horror.
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30See also ChandlersLaw. Not to be confused with SurpriseJump.
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32'''Administrivia/NoExamplesPlease! Since it's highly common not just in video games, but even outside the horror genre as a SurprisinglyCreepyMoment, we're just [[Administrivia/NoOnPageExamples letting the examples be off-page instead.]] 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.'''
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