CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scary movies are a classic Halloween tradition for some, but a popular technique used to scare folks in films is slowly going away.
Horror film fanatics say a common way to scare the audience is becoming almost comedic to viewers.
For years, movie makers have commonly used something called a jump scare to frighten the viewer. It's a technique that involves a sudden change in image or event, often corresponding with a loud sound.
Jump scares peaked from the 1970s to the early 2000s, with cult classics using jump scares every couple minutes.
But, they're slowly going away.
The number of jump scares in movies has dropped since 2014, hitting a near-20-year low in 2021.
Experts say today's horror lovers can easily recognize the set-up for a scare. It can be almost comedic to viewers, so, producers have to become more creative. This means less time spent on the big scares.
Today's thrillers focus more on tension building and grabbing the viewer psychologically with scares that linger well after the jump.
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