The trick is to let the room breathe and then whisper the danger. I start with a quiet beat—no dialogue, just the hum of a projector or a ticking clock. Then I drop a single, almost invisible detail that feels off, like a cracked frame or a stray light. Every pause before that detail is a breadcrumb. I let the audience fill in the blank, so when the reveal finally hits, it’s a jolt of “Oh, that was the cue.” Timing is all about that space between what you show and what you expect, so give them a taste of suspense and let the silence do the rest.