Providing and Withholding Information

Often editors will show someone looking at something, but with hold what it is that the person is looking at. They will then withhold this information for the audience. This will build tension to the scene. For example, the shot is in a close up of someones face and this person is astonished at what they can see, but then it cuts to a different shot, or scene that is about something else happening in the film, make the audience want to know what that was person was shocked about.