Writing the scene is considered the fun part of screenwriting, the reward after all the hard work of inventing characters and putting together the plot.
Writing the scene is considered the fun part of screenwriting, the reward after all the hard work of inventing characters and putting together the plot.
Here the characters and story come alive and the screenwriter’s vision is realized.
Many writers like to skip preliminary steps and get right into writing scenes. They plan on working out the characters and plot as they go.
There is no set formula for writing a screenplay, and everyone must find his or her own best method for working.
There is no set formula for writing a screenplay, and everyone must find his or her own best method for working.
But jumping into a scene before the characters or plot is established can be disastrous for the beginning screenwriter.
Scenes are structured action – interconnected pieces – each one developing the drama and our knowledge of the characters. You can’t do justice to the pieces without understanding the whole.
No matter how good a scene is, if it doesn’t relate to those before and after, it cannot be successful in the context of the screenplay.
No matter how good a scene is, if it doesn’t relate to those before and after, it cannot be successful in the context of the screenplay.
Actors and filmmakers often lament having to eliminate a great scene because it’s not working in the overall story.
Writing a good scene is an art and it takes a lot of practice. As in all art, there are principles of composition, technique and a craft for execution.
A scene is a unit of action – a single event or exchange between characters, with unity of time and place.
A scene is a unit of action – a single event or exchange between characters, with unity of time and place.
It propels the plot forward, toward the climax and resolution.
If a plot can be thought of as the blueprint from which the film is designed, scenes are the basic building blocks, and theme is the mortar that holds everything together. The scenes should match the original blueprint as well as possible.
Think of the action of the scene as movement. The scenes move the action and the conflict of the story from beginning to end.
Think of the action of the scene as movement. The scenes move the action and the conflict of the story from beginning to end.
The action of a scene must accomplish at least one of three goals:
The action of a scene must accomplish at least one of three goals:
Advance the flow of events (the plot) toward its inevitable conclusion (climax/resolution).
Advance the audience’s understanding of the main characters by illuminating them through behavior.
Advance the audience’s understanding of the story by providing expository information.
Scenes are stronger when they utilize a combination of the first two goals
Scenes are stronger when they utilize a combination of the first two goals
As we saw earlier, providing exposition to the audience can be awkward. Adding conflict or physical movement to an expository scene will strengthen it.
Combining exposition with the first two goals will make it stronger still.
But no matter how interesting the scene is in using these techniques, it cannot play on and on. It must fit into the rhythm of the film.
The average length of a scene in a short film is one to three pages.
Every scene has one main point it wants to convey to the audience. The point can be:
Every scene has one main point it wants to convey to the audience. The point can be:
To show an incident or event in the development of the plot.
To show an aspect of character whose motivation the audience needs to understand.
To make the audience feel something.
To empathize with a character or abhor her.
To dramatize the emotional impact of actions.
To show the results of a character’s effort to achieve a goal.
Too many ideas going on in a scene will create problems with the audience, who will be confused about what to pay attention to and lose track of the story progression.
Too many ideas going on in a scene will create problems with the audience, who will be confused about what to pay attention to and lose track of the story progression.
Your scene must multitask – that is accomplish a variety of goals simultaneously – however other issues in the scene must complement and not obscure the main point.
Create separate scenes for each important story point to illuminate each ideas separately.
It is a screenwriter’s job to consider what is visually interesting and exciting in a scene.
It is a screenwriter’s job to consider what is visually interesting and exciting in a scene.
Showing characters in movement, physically doing interesting things is better for film than the talking actors of the stage or the “talking heads” of television.
Strong actions are always better than static states. Don’t have your characters talk about it if you can show it.
Dramatizing a story through the character’s actions instead of through dialogue tends to deepen audience involvement.
Dramatizing a story through the character’s actions instead of through dialogue tends to deepen audience involvement.
When characters do more and talk less in a scene, the audience must interpret what those actions mean.
The writer must drop hints about motivation, but when characters tell too much about themselves or the story, audiences tend to tune out or disbelieve them.
Just as action in a screenplay builds to the most dramatic point – the climax – the movement in the scene must build from the least important to the most important.
Just as action in a screenplay builds to the most dramatic point – the climax – the movement in the scene must build from the least important to the most important.
If the significant point is given at the beginning of the scene, all that follows will be anti-climactic and instead of growth, amplification or development in the drama, there will be a letdown for the audience. Once the main point is made, the scene is over.
Every good scene has a point where the substance or action begins. This is sometimes referred to as the button.
Every good scene has a point where the substance or action begins. This is sometimes referred to as the button.
A few lines of dialogue or a few seconds of visuals may set the scene, but once hit, the action (struggle or conflict) starts.
A button functions like the inciting incident in a plot; it gets things moving, sending the line of action toward the main point.
From the scene’s introduction, a progression builds to what the point of the scene is: plot development, character revelation or sometimes just a funny line after a piece of exposition.
From the scene’s introduction, a progression builds to what the point of the scene is: plot development, character revelation or sometimes just a funny line after a piece of exposition.
The middle of the scene usually shows the struggle or conflict involved as the main character of the scene attempts to achieve something important.
There may be a reversal, but the action is always headed towards a scene climax.
Beginning and ending a scene are sometimes the most difficult parts of writing it, since where it begins or ends does not usually correspond with a traditional entrance or exit, as you might get in a play.
Beginning and ending a scene are sometimes the most difficult parts of writing it, since where it begins or ends does not usually correspond with a traditional entrance or exit, as you might get in a play.
The beginning of a scene might be built into the scene preceding it and the end of a scene might be built into the following scene.
Using more than one scene to illustrate a focused action is an example of a sequence.
Sequences are groups of scenes built around a single idea, incident or event in which the locations change but the focus of the action remains the same.
The wedding in The Godfather
The graduation party in Say Anything
Most chase scenes
Often whole sections of short films are built by grouping scenes around the development of a single idea that shows its progression.
Often whole sections of short films are built by grouping scenes around the development of a single idea that shows its progression.
A scene sequence in a short film is a way to avoid an overly episodic or incidental feel to your story.
Characters reveal themselves slowly over a number of scenes, which adds suspense to the unfolding of their character arc.
Many short films are one scene sequence.
Some screenwriters are naturally better at writing scenes than others; still, few scenes come into being fully formed.
Some screenwriters are naturally better at writing scenes than others; still, few scenes come into being fully formed.
Good scenes are the product of careful planning, hard work and reworking.
Successful screenwriters tend to utilize particular techniques when composing their scenes. Discovering these techniques can save the beginning screenwriter lots of time and anguish.
Before writing a scene, spend a little time thinking about it. Clarify the topic and the main point for yourself. You need to know:
Before writing a scene, spend a little time thinking about it. Clarify the topic and the main point for yourself. You need to know:
Who is in the scene?
Where will it play?
What do the characters want in the scene?
What is their relationship?
What do they need (the subtext) in the scene?
What are their attitudes?
Where is the conflict or tension coming from?
Be careful to avoid clichés and subvert stereotypes when writing characters and their interactions.
Be careful to avoid clichés and subvert stereotypes when writing characters and their interactions.
Additional characters in a scene, beyond the primary ones can also be valuable.
The main characters can play off the minor ones for comedic or dramatic purposes.
Minor characters can provide a counterpoint to the main characters or reinforce them.
A scene’s locale, including time, season and weather, contributes to creating and maintaining atmosphere and mood.
A scene’s locale, including time, season and weather, contributes to creating and maintaining atmosphere and mood.
The skilled writer takes advantage of what’s available in the stetting for the characters to relate to and use.
Giving a character scenery to connect to or physical props to put into his hands enlivens the scene and increases its level of reality.
Beginning writers often don’t give enough thought to their setting, using the first locale that comes into their minds.
Beginning writers often don’t give enough thought to their setting, using the first locale that comes into their minds.
But setting can enhance dramatic value by offering characters opportunities to engage in revealing activities.
It can reflect their mood and emotions as well as the film’s theme.
In every scene, the characters have their scene goals and objectives, though a scene objective does not have to be exactly the same as the overall story objective.
In every scene, the characters have their scene goals and objectives, though a scene objective does not have to be exactly the same as the overall story objective.
A scene sometimes exists to show how information has affected a character, which deepens characterization.
The characters of main importance in a scene often have conflicting wants and the protagonist often conflicts with others beside the antagonist.
If it is a scene goal, it is generally connected to the character’s want. It if is a scene objective, it may be related to his need.
If it is a scene goal, it is generally connected to the character’s want. It if is a scene objective, it may be related to his need.
Remember, a character’s conscious wants often conflict with their unconscious needs, and it’s important to discover if this can be a source of conflict within the scene.
What the character needs in the scene usually relates to the subtext. This is what is going on beneath the surface words and actions.
What the character needs in the scene usually relates to the subtext. This is what is going on beneath the surface words and actions.
Subtext is often reflected in character attitudes, and these attitudes don’t always have to be overtly shown
An impending action also might influence the behavior of a character.
In a scene the personal actions of a character are referred to as business.
In a scene the personal actions of a character are referred to as business.
These are specific actions such as pouring a drink, eating an apple, fixing a meal, smoking a cigarette, and so on.
Day to day activities help create a sense of reality on the screen, since people seldom sit in head to head dialogue except in very specific situations.
Anywhere humor fits naturally into a screenplay, a writer should consider using it regardless of genre, though the humor should be organic to the situation in the scene, and not merely an excuse to be funny.
Anywhere humor fits naturally into a screenplay, a writer should consider using it regardless of genre, though the humor should be organic to the situation in the scene, and not merely an excuse to be funny.
Even the darkest tragedies benefit from comic relief to relieve emotional intensity and give the story some balance.
After all, films are entertainment.
It is an unwritten law that films must move.
It is an unwritten law that films must move.
Every scene must advance the action, every line be purposeful.
So be economical in your writing, whether it’s dialogue, action, or description.
One way to do this is to enter the scene at the latest possible moment and leave it as soon as its goal is accomplished.
The great writer always finds ways to say more with less.
Watch the short film from the lesson, Love and Respect, and analyze one scene from the movie. How does the scene build and what is the main point of the scene?
Watch the short film from the lesson, Love and Respect, and analyze one scene from the movie. How does the scene build and what is the main point of the scene?
Discuss one of your favorite scenes from a feature film in terms of some of the concepts for creating scenes we’ve discussed in this lesson. Now that you understand more about how scene works, explain why you like this scene so much.
Discuss one of your favorite scenes from a feature film in terms of some of the concepts for creating scenes we’ve discussed in this lesson. Now that you understand more about how scene works, explain why you like this scene so much.
You should now be in the rewriting stage of your screenplay. Choose one scene and rewrite it in terms of the concepts we’ve discussed in this lesson. You might inject humor, give your character bits of business, make the subtext more evident and so on.
You should now be in the rewriting stage of your screenplay. Choose one scene and rewrite it in terms of the concepts we’ve discussed in this lesson. You might inject humor, give your character bits of business, make the subtext more evident and so on.
