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Lecture 11:Lecture 11:What are the Parts thatWhat are the Parts that

Make Up the Whole?Make Up the Whole?

Professor Michael Green

Wedding Crashers (2005) Written by Steve Faber & Bob Fisher

Previous LessonPrevious Lesson

• Writing the End

• Revelation

• Climax and Resolution

• Writing Exercise # 9

Raging Bull (1980) Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin.

This LessonThis Lesson• Constructing the

Scene

• The Principles of Construction

• Techniques for Construction

• Writing Exercise # 10

Coming to America (1988) Written by Eddie Murphy (story) and David Sheffield & Barry W. Blaustein (screenplay)

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Constructing the SceneConstructing the Scene

Lesson 11: Part I

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) Written by Aline Brosh McKenna (screenplay) and Lauren Weisberger (novel)

Writing the SceneWriting the Scene• 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.

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Sticking to ProcessSticking to Process• 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.

Sticking to Process (Continued)Sticking to Process (Continued)• 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.

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Units of ActionUnits of Action• 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. 8

Action as MovementAction as Movement• Think of the action of the scene as

movement. The scenes move the action and the conflict of the story from beginning to end.

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Reservoir Dogs (1992) Written by Quentin Tarantino

The Action of a SceneThe Action of a Scene• The action of a scene must accomplish at

least one of three goals:

1. Advance the flow of events (the plot) toward its inevitable conclusion (climax/resolution).

2. Advance the audience’s understanding of the main characters by illuminating them through behavior.

3. Advance the audience’s understanding of the story by providing expository information.

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The Action of a Scene The Action of a Scene (Continued) (Continued)

• 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.

• If too many scenes fail to achieve one or more of the goals, the plot will crumble.

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The Principles of ConstructionThe Principles of Construction

Lesson 11: Part II

Touch of Evil (1958) Written by Whit Masterson (novel) and Orson Welles (screenplay)

Change within the SceneChange within the Scene• Within a scene, a character begins at a

definite place or with a definite understanding of the dramatic situation.

• At the end of the scene, that character or another is in a slightly different place, or has furthered her understanding of the conflict.

• Whichever it is, by the end of the scene something has been altered.

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Film Scenes vs. Theater ScenesFilm Scenes vs. Theater Scenes• Films, unlike plays and sit-coms, aren’t

made up of fully developed scenes. Films have both more freedom and more limitation.

• In the theater, the proscenium separates the audience from the play, but a play succeeds primarily for two reasons:

1. Because the spoken word moves the audience.

2. Because the actors establish a connection with the audience.

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Film vs. Theater (continued)Film vs. Theater (continued)• A movie also relies on dialogue and actors,

but the camera sits in place of the audience and gives it a view of anywhere it can go.

• It also uses the close-up, approximates realism, and transcends geography.

• 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.

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One Main Point per SceneOne Main Point per Scene• 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. 16

ExampleExample

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Citizen Kane (1941) Written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles

Stay FocusedStay Focused• 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. 18

Visual ActionsVisual Actions• 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.

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ExampleExample

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When Harry Met Sally (1989) Written by Nora Ephron

Drama through ActionsDrama through Actions• 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.

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Scene ProgressionScene Progression• 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. 22

The ButtonThe 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.

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Building the SceneBuilding the Scene• 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.

Scene Beginnings and EndsScene Beginnings and Ends• 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.

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SequenceSequence• 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

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Sequence (Continued)Sequence (Continued)• 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.27

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Techniques for ConstructionTechniques for Construction

Lesson 11: Part III

JFK (1991) Written by Jim Mars and Jim Garrison (books) and Oliver Stone & Zachary Skylar (screenplay)

TechniquesTechniques• 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.

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Starting OffStarting Off• Before writing a scene, spend a little time

thinking about it. Clarify the topic and the main point for yourself. You need to know:1. Who is in the scene?

2. Where will it play?

3. What do the characters want in the scene?

4. What is their relationship?

5. What do they need (the subtext) in the scene?

6. What are their attitudes?

7. Where is the conflict or tension coming from?30

Characters in the SceneCharacters in the Scene• 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.

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SettingSetting• 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.

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Setting (Continued)Setting (Continued)• 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.

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ExampleExample

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Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) Written by George Lucas

ExampleExample

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Star Wars: Episode III: Frolic in the Daisies (2008) Written by Michael Green

Goals and ObjectivesGoals and Objectives• 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. 36

Goals and Objectives Goals and Objectives (Continued)(Continued)

• 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.

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SubtextSubtext• 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.

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BusinessBusiness• 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.

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Business (Continued)Business (Continued)• Business can also:

– Lend physical movement to a scene

– Help define the characters

– Help the characters hide emotions

– Be funny and visually interesting

– Provide foreshadowing The Caine Mutiny (1954)

Written by Herman Wouk (novel) and Stanley Roberts (screenplay)

HumorHumor• 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.

EconomyEconomy• 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.

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AssignmentsAssignments

Lesson 11: Part IV

Jackie Browne (1997) Written by Elmore Leonard (novel) and Quentin Tarantino (screenplay)

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E-Board Post #1E-Board Post #1• 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?

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E-Board Post #2E-Board Post #2

• 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.

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Writing Exercise #10Writing Exercise #10You 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.

End of Lecture 11End of Lecture 11

Next Lecture: The Search

for the Perfect Line