Building a scene

Building a scene!

Shot's build the scenes. Scenes according to how they're organised/ arranged build the plot as well as story for the 'Narrative' 

When it comes to building a scene, a lot of different shots are used by the editor to create a sequence. Shots are generally put together into sequences but then are turned into a collection of scenes. The difference between a good and bad film that the use of shots and how they are turned into a scene, and then how they are ordered together. 

Moving the Story Forward:
Every scene should be, in some way, set up by the previous scene, and should move the story forward for both the plot and the development of the characters. Each scene sets up the next scene, until the screenplay reaches its climax. This cause and effect relationship hooks in the audience. Every scene should have a payoff - can think of this as being the:

Constructing a scene:
Scenes should be made as tight as possible.
- Guidelines for scene construction:

A scene should be begun as close to its end as possible. It should increase either the drama or the comedic effect. It shouldn't include anything superfluous. A scene's length should not run more than two pages. Action scenes should be contrasted with dialogue scenes; heavy scenes with light scenes. The audience needs time to breath: varying the texture of scenes afford them this. 

Pacing:
As a writer builds towards the climax of the screenplay, the pacing of scenes should increase or decrease accordingly. 

What the mood should entail within a scene:
Each scene should convey a sense of the dominant mood or emotion.
This can be tied into the character's goal, emotional state, and attitude at that particular moment. Tying what the character thinks and feels and what he/ she wants out of the particular unit of action the scene encompasses will give the scene direction and the dialogue subtext.

SHOWING VS. TELLING
Avoid using talking heads to move the story forward, for exposition of the plot, or even backstory. Always use visuals over straight dialogue. Film-making's strongest draw is what we can see on screen, using strong visuals will have greater impact. 

Conflict:
Some sort of conflict should always exist, even in less dramatic scenes. The conflict can be subtle; there should be enough emotional subtext to make it interesting. 

When filming it is important to use more visuals then dialogue to tell the overall story this can be more appealing to the audience and engage them more. Lastly there must be some sort of conflict that the character must overcome.