What makes a great scene? "- You're talking to me? " - Sometimes it's a performance.
"- I've abandoned my child. " A shot. Or a perfectly placed song.
While there is no exact formula to achieve a great scene there are several elements that can ensure you're headed in the right direction. This is 'The Anatomy of a Great Scene'. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe and click the bell to stay up to date on all of our filmmaking videos.
"- Will you'll come back tomorrow? " - We will be spoiling the following movies. Now, let's get started.
"- Okay, let's go. - Sir? " - Scenes are crucial to any narrative film.
"- What's the most you ever lost in a coin toss? " - In his book, 'The Craft of Scene Writing' Jim Mercurio defines a scene as such, 'A small unit of story unified by time and space which encapsulates a single action and culminates in a change. The change should involve both the story and the character.
In other words, scenes are the basic building blocks of a narrative. Together, they make the change that occurs in the story feel organic and believable. "- I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
" - Alone each scene must serve its own point. In filmmaking, it can be helpful to think of a scene as its own short movie. Many of the factors that are crucial to making a great film are similar to the factors that can make a great scene.
And just as movies can be broken up into scenes, scenes can be divided into beats. Small emotional shifts that occur throughout a sequence. "- You're sheltering enemies of the state, are you not?
- Yes. " - Moving a scene through its own beginning, middle, and end. In this video, we'll be looking at the basic anatomy of scenes.
The universal elements which form the core structure the technical aspects such as cinematography and editing can build on. Let's look at some of the universal elements beginning with conflict. "- You want to fight me -.
. . for her?
- Was that not clear? " - Most great scenes have some sort of conflict. "- Or whatever it is, it's got to get by us.
" - A character or group of characters has a goal. "- . .
. I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity. .
. . .
. and return to your place of origin. .
. . .
. or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension. " - And there is an obstacle preventing them from achieving it.
Some of the most obvious conflicts are physical. A character needs to fight another character. Shoot another character.
Or simply get from point A to point B. There is also verbal conflict when two or more characters are in the way of others' goals whether they know it or not. "- Reliving the glory days is better than acting like they didn't happen.
- Yes, they happened. But this our family is what's happening now, Bob. " - In this scene from "Good Will Hunting", Will is needling Sean.
His goal is to get out of a mandatory therapy session as quickly as possible. "- What do you bench? - 285.
What do you bench? - You paint that? " - At first, Sean doesn't take the insults too seriously.
"- It's a real piece of sh*t. Oh. Well, tell me what you really think?
" - Until Will crosses a line. "- Maybe you married the wrong woman. - Maybe you should watch your mouth.
- Is she, you know, banging some other guy? - If you ever disrespect my wife again, I will end you. " - The explosion is a payoff of the simmering tension created from the underlying conflict in the exchange.
And through deliberate shot composition. As the argument gets more and more heated, director Gus Van Sant opts for tighter and tighter shots until the two characters are right on top of each other in the same frame. Conflict can also originate from a character's environment.
In "Parasite", the characters are forced to contend with a massive flood. Which gets in the way of their larger goals. And informs the themes of class conflict in the film.
Conflict can also come from within. Internal conflict can complicate scenes where characters may otherwise be in sync. In this scene from "Vertigo", Judy is doing everything Scotty is asking but both characters are experiencing internal conflict.
"- Well. . .
- It should be back from your face and pinned at the neck. I told her that. I told you that.
- We tried it. It just didn't seem to suit me. " - Judy is tortured by keeping a secret from the man she loves.
"- Please, Judy. " - And Scotty is tortured with the thought that he'll never truly be able to recreate the woman he loved. Hitchcock emphasizes this internal conflict by lingering on Scotty and slowing down the scene's pace.
By focusing on this internal conflict, even the kiss feels bittersweet. Conflict for conflict's sake is not enough to achieve a great scene. The conflict needs to inform the larger arc of the story.
"- What's your plan after that? - Buy my wife. Buy freedom.
" - And without sufficient stakes a conflict might feel empty. "- Well, apparently that's where your wife is. And that's the repellent gentleman who was with her.
" - What happens if the outcome of the scene doesn't work in a character's favor. "- Them motherf*ckers ain't hereto buy no Mandingos. " - The dinner table conversation in "Django Unchained" is so tense because the audience has seen how cruel Calvin can be.
"- Finish him. " - And how hard Django and Schultz have worked to get this far. "- Auf Wiedersehen.
" - We know both characters and the sum total of their efforts are in grave danger. Their plan has crumbled and their lives are at risk. "- Hey!
Now lay your palms flat on that tabletop! If you lift those palms off that turtle shell tabletop, Mr Pooch is gonna let loose with both barrels of that sawed-off. " - Of course, a good conflict relies on good characters which is why many great scenes contribute to character development.
"- Jack. Please, help me. " Most great narrative films have memorable complex characters.
"- Here I come. Here I come. " - Thus many great scenes contribute to the development of those characters.
"- All right make a promise to yourself you're gonna stop f*cking drinking. " - Whether it be establishing who they are or showing them change from who they were. "- That's was the best acting I've ever seen in my whole life.
- Thank you. " This scene in "Goodfellas" establishes two iconic characters. The scene has several distinct beats as Tommy vacillates between a good-time entertainer.
"- Bing, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to go fuck your mother. " - And a menacing gangster.
"- This really funny. - What do you mean, I'm funny? " - Each beat is abundantly clear and makes the tension in the scenes palpable.
"- But, I'm funny, how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you?
- Get the fuck out of here, Tommy. You motherf*cker! I almost had him!
" - By the end of the sequence, we understand the nature of each man. It's only in hindsight that we understand the scene's importance in both characters' arcs. Tommy's volatility will be his demise.
"- Come on don't be like that. - What do you mean don't be like that? " And Henry's people-pleasing attitude will get him deeper into trouble.
"- You really are a funny guy. " - In "Heat", Michael Mann uses a long-awaited showdown to build the backstories of each of his protagonists. The two men may be on opposite sides of the law but in the end, they're more similar than different.
"- I do what I do best. I take scores. You do what you do best try to stop guys like me.
" - They realize this and are therefore able to describe the motives and background of the other. "- So you never wanted a regular type life? - This regular type life that your life?
- My life. . .
No, my life. . .
No, my life's a disaster song. " - We leave the scene understanding why they are who they are. "- I don't know how to do anything else.
- Neither do I. " - And why the final battle will be between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. "- If it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down.
- There's a flip side to that coin. What if you do got me boxed in and I gotta put you down? Because no matter what you will not get my way.
" - This exchange from "Manchester by the Sea" shows two characters' arcs intersecting. "- Hi. - Hi.
" Lee is plagued with guilt after accidentally causing the death of his and Randy's children. Now divorced, Randy attempts to rehash old wounds with Lee. "- I've said a lot of terrible things to you.
- No. " - For her this is a crucial moment in her journey to make peace with Lee. "- I'm so sorry.
- I. . .
I. . .
- I love you. " - Meanwhile, Lee's ark is one of coming to terms with his past. And this conversation shows he has a long way to go.
"- I've got to go I'm sorry. " - Character development in a scene can take many forms. But if your character isn't informed at all by your scene it may just be dispensable.
"- I got the results of the test back. I definitely have breast cancer. " - And just as the character's development is important to a sequence so is its function in the plot.
"- Why don't you just call me? Say my name. - Tyler Durden.
Tyler Durden, you f*cking prick. " - By its very nature, a scene must work in the context of the film it appears in. "- You broke your promise.
" - A good way to guarantee this is to make sure the scene informs the larger plotline of the movie. "- Why would anyone possibly confuse you with me. - Because we're the same person.
- That's right. " - A scene may only subtly push a plot forward. As in this sequence from "In the Mood for Love" which sent us on a small glance indicating the characters are slowly orbiting closer to one another.
Some scenes however are more overtly consequential. Screenwriting Guru Robert McKee called scenes which calls slightly more significant change 'Sequence Climaxes'. This sequence from "A Star is Born" comes after Jackson and Ali have just met and spent an entire night together.
"- This is supposed to help me? " - It becomes a crucial step in Jackson and Ali's relationship. Initially, she seems reluctant to go along with Jackson's flirtations.
"- Hey, I got a gig. You want to come? - When?
- We're headed to the airport now. - Tonight? No, I can't.
I gotta go to work later and I gotta go to bed. " - But once she exits the car, Jackson gives it one last try. "- Hey!
- What? - I just want to take another look at you. " - Ali is won over.
It's a small moment but one which speaks volumes to their relationship. And could be categorized by McKee as the climax of a longer sequence. A scene can also contain even larger plot points like a revealed secret.
"- I see dead people. " - Or a game-changing twist. "- I am your father.
" - McKee calls these types of moments in scripts 'Act Climaxes'. Scenes with major ramifications for the plot. Act climaxes are often emphasized through other filmmaking techniques.
In "The Searchers", director John Ford highlights the inciting incident of the impending raid with high-contrast lighting and a push-in. McKee calls this moment the 'Turning Point'. As he writes, 'The effects of turning points are fourfold.
Surprise, Increased Curiosity, Insight, and New Direction. This moment in "The Searchers" provides all four McKee tenets. It's a surprising shift in tone.
Our curiosity is peaked since we don't know what is about to happen. We gain insight into the dangers of colonizing the frontier. And the film has taken a new direction.
The family is killed and little Debbie is kidnapped. Now the rest of the plot will follow Ethan on his rampage for vengeance. This scene is also an example of another important element to any scene blocking and staging.
"- Ma, the days are getting shorter. - Lucy, we don't need a lamp yet. Let's just enjoy the dusk.
" Blocking refers to the movement of actors while staging refers to the movement and placement of the camera. Blocking and staging can make a scene dynamic and engaging. And elevate a good scene to a great one.
Even the simplest blocking can have an enormous impact on a sequence. In this scene from "Citizen Kane", Orson Welles uses blocking to indicate power dynamics. At first, Thatcher towers over Kane as he lectures him on his newspaper.
"- I came to see you about this campaign of yours. " - When he sits, the camera lowers and Kane begins to insert himself. "- Still the college boy, aren't you?
- Oh, no, MrThatcher. I was expelled from college. A lot of colleges, you remember.
" - Then Kane delivers a final blow sitting up higher in his seat while the camera pushes in. "- I am the publisher of The Inquirer. As such it's my duty and I'll let you in on a little secret.
It's also my pleasure. To see to what the decent hard-working people in this community aren't robbed blind by a pack of money-mad pirates. " - When the two stand, it is now Kane who looks down on Thatcher.
He has won the argument and the blocking has indicated this shift in power elevating the drama of the scene. Of course, characters don't have to move for a scene to be great. That's where ingenious staging can come into play.
This scene from "All the President's Men" remains visually dynamic through cinematographer Gordon Willis's use of a split diopter which allows for both Woodward and his colleagues in the background to be in focus. Seeing everyone focused on a different story in the background reminds us that initially Woodward was one of only a few people who cared about the Watergate scandal. As the camera pushes in and the focus centers on Woodward, we understand through his reaction that he has made an important discovery.
"- Mr MacGregor. . .
Mr Dahlberg. . .
I'm sorry. Thank you very much. " - As Steven Spielberg so often illustrates skillful blocking and staging is important for longer takes.
Shifting our attention from character to character based on camera and actor movement rather than editing between static shots. "- No one builds children. No one ever has.
What would be the point? - It could be a custom job some rich and lonely scaredy puzzles pretend child. - I'm a custom job.
" - In "Singing in the Rain" directors Gene Kelly and Stanley Donan wanted to capture the joy of finding new inspiration. To do so, they use the dynamic movement of both character and camera to make full use of their settings. Here Don's Dance number interacts with the lamp pole, the rain, the curb, extras, and more.
The camera meanwhile stays wide and is motivated by Don's movement in order to let the audience take in the dancing. But in key moments it pushes in to emphasize Don's expressions. No matter the amount of movement you're planning for a sequence blocking should be a chief consideration.
"- Hi, hi, there. " - Now, let's look at a film which uses all of the four elements we've mentioned to create a truly great scene. Clarice and Hannibal Lecter's meeting in Jonathan Demi's "Silence of the Lambs" written by Ted Talley and based on the novel by Thomas Harris.
"- Good morning. " - The FBI is actively searching for a serial killer named Buffalo Bill. Agent in-training Clarice Starling is tasked with interviewing Hannibal Lecter for information that may help them solve the case.
"- We're interviewing all the serial killers now in custody for a cycle behavioral profile. See the one we want most refuses to cooperate. I want you to go after him again to Danny Asylum.
- Who's the subject? - Psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. - Hannibal the cannibal.
" - The conflict of the scene is deceptively simple. "- I'm here to learn from you. Maybe you can decide for yourself whether or not I'm qualified enough to do that?
" - Clarice needs to get information from Lecter and Lecter wants to get into her head. "- Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling? Throw me with your acumen.
- It excites him. " - Each line of dialogue is motivated by these goals which initially are in conflict. "- I'm only asked you to look at this doctor.
Either you will or you won't. - Yeah. " - The scene crucial to Clarice's character development.
While it may seem that she has been vested by Lecter, she has also learned a lot about how he works and how she needs to approach him next time. "- Oh, Agent Starling, you think you can dissect me with this blunt, little tool? " - Lecter's character is developed as well.
He is established as a genius sociopath. "- You know what you look like to me with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube.
" - And over the course of the scene, he comes to believe Clarice may be his way back to freedom. In terms of plot function, it is a key scene that fits McKee's definition as an 'Act Climax'. Act 1 establishes our protagonist and what she's up against.
After this encounter, the narrative moves into its second act. Clarice and Lecter begin a twisted partnership and the hunt for Buffalo Bill begins. "- It rubs the lotion on its skin.
It does this whenever it's told. " - These complicated character dynamics are enhanced by the blocking and staging. "- Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.
- I didn't. - No. You ate yours.
" - The blocking of the scene is intricately related to the power dynamic and emotions between the characters. In the beginning, Lecter forces Clarice to get nearer. "- Closer, please.
Closer. " - Heightening the sense of danger and indicating he's the one in control. Then Clarice takes a seat while Hannibal remains standing.
"- Now, then. Tell me, what did Miggs say to you? " - Hannibal towers over her, and Clarice is shot from a higher angle making her look less powerful.
By filming him in close-ups where he looks almost directly at the camera, Demi also heightens Lecter's dominance. When Clarice oversteps. .
. "- Why don't you look at yourself and write down what you see? " - .
. . Lector is finished with her and turns away.
"- You fly back to school now, little Starling. Fly, fly, fly. " - When Lecter finally gives Clarice some information they are side by side with Hannibal pressed against the glass.
Seeing them in the same frame solidifies their partnership. "- Now listen carefully. Look deep within yourself, Clarice Starling.
Go seek out Miss Mofet, an old patient of mine. M-o-f-e-t. Go now.
I don't think Miggs could manage again quite so soon, even though he is crazy. Go now! " - Jonathan Demi and the rest of "The Silence of the Lamb's" team expertly use all four elements to create one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
"- A census-taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans, and a nice Chianti. " - Scenes come in a myriad of shapes and sizes.
But the core storytelling elements of conflict, character development, plot function. . .
"- What are you doing here? -What are you doing here? " - .
. . and blocking can help you craft a scene that packs a punch.
Ready to write the next great scene? "- Oh, yes. I would love to.
" - Get started with StudioBinder's screenwriting software. And remember to subscribe and click the bell to stay up to date on all our filmmaking videos. "- You know I don't want to miss out on one.
" - That's all for now.
