How to determine a scene?

M

myCharlie

Well-known member
I'm very new to screenwrite. After reading through the http://www.screenwriting.info/ page from the Screenwrite FAQ thread, I have a couple of questions.

How do I determine a scene or an act? As for copy right, if my script is not in English, how do I submit them for copy right? If I have two version of the same script, one in English and another in my native language, do I submit both and pay for both or just one?
 
Here's a really basic distinction.

Values change within a scene without effecting the plot. Some scenes have major plot points (events that you would highlight in the synopsis). These major plot points usually change the direction of the story.
 
Acts and scenes

Acts and scenes

An act is an integral part of the strucure and, traditionally anyways, a screenplay will follow a three act structure. Act one is the Setup, act two is the Main Conflict, and act three is the Resolution.

The overall 'traditional' story should have a beginning, middle and end. The end of act one should flow into act two, and the end of act two should flow into act three, all seamlessly.

Basic.

A scene is a basic building block, or unit of action, to achieve coherence and advance the story. Each scene should also have a beginning, middle, and end. Several scenes strung together are called a sequence, also with a beginning, middle, and end.

A car chase for example, will be made up of several scenes. There will be a set up as to why there is a chase, there will be the actual chase, and how it affects main and peripheral characters, and there will be an end to the chase.

An interior shot of the driver trying to navigate a narrow alley will be one scene. When the car bursts through a fence and into a fruit stand (required), that will be another scene. Police cars in pursuit will be another scene. These are all strung together to form the chase sequence. The chase sequence is part of one of the acts, and the story as a whole.

a


www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com
 
Many thanks for the responses. Alex, thanks so much for the detail explanation and examples. At this stage, I'm trying to get my hands on has much information as I can about screenwriting. I appreciate every bit of information you or this forum provides.
 
The most important thing as a screenwriter is to have a good story to tell. Without that no amount of knowledge of the screenwriting trade will get you anywhere.

The term scene is a bit nebulous but Knoxworth's description is as good as any. I would add that it's absolutely imperative to know why every scene exists, what purpose it serves. That doesn't mean that the scene has to advance the plot or fill in details about the characters, the purpose could just be that it's funny. You have to know as the writer so you can determine if the value it brings justifies the cost of it's existence.

The screenwriter needs to be concerned with the flow from one scene to the next and how the audience will perceive this flow. What the audience's experience will be is the important thing to consider - where you've decide the boundaries between acts are is not something the audience will necessarily even notice, much in the way that you don't notice your childhood is over until it's years behind you. Acts are a pretty good way to talk about a story's flow but that's necessarily after the viewing experience has occurred.

As far as submitting something for copyright: This is the government officially recognizing you as the originator of a piece of work so that if someone steals it you have a feasible means of retaliation. This being the case I think you could submit either and still have a case in court if somebody were to translate your script into a second language and steal it.
 
myCharlie, if you are new to screenwriting- get this book:

The Elements of Screenwriting
by Irwin R. Blacker

Also, read Aristotle's Poetics. With those two together, you'll have a better grip on everything you need to know about screenwriting.

-Zach
 
what determines a scene is easy
A scene = one location, and ideally, one story telling point
i.e., "Joe has a drinking problem"
or
"Joe loves his kids"
or
"Joe is afraid of doorknobs"

You might get away with"
"Joe has a drinking problem but really loves his kids."

but probably not:
"Joe has a drinking problem, but really loves his kids, and he's afraid of doorknobs."

It might come up that he is afraid of doorknobs in the "drinking problem but kid loving scene", but if that is an essential point you and you make it along with the other(s) then the scene may become unclear or you may waste time with segues when you could just start a new scene with a new point. The axiom is "get in early and get out early" meaning start the scene as late as possible and end it as early as possible.

But again, if you change locations, that's a new scene.


To horribly over simplify 3 act structure:
ACT1 (Beginning)
Introduces the characters and their problems.
By the end of act one something changes and the main character now has a goal or challenge that they will pursue.

ACT2 (middle)
complictations and obstacles arise.
a big scene happens in the middle that will be second in impact or the memorableness only to the climax in the third act.
the fallout of this middle scene leads to more complications which cause act two to end on a dark note for our main character. all seems lost. the goal he or she set forth to achieve at the end of act one seems impossible now. Act 2 transitions to Act 3 when the character either strengthens their resolve (for some reason) or something changes that allows the character to go for a different goal than what he/she set out for at the beginning or to get the original goal via some new avenue or way of attacking it. This is the 2nd turning point.

ACT 3 (end)
Builds to the climax. This is where it all comes to a head. It's the final show down and how it turns out will determine the character's success or failure in achieving his or her goal. After the climax, depending on the genre you will either wrap things up fairly quickly or very quickly.


Acts are not labeled in a screenplay.

There are lots of screenplays from famous movies which you can read for free online. I suggest you give that a whirl.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top