In my nascent screenwriting years, I flew west and attended seminars, workshops, and pitch fests. Of course, the time period–two decades ago–mandated in-person commitments way before zoom became a viable option. Undoubtedly, the demands and dynamics of the movie and tv industry changed in the last twenty years. But what about actual storytelling? Has it changed with the imposing influence of AI? Now, as a writer, I can plug in as many or little details for AI to churn out a feature length script, query letter, press release, or whatever else I need to deliver the goods. But what’s the ultimate satisfaction if not starting with the blank page? Admittedly, research is streamlined with AI assistance. And there are many other applications that don’t seem to compromise creative legitimacy or integrity. But that’s a conversation and argument for another time.
So, I reflect on what I’ve learned from luminaries in the screenwriting world and share advice and learnings from the likes of Karl Igleseias, author of two best-selling books, “The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters” and “Writing for Emotional Impact.” He’s also a story consultant, script doctor, teacher, and key note speaker extraordinaire! His current website’s headline “Don’t Be Boring,” says it all. In my next two blogs, I’ll share his professional advice on the topic “Key Elements of a Dramatic Scene “ that filled a few stationery pages from the Mariott Los Angeles Airport. Take what works for you and leave the rest behind.
Key Elements of a Dramatic Scene:
- Purpose of the scene: Think about preplanning a scene;
- Location: Where the scene takes place;
- Time of Day: When does the scene take place;
- Weather: Emotional response, if a scene is not working
Scene Character:
- Whose scene is it? The person who wants something badly (NOTE: North by Northwest, the antagonist played by actor James Mason);
- What are the character’s previous emotions and attitudes?
- What does each character WANT in the scene?
- The main conflict;
- Stakes and Crucibles: What is at stake for the characters?
- Character Choices and Actions: Beats are mini-scenes in a scene. Each beat in a scene is to mine strategy
Exposition: How much do you want to reveal?
Subtext: On-the-nose dialogue, very amateur
Scene Structure: Well written scene has three-act structure with a climax!
Beat: Action/reaction, i.e. “Until I either get or not get what I want.”
Scene Polarity: If you start scene in a negative charge, you should end in a positive charge.
Chase-and-Escape vs. Chase-and-Capture: Character gets what he or she wants.
My takeaway – When I reread my notes, I remember Karl Iglesias and his dynamic presentation. He drilled down his points to the bare minimum of words and left the mpression of the key elements to consider when constructing a scene. His clear and concise method of teaching resonates twenty years later, and I’m still learning from his approach to writing a script.
In the next blog, “Description and Dialogue,” Karl Iglesias talked about “Crafting the Fascinating Scene.” Till then, happy writing. And remember that each scene is a mini-story!