Good scenes are comprised of meaningful dramatic beats. The general function of any scene, we are reminded, is to provide the reader or audience with essential information about the plot and characters not only to be able to follow the story, but to be able to be captured by it too.

The specific purpose of a scene is determined by what sort and how much information to provide. To do so effectively the writer has to understand that beats are organized under different headings depending on the approach used: Is it Vogler’s The Hero’s Journey? Is it Snyder’s Save the Cat? In this article, let’s mention the slightly looser, but freer scheme codified by Syd Field: Here, the beats go by names such as the introduction to the protagonist’s ordinary world, the inciting incident, pinches, turning points, mid-point, climax, and resolution.

The purpose of the inciting incident, for example, is to kick-start the story. The  first turning point’s function is to turn the story from act one to act two. Act two contains mounting conflict as well as two ‘pinches’—these are short scenes placed near the beginning and end of the act that remind us of what the story is about. The midpoint is a scene in which protagonists consider whether they should continue their struggle in pursuit of the goal, despite explosive and mounting odds. The second turning point beat towards the end of act two is to transition the story into act three, leading to the climax and resolution.

Identifying scenes in this way highlights their specific function and tells us where they slot into the story. Particular scenes, therefore, allow us to map information in the right place along the trajectory of the story.

“Generally, good scenes should start late and finish early, meaning that scenes should not contain excess fat. A scene should fulfill its function and end, allowing the next scene to perform its function and end.”

Scenes should also adhere to the genre stylistics of the story. Stylistics inform how the scene delivers its information. The climactic scene in a love story, for example, is very different to the climactic scene in the action genre, in terms of setting, tone, tempo, and protagonist/antagonist interaction. In a love story the antagonist and protagonist might very well end up having sex and getting married; in a thriller, they might end up killing each other.

Out of Sight

In the superb comedy/action/crime/love story movie Out of Sight, Jack Foley (George Clooney), a failed bank robber, and Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez) a US Marshall, share an ostensibly antagonistic relationship, which conceals a growing attraction between them, an attraction usually associated with a full-blown love story. The outer journey the cop chasing the bank robber neatly echoes the inner journey—the lover’s chase. The accomplished but disjointed time-line adds to the sense of uncertainty in which the viewer is unsure whether Sisco is out to arrest Jack or make love to him. 

Summary

Good scenes, then, deliver crucial narrative beats according to their function and position in the story. Each scene should generally start late and end early.

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