Scene Analysis - 12 steps and a few extra notes

1)      Read the scene

2)      Write down the story of the scene using bullet point form.  Identify beginning, middle and end.

3)      Write down what the scene is about in one sentence.  You can be subjective

4)      What are the given circumstances – who, when, what?  What are the immediate circumstances?

5)      Punctuation – rhythm between characters

6)      Mood of characters at beginning and end of scene.  What is the atmosphere and end.  Shift in both?

7)      Engage with 5 senses.  Don’t self-censor

8)      Divide scene into bits.  Changes in thoughts.  Beats.  A beat is how the writer has structured the dramatic action e.g. when one character enters or exits the scene.  A dramatic arc has to be affected by the exit or entry of a character.  Beats occur at these moments as well:

·         When the subject matter changes significantly. 

·         When one person who has become more reactive or proactive.

·         Stakes become higher or lower

·         The type of language used changes

·         A shift in breathing pattern

9)      What is your objective?  What do you need to do to affect the other person?  What obstacles are present?  What are your counter obstacles?  A need to fulfil a specific task, a need to say or do something.  What is the scene objective?  Need is overall psychological issues.  How can I affect here and now.  Sometimes the outcome is unfulfilled.

10)   Actions for fulfilling each need – intentions, choices – I (transitive verb) you.  Use a gesture, intention.  Actions are playable.  Prep your beats, objections.  Check out the actions and actors thesaurus. 

11)   Subtext – mine the script for subtext.  What the scene is really about.  Sub actions.  Objections of each character.  Subtext behaviour – Physicality – have to be very specific in the choices we make when we are embodying.  Usually in gesture and physicality

12)   Write an inner monologue for your character – feed in with subtext.  Actually focus on an internal dialogue.  Thoughts and ideas about what you are going to say next.  Judgements about what you give.  Remembering thoughts of a past history.  Anything you want to say out loud.  Forget to think it.  Present will live.  Internal dialogue must be very clear.  Not vocalizing it.  Should be written in a way which is not rational or logical.

Remember the following:

Lived Experiences – these need to be considered.  What has happened before will affect the decisions made with a script.  An adjustment – find a deeper feeling.

Obvious memories and conversations.  Work on creating given circumstances.  Rigour of detail.  Receiving.  Looking for discipline.

Paul Newman – book a hotel room and don’t come out – couple of six packs of beer 90% nonsense, 10% pure gold

Allow your imagination to fly

Allow an imaginative approach to research

Daniel Day Lewis: But it may help you think it helps you.  Smallest ima