DZ-99: Scene Questions

Listen if learn how to structure individual scenes through the questions you pose to your audience!

Inspired by our earlier episodes on sequences, Chas and Stu narrow their focus to look at the atomic unit of screen storytelling: the scene. In particular, we breakdown how question and answers prompted in the audience structure individual scenes.

We talk plot, character, and theme questions (and their hybrids) by analysing scenes from LOKI, THE LAST CRUSADE, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, QUEEN AND SLIM, and DO THE RIGHT THING. We also briefly discuss SUCCESSION, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMONG THIEVES, and ANDOR.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

LIKE THIS EPISODE?

Watch and comment on YouTube.

Send us feedback.

Thanks to our Patrons, especially Alexandre & Natalie, Casimir, Eduardo, Jennifer, Thomas, Garrett, Randy, Jesse, Sandra, Theis, Alex and Khrob..

→ Read the transcript for this episode.

———

CHAPTERS

00:00:00 – Cold Open

00:00:17 – ScriptUp Sponsorship

00:01:56 – What are Scene Questions?

00:16:30 – LOKI

00:23:24 – THE LAST CRUSADE

00:29:51 – › How filmmakers control audience attention by suppressing plot questions

00:33:03 – THE BOURNE SUPREMACY

00:38:40 – › Removing plot questions to surface character questions

00:43:21 – › Where character scenes appear in plot-driven structures

00:45:50 – QUEEN AND SLIM

00:49:19 – › How plot intervenes to escalate a character scene

00:56:31 – › Character revelation under pressure and the midpoint gun-draw turn

01:03:03 – DO THE RIGHT THING

01:06:15 – › Classifying scene questions: character, plot, or thematic

01:09:15 – › How directing and cinematography shape audience questions

01:12:09 – › Scene modulation: shifting from thematic to plot-driven tension

01:15:03 – Key Learnings & Wrap Up

01:20:23 – › Applying scene questions to pacing in a rewrite

01:28:23 – › Point of view shapes which questions a scene raises

01:29:09 – › When narrative cinema steps outside dramatic questioning

01:33:02 – Many thanks to our Patreons

FILMS

LOKI (2021) — (w) Michael Waldron

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) — (w) Jeffrey Boam, Menno Meyjes, George Lucas (d) Steven Spielberg

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) — (w) Robert Ludlum, Tony Gilroy (d) Paul Greengrass

QUEEN & SLIM (2019) — (w) Lena Waithe, Lena Waithe, James Frey (d) Melina Matsoukas

DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) — (w) Spike Lee

SCRIPTS

Study the script: INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989) — Jeffrey Boam, Menno Meyjes, George Lucas

Study the script: THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) — Robert Ludlum, Tony Gilroy

Study the script: QUEEN & SLIM (2019) — Lena Waithe, Lena Waithe, James Frey

Study the script: DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) — Spike Lee

SHOT ZERO DEEP DIVES

Five Shots: DO THE RIGHT THING

Love/Hate in DO THE RIGHT THING

RELATED EPISODES

DZ-43: Driving Sequences - Character and Plot Intensity

DZ-45: Arguments of the Scene

DZ-54: Thematic Sequences

———

More Draft Zero is brought to you by our awesome Patreons.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, a rating on Spotify, or a review on Podchaser.

We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2023/dz-99/