Every Great Scene Has These 3 Elements - Jen Grisanti
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
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In this discussion with Author/Instructor/Speaker Jen Grisanti, she explains that a scene is a step toward the bigger picture, focusing on who wants what and what obstacles they face. She emphasizes that a good scene serves both the external plot and internal character development, and it should never lose sight of the character's wants, conflicts, and flaws. The scene should strategically advance the story, create personal connections, and be a part of the larger puzzle. The use of polarity and setting up scenes to lead into the next is also crucial. Additionally, time jumps should be carefully considered to ensure they align with the main plot and goals of the story.
International speaker Jen Grisanti is an acclaimed Story/Career Consultant at Jen Grisanti Inc., a 13-year Writing Instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, and a former 12-year studio executive, including VP of Current Programming at CBS/Paramount. Jen is the author of three books, Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write a Script That Sells, Change Your Story, Change Your Life: A Path To Your Success.
Grisanti started her career in 1992 as an assistant to Aaron Spelling. He served as her mentor for 12 years. She quickly climbed the ranks and eventually ran Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc., covering all Spelling’s shows, including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and Charmed. In 2004, Grisanti was promoted to Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, where she covered numerous shows, including Medium, Numbers, NCIS, 4400, and Girlfriends.
In January 2008, Grisanti launched Jen Grisanti Inc., a highly successful consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. Drawing on her experience as a studio executive, where she gave daily notes to executive producers/showrunners, Grisanti guides writers to shape their material, write from their emotional truth, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Since launching the consulting firm, Grisanti has worked with over 1000 writers specializing in television and features. Due to her expertise and mentorship, one hundred and six pilots have sold, including ten that went to series, and one hundred fifty-two writers have staffed.
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#writing #movies #entertainment - Krátké a kreslené filmy
"No useless scenes..." - that is the crux of this, I think. Regardless of genre, every scene has to drive the story. That is great - Terrific interview!
Jen is always so wonderful and pragmatic in her answers. Appreciate every time she's interviewed here.
We second that! Thank you for watching.
Jeff Kitchen's teachings really resonate with me, and it's awesome to see her being an advocate of his teachings as well.
How wonderful is this. Excellent direction. As usual, it arrives when I need to hear this the most. Bravo.
Great point about breaking the rules provided the voice is strong enough, and the writer is able to communicate why that scene is there. That's why the masters of the craft can make anything work. The problem is when writers presume they can do the same as the masters, just because they've seen it done.
Right! I feel that I'm a "fairly good" writer. I can hook the reader and tell a pretty gripping story...however, my current level of skill teeter-totters when it comes to the climax (in novel format--short stories, I'm good with). I know what it's going to end up as, I know the feelings", conflict, etc., but right now it's like baking a complex cake without mixing the ingredients well enough. 😂
Thank you. There’s always so much about life in these interviews. After all, we are the protagonists of our life story that hopefully is being guided by some goal or a resolution of some theme.
great analogy into scenes because i don't see many in today's. movies.just in older films.
Love your content. It’s so interesting and informative
Cheers Chase!
The Accountant has timelapse background 'explainations' of early years of the main character as well as his younger brother's
These Rock!
Excellent thoughts, thanks!
Very very good video, watching this channel is best. And is one the best channels to exist.
These vids are amazing. Thanks FC!
I would love to see Karen do solo video essays, film analysis, podcasts on this channel as well.. your videos about films and filmmaking would be so so interesting Karen, I am a hundred percent sure!
Love this channel and the content!
When I get an award for best screenplay and/or best direction I am gonna include FC in my acceptance speech. For sure.
I prefer to use the term Desire.
Rather than conflict.
Also scenes can show personality quirks
Environment of the characters.
And deep ethical beliefs.
Scenes can convey many things depending on what you are trying to do.
Thank you,have learnt something
Hello Karen and David,
thank you very much for this instructive time with Jen Grisanti.
See you for your next interviews with her and other guests from the industry.
- Love from the north of France 🧡
🇫🇷
Great question about "filler scenes"
Love your channel! Can you please share more about documentary filmmaking?
Hi Kimberly, great to see your interest in documentary filmmaking! Not sure how many of these you have seen but worth taking a look - bit.ly/40Xnjx7
@@filmcourage Thank you! I have seen a few but missed so many. Looking forward to watching!
🤨No. To start a scene late and end it early means to begin as close to the new story beat (dramatic action) as possible and exit as soon as the story beat finishes. It's about maintaining good pacing so the audience doesn't grow bored. It has nothing to do with scene placement.
I was very surprised by her answer because I had heard it defined as exactly what YOU said. But now I wonder if I understand you correctly.
For example if you are writing a scene where a couple is going to have dinner at a restaurant to have a pivotal conversation, enter the scene “late”.
Don’t start the scene with them arriving at the restaurant and then being seated and then looking at the menu etc. Instead start the scene late in the sequence of events of the scene perhaps in mid-conversation right before they get to the important dialogue.
And to end the scene don’t go all the way to them paying the check and walking out to the car to leave. End it with the conclusion they’ve come to as a result of the conversation. Like “Okay we agree. We’ll go to counseling. I’ll get a recommendation tomorrow and we’ll start as soon as possible.”A couple more sentences to end it gracefully and then onto the next scene. Is that right?
@@nikkinewbie6014 That's right. Generally speaking, each scene should be a story event that incites meaningful change in either the character or the story's situation (either positively or negatively) by the end of the scene, and this is achieved through conflict. You begin the scene with the first behavioral beat (action/reaction) closest to this conflict and end it as soon as the situation/character stakes have changed.
This lady seemed to be talking about the misplacement of scenes in a sequence.
@@mel3687 Thanks so much! That really makes perfect sense the way you explained it. I’m screenshooting it. Not even joking. I appreciate it!
@@nikkinewbie6014 You seem to have a good understanding of the craft but I'm happy to have helped. I wish you the best of luck with your writing! 🙂
@@mel3687 Thanks so much!
So what were the 3 elements ? Conflict, start late leave early and ?
1. Want/Desire 2. Conflict/Flaw 3. Why/Wound Bliss, Jen
How do you know if you've written a great scene?
by putting a 'great' in front of scene.
Once, I was writing a scene in my book about a character inspired on the grandma of a friend and I needed to stop to write, because I started to cry.
I will either chuckle, feel uncomfortable for the characters, or perhaps choke up.
Maybe you can find or make a checklist or a questionnaire to answer after you go back and read the scene after letting some time pass.
Better yet, have someone else read it and have them answer several pertinent questions. Like ask them what does the main character in the scene want and/or what’s the goal for the scene.
If they can’t answer the important questions there’s probably a problem. If they can answer the questions AND they want to know what happens next then you’re probably doing something right.
I study Tommy Wiseau, so as long as i copy his scene-writing, i know im good.
Scenes are designed by the director...the writer lays the boundaries and rules and heart of the story...this is a big mix up between the lens of a director and role of the writer HENCE why most history breaking films are adaptations from books/novels
Well, she is wrong in this regard
The Mario movie had none of these points and instead pushed through for visuals only
I will give one million dollars to any script guru who stops talking about writing and actually writes a script and sells it.
Haha they always teach but never do
I'll argue in their favor a bit: they can take the aerial view of a story and then hone in, like Chopper 5 on an inner city gang war...and take perspective down to each member's part.
Not all writers can do that for themselves; we're too close, as a general rule.
@@5Gburn realize the guru industry is an industry into itself.
That’s like saying Bill Belicheck doesn’t know football. Get a life
@@matthewthomas970 apples and oranges. It is more like an architect telling everyone how a perfect building should be built, but never builds one.
Bad writing is bad writing. Not following these "rules" doesn't make a scene bad, bad writing makes a scene bad.
So, why cant cbs writers write any good scenes in 2023?
Film courage, given that you are female and appearently a movie lover why dont you do your part in saving them from the feminist war machine against arts and humanity ?