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/