How to Use Scene Breakdowns to Discover What Makes Scripts Tick

How can script scene breakdowns help screenwriters write more engaging and well-paced screenplays?

While there may not be a single formula or code for a successful screenplay or film, there’s no escaping the fact that most movies utilize the same moving parts.

Movies within the same genre are differentiated more by how those parts are used — and to what extent. Little variances make a big difference and big variances can make a completely different type of film altogether.

One of the most valuable learning opportunities as a screenwriter is analyzing movies and breaking down screenplays scene-by-scene.

If you can get your hands on a screenplay that is a good archetype of what you’re trying to do, a scene-by-scene breakdown will identify pacing positives and negatives, story flow, character arc flow, tone, atmosphere, and the presence of overarching theme.

There you can take bits and pieces of those moving parts to discover what makes those movies tic.

We turn to the Academy Originals video Creative Spark: Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith and pull some of their best quotes about this scene-by-scene breakdown process that they use in their writing. We’ll then offer our own elaboration on those wise words and further explore this helpful process that all screenwriters can utilize...

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