Screenwriting Blog
Posted on by Courtney Meznarich

Veteran TV Writer Ross Brown: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Developing Great Scenes and Sequences

What makes a great scene in a screenplay? We asked veteran TV writer Ross Brown, who you may recognize from hugely popular shows like “Step by Step” and “Who’s the Boss.” Brown now spends his time teaching other creative writers how to get their story ideas to the screen as the director of the MFA program at Antioch University in Santa Barbara. Below, he reveals his tips for developing scenes and sequences that will propel your script forward.

With one click

Export a perfectly formatted traditional script.

Try SoCreate for free!

Write Like This...
...Export To This!
...Then...

“Developing scenes and sequences, well, you have to ask yourself what the purpose of the scene or the purpose of the sequence is, and then make sure you’re achieving that.”

This tip is critical, and it’s actually where a lot of screenwriters make mistakes. Does the scene do anything to move the story forward? Every scene should be dynamic and should have an introduction, a shift in direction, success or defeat, and something that will help transition into the next scene. If it’s just for fun, throw it out. It will slow your reader down.

“In a scene in a movie, you want to make sure you get in as late as possible and get out as early as possible. Eliminate the throat-clearing at the beginning of the scene, of ‘Hi, hi, I’m here to see mister so and so. Ok, just a minute, I’ll take you …’ who cares about that. Just sit the person down and get the scene started.”

Scene pacing can be the difference between someone reading to page 2, or someone reading to page 120. Cut the fluff and get to the good stuff. We mustn’t see your hero walking into a café, to understand that they’re sitting in one.

“I think a scene should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like an overall story should. And does it have rising action? Does the scene get more interesting as it goes on or less interesting? You know which one is better.”

Your character should have a goal in each scene, face conflict, and either fail or achieve their goal. Every scene should have an arc and give us more insight into your hero’s motivations and obstacles.

In general, most scenes will last three minutes, but of course, there are exceptions. These days, scenes are getting even shorter, because filmmakers want to keep the tempo of the story moving quickly to keep it engaging for audiences whose attention spans are getting shorter. Aim for three pages per scene.

A sequence is made up of three to seven scenes, or 10-15 pages. There are usually eight sequences in a screenplay, including the setup/inciting incident, the challenge and lock-in, the first obstacle, the midpoint, the subplot and rising action, the climax or main culmination, the twist and new tension, and the resolution. To learn more about the anatomy of a screenplay outline, I’d suggest checking out our series with aspiring screenwriter Ashlee Stormo, where she goes over the 18-step outline that she uses to make sure she has the right scenes and sequences in her screenplay.

Keep it moving,

You may also be interested in...

Acts, Scenes, and Sequences - How Long Should Each Be in a Traditional Screenplay?

If I had to name my favorite adage, it’s that rules are for breaking (most of them - speed limits are exempt!), but you must know the rules before you can break them. So, keep that in mind as you read through what I’d call “guidelines” to the timing of acts, scenes, and sequences in a screenplay. There’s a good reason for these guidelines, though (just like speed limits 😊) so don’t stray too far off the mark or you might pay for it later. Let’s start from the top. A 90-110-page screenplay is standard and produces an hour and a half to two-hour long film. TV networks may prefer an hour and a half because they can...

Write a Screenplay Outline

How to Write a Screenplay Outline

So, you’ve got a script idea, now what? Do you dive right in and start writing, or do you do some pre-writing work first? Everyone gets started differently, but today I’m here to tell you about the benefits of creating a screenplay outline! I’ve started writing a script both by just jumping in and also by creating a well thought out outline. Which method I use depends on the script. When I just jump in, there’s a spontaneity there that works for some projects and reveals things to me during that writing process. If your story is complex, heavily layered, or you’re just really struggling with it, then creating an outline ...

Use a Beat in a Screenplay

How to Use a Beat in a Screenplay

In the film industry, the word beat gets thrown around all the time, and it doesn’t always mean the same thing. Beat holds various meanings when you’re talking about it in context of the screenplay, versus in context of the timing of a film. Confusing! Never fear, our breakdown is here. A beat in dialogue usually means the screenwriter wants to indicate a pause. It’s a theatrical term that you shouldn’t really use outright in your screenplay, because its seen as instruction to the actor and/or director. And actors and directors don’t always like being told what to do! What’s more, just adding (beat) to...