How to Write a Perfect Scene 

See more scene breakdowns at: www.practicalscreenwriting.com/choice

When I took acting classes to be a better screenwriter/director, one concept I really loved and tried to take into my writing was Stanislavski's concept of 'tactics'. A character wants something bad enough and does whatever's in their means to achieve their goals. If a girl is watching her boyfriend grapple with a slasher villain in a school at night then pulling the fire alarm may not only distract the slasher so her and her boyfriend can get away, but additionally summon help to aid them in their precarious circumstances. The slasher then must adjust his tactics to get what he wants: murder. The clash between tactics creates something ineffable (drama) within a scene. It's a lot like Eisenstein's montage theory, except instead of Image A+Image B=Image C, rather than Image AB, Action A+Action B = Action C.

I just realized 12 Angry Men is essentially one big scene about one choice

"Dialogue is a debate about a choice" well that just blew my mind. That's the key log right there. Kinda like the day I discovered "reverse key lighting" in cinematography. (Or pointing the camera onto the shadow side.)

I love the Succession scene breakdown. having all of the allies oppose the character with the power of choice.

Thank you for this clear and potent piece of writing insight ! This opens up an old rusty door that is dialogue, I have never really understood how to get through.

phenomenal video, so clear, so concise

One of the better videos I have seen. I'm glad I chose to watch it.

Implementing an object of choice made my story so much better, thanks Tyler!

Again, Tyler. Your calling is a teacher, cause you're the best on YT.

I been waiting for this one for a while...can't wait any longer.

Nice work! Hadn't heard of scene hierarchy before now. You just made my script tighter! thanks

Just discovered your channel and can’t wait to watch everything. Brilliant educational content thankyou so much.

Perfect, concise breakdown. Just what I needed.

Great content. Thank you ❤ The "choice" scene I can recall is one in AOT and is like it has all the things you say at the end; people taking sides, the object, the pressure building up, the one with the power, the one who's on the way... It was so tense that I was asking myself what I would do, like if I was the character.

Wow! What a simple way to decide if the dialogue serves a purpose and belongs in the story. Thank you. 🙏🏻 😊

This is so helpful. I can't tell you how many short films I needed someone to tell me what you just said. I'm definitely gonna start using this info a lot more in my upcoming films I write. Legit Tyler your channel is so helpful.

Not only does this connect with the dialogue and scene techniques you talked about, but this also easily shows the characters’ beliefs and how they are in conflict! Great job, Tyler! Update, one question, it wasn’t clear if I have to use this technique for EVERY scene, or just some scenes. So should I use this technique for EVERY scene, or just some scenes?

Its way more clear now. You should definitely make a part 2 series of dialogue writing.

Making choices in movies is like expressing clues of the Gameboard to making cautious decisions to determine whose killer of the game. This is a good explanations about making choices, Tyler.

You never disappoint. Thank you so much for this breakdown. Dialogue has been my challenge and after seeing this video, I'm actually excited to write a scene. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Outstanding video essay as usual.

Absolutely love your content. Very well done.

Great video! It's very clear and very satisfying having those little picture overlays with captions. Your ability to break down stories only gets clearer with time. Keep going G!

Wow. This was terrific to wake up to. Reframing what I already know but wasn't aware I knew to the degree I could deftly apply it. I immediately changed a key introduction scene, that's been locked in for months, to include what I learned here. Thanks Tyler Mowery! What's absolutely true of every good writing tip is We Already Know This, otherwise we wouldn't get it and re-get it with every example. We know it at an emotional level, from the experience of having read thousands of books, seen thousands of movies, heard thousands of jokes, told jokes, told stories, shared movie plots. What happened at work today is either 'The boss yelled at me for no good reason and I was sad the whole day", or "When I punched in, the head skunk told me I had until the end of the day to sign the form giving up my union rights or he would fire me. I signed it, but then Andy stopped by to ask me about the car. He said, "What's that?"...."

Tus videos son cada mes mejores, cada dia mas sorprendido con tus conocimientos. Muchas gracias🎉❤

So good! Appreciate all your breakdowns

There is no selfishness in your work purley Empathy in Spreading Screenwriting tips to the world, Love from India tyler brother 🥰

Haven't even watched it yet and I know it's the best video on RU-vid

Very great video. Super helpful.

You are amazing!! Thank you so much! I. hope you win an Oscar for best original!

Wow, fantastic video!

The Diner scene in Reservoir Dogs is another great example

Okay, just watched. Fantastic!!

Thank you so much ❤

Complete Gold!!!💎

Great video!

holy shit dude, this was awewome

I love this !

Perfectly explained

Thank you! This was such a great video. When should the choice be presented? A minute into the scene? Two? After the scene is set?

Like the rest of the comments, I loved the video just one question. I think in terms of scene and sequels. Scene = goal, conflict, disaster Sequel = reaction, dilemma, desicion Are you suggesting that you do this for dialogue in every scene and sequel. Or is there a rhythm to how you see it used best? Thanks again first time commenting on your videos but I have been watching for a long time.

Please write a screenwriting book. It would be fantastic.

Hey, Tyler, do you think you can make a video breaking down the story circle for a film that focuses on more than one protagonist such as The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers?

Hi Tyler! Great video! I tried to apply this while watching Oceans 11, but had difficulty as most of the scenes are just the characters executing a plan. Is it the case that the casino/the antagonists are the ones making the choices in heist movies? Edit: I mean in the sense of whether or not they believe the scam/fall for it.

little-miss-sunshine scene in this script is page 30

Nice.

25k is criminal i feel with apparent character hierachy power of choice becomes murky, even though andy has the power of choice, it comes with an asterix because he's under steve in the hierarchy, that's why at the end he can order 'fix it'. it's saying you have power only because I gave it to you

Hello Tyler, I have a question : Does the final choice of the scene have to be made right in the scene or could it be made in the next scene or even later ?

When are you going to do a video on what happens once you get signed by an agent? What’s it REALLY like in Hollywood? Thank you.

Hey Tyler, that was another great video from you. Also, I really appreciate your videos on 4-corner-opposition concept. Most of the videos on your channel truly expand my understanding on storytelling. However, there's just one thing about that 4-corner concept I couldn't wrap my head around. If a "con" of a particular viewpoint is one of the corners which is contradicting its "pro", doesn't that mean it is in agreement with the 'pro' of the other viewpoint? Doesn't that mean there's no conflict between them? If there's no conflict between the "con" of viewpoint 1 and the "pro" of viewpoint 2, how come it's called 4-corner-opposition? Because, to my understanding, the 4-corner-opposition means each corner is mutually in conflict with one another. Can you please clarify this?

Can't remember who said it, but I heard once that good dialogue either attacks or defends. Would you say that lines up?

Hierarchy is misspelled. Besides that, good video!

What about a scene where one character is a subordinate to another and has no choice or say in the matter? For example, Officer K and Joshi. The scene where Joshi tells K he must kill the Replicant Child. K has no choice in the matter or at least, that is how he views it in this moment of the story.

TE AMOOO❤❤❤

Would this work with open questions? For instance, I have a scene that boils down to “What course of action will the characters take, moving forward?” I have 4 characters, each with different viewpoints, who are debating this, so I use those viewpoints to inform their answer to this question, then have the dialogue represent them going back and forth. Is that viable?

♥♥♥

The fulcrum!

You should upload more videos

👏👏👏👏👏

Tyler. LOVE your videos. Said constructively and with LOVE: Spelling check before pressing "record"... please! (e.g. heirarchy, Pharoah, who's) Are we not writers?

does the power of choice remain with one character or can the power of choice change to another character?

I heard on that studiobinder channel that you actually don’t even need to know what your theme is before you write your plot and characters. You can go back and figure that out afterwards. Is this true? I thought I heard you say before that the whole damn reason we write in the first place is to express theme and I agree. But are they right? Also does every single instance of conflict in a tv show have to complement the main theme? If so how do you maintain that for multiple seasons of tv? I’m so very confused by this. I don’t get the interconnectedness of stakes, philosophical conflict, subplots, and theme. 😣🔫

HELP ME, SIR WHAT I TRULY UNDERSTAND, THE DIALOGUE IS DEBATE OF TWO PHILOSOPHICAL CONFLICT, RIGHT?

Leaving another comment for the algorithm

What are your thoughts on "Women talking"?

Anatomy of the scene: 1. Who wants what from who? 2. Why now? 3. What happens, when they don't get it? - David Mamet.

hi Tyler I like your work and I have subscribed to your channel it been quit some time now. I'll really like your opinion about this even it is not relevant much to the video what do you think our generation and the new generation has in common and how is the new generation out doing us

Shiv was in Steve Jobs?!?

Is this a re-load? I feel I've seen this one already 🤔

Great analysis, but slightly ruined with 3 ads that all are copy pasted exactly the same.

Comment to boost this vid popularity

First 😁

"hierarchy."

So whatcha got-ta say abot cartoons...traditionally animated catmmmm..cartoons. Love em or hate em?❤ 😏

12 Angry men?

Tyler, you've used examples of scenes where it involves characters debating, in conflict and arguing and you tar them all with your "debating a choice" brush. Choice does come into it but with conflict, choice is NOT the driving force, it's the question of who will win the conflict, because, with a good conflict scene, both can't get what they want, both are relentless in their goals, and with great conflicts, they will escalate things, so it stops being about choice, it's about who will win, who's stakes will come to pass? how will the protagonist keep going in pursuit of their goal? and at the same time we get essential context about the story and the characters. Again, you seem to throw conflict, choice, arguing into the same point and are unable to discern the difference, over and over. You're giving out bad info. You need to learn the difference. That district 9 scene is a conflict, debate has nothing to do with the main driving force. With the Steve jobs example, there is an event with a ticking clock to the stakes, and there is a mini conflict inside of it and we understand the weight of the voice over, motivated through conflict, not a debate, through conflict, it's a brilliant ad, all the people outside have come to see this voice, there is a lot of money and creativity involved it making it right, that context is motivated by the conflict. Choices in scenes like this, DO NOT motivate context like this , Tyler, conflict does. Really, dude, you need to learn the difference.

2 Jackals fighting over a bone

Excellent video!