Scenes As Concepts

by Craig Kellem and Judy Kellem

In the world of screenwriting the word CONCEPT is usually associated with the general idea of the movie. Once the CONCEPT is in place, scenes are then created to help tell the story. IDEALLY, the writer tries to come up with as many entertaining scenes as s/he can, scenes designed not only to further the story but INTRINSICALLY entertain us as well. But such seems to be the exception, not the rule. The predominant attitude appears to be one of getting by, plodding along by way of one SUPPORTIVE or TRANSITIONAL scene after another, preparing for that one humdinger just around the corner.

Not smart!

Professional writers understand that ALL scenes count. And there is no room for filler or bridges when true excellence is the standard. Each scene should have its own magic, raison d'être, veracity and power.

An effective way of keeping yourself honest in this regard is to consider scenes CONCEPTS UNTO THEMSELVES. Adopting this attitude as the assembly line prerequisite can prevent you from breezing through too many pages in order to get to the big moment.

As stated in another article, a scene in CITY SLICKERS exemplifies this when Billy Crystal and the boys were riding back to the ranch. What could have been just a "filler" scene was transformed, elevated to an indelible cinematic sequence. Instead of a perfunctory trot home, the characters are brought into deeper intimacy with one another and therefore the viewer, as they describe the best and worst days of their lives. This requisite, potentially mundane plot scene of "the return" was exploited and made a homerun opportunity to deepen and enrich the narrative. And instead of the viewer simply following another ride from a to b, we were given a memorable journey that will stay with us long after the credits have rolled.

Think of the unforgettable moment in the GODFATHER when Luca Brasi is REHEARSING his congratulatory speech to the boss, whose daughter is about to be married. He's not the brightest star in the sky and under-endowed in the genteel so he practices his short speech with great care and trepidation: "I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your house on the day of your daughter's wedding." In less than two pages, a volume of character portraiture is achieved, as well as general commentary regarding male pride and human vulnerability, as we are left with the very potent image of a Mafia tough unskilled in mannerly acumen, stiffly and earnestly trying to say the right thing. Folks, in good movies this kind of effort prevails. And believe me, it pays off BIGTIME in the long run.

Make your reader/viewer REMEMBER YOU IN THE DETAILS.

What do I recall of the movie WIT? The main character, Vivian, laying in the hospital dying of cancer and a sympathetic nurse empathetically offering her a Popsicle while reminiscing about her childhood when kids in the neighborhood would run to the jingle of the ice cream man.

In the movie AS GOOD AS IT GETS we touch the core of Jack Nicholson's Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as he has a precarious "life and death" stroll down the street, avoiding sidewalk cracks as if they were mine fields. For many, this is where he wins our hearts forever.

Some filmmakers make a living from delighting their audiences with "small stuff." Check out the BIG LEBOWSKI. Every scene in the film is an event. For example, we all loved it when Jeffrey Lebowski, aka "The Dude," is in a supermarket buying milk. Not only does he come to the register with milk on his mustache, but he pays for the 69 cent carton with a check! All their scenes may not all work but many do and the Coen Brothers continue to thrive via appreciative audiences who expect them to push the envelope from start to finish.

We recently saw a play, an old chestnut called A THOUSAND CLOWNS. The best scene in the play was tiny; not at all major in terms of the main story. It was an amusing moment when an impatient theatrical agent, while speaking to an exasperating client, throws his speakerphone into the trash can while the client continues to squawk and render his complaints. What a metaphoric moment! The agent continues the conversation now impishly satisfied that the unknowing actor is speaking in effect from under greasy potato peels and coffee grounds..

Getting to the final draft may be endemic in our society and not conducive to the best creative altitude but I encourage you to resist the impulse to rush and do snow jobs. They cause avalanches in the end!

Take the time to make those extra touches because on a cumulative basis and in a quiet way it makes all the difference.

Big. Small. Scenes are the bread and butter of your mood, your tone and the emotional currency of the story you are telling. So beware and make every second, every frame, every line a meaningful experience, a drop of inspiration imbued with integrity, imagination and soul.
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