And if not, what would be the point of the scene?
Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Every scene must progress the story or reveal character. I'm not talking about every time you use a new scene heading; a scene may play out over multiple locations, but every scene must have a purpose.
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Originally posted by WriteHandMan View PostShould Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
But specifically (like Ripley and the Loader in Aliens), no."I am the story itself; its source, its voice, its music."
- Clive Barker, Galilee
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Originally posted by TwoBrad Bradley View PostIn a broader sense, yes. Each scene should lead to (setup) what happens next.
But specifically (like Ripley and the Loader in Aliens), no.
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Originally posted by ReneC View PostRipley and the Loader in Aliens was a crucial set-up...
That scene isn't "setting anything up." I suppose you could say it's paying off the promise of the base being out of communication - but at a certain point you're broadening the definition of setup and payoff beyond the point of usefulness.
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Originally posted by Ronaldinho View PostSure. But let's skip ahead a few scenes. Say, when they're first entering the base.
That scene isn't "setting anything up." I suppose you could say it's paying off the promise of the base being out of communication - but at a certain point you're broadening the definition of setup and payoff beyond the point of usefulness.
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Interesting thread. One could say that in a good script, every scene is either setup or payoff in a sense -- even the "little" scenes. It's much more definitive than "progressing" the story"I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
- Screenwriting Friend
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
Yes, possibly both, but not always for the sake of scene progression because logical transitions can do that as well from scene to scene. Most effective setups are concerned with motivation first then it's synchronized with plot points for payoffs. The combination provides a lot of forward motion so I suppose that would be its purpose.
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
A scene has to mean something that's integral to the plot. One of my favorite recent films, "Lucky Number Slevin" uses a wristwatch, owned by the protagonist's father, as a prop that moves the story by being present in pivotal scenes."A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.- -Frank Miller
"A real writer doesn't just want to write; a real writer has to write." -Alan Moore
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
I guess I'll be the rebel here and say that it depends on the film. This meme holds true more so with Drama than with Comedy. I believe you can, if executed correctly, get away with a filler scene in a comedy simply because it's really, really funny. In a Drama, it's going to seem abruptly out of place and pointless. It certainly shouldn't be routine in ANY genre, but it can be pulled off under the right circumstances - assuming the scene is short and sweet.
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Re: Should Every Scene In A Script Be Either Setup or Payoff?
I don't understand why the loader scenes in 'Aliens' came up.
We first see her actually using the loader early on, setting up the fact that she knows how to use this complicated peice of machinery.
She then uses it to fight the Alien queen. Therefore it is paid-off.
Why do you think it wasn't set-up and paid-off. I really don't understand.
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