75 Types of Scenes You Can Use in Your Screenplays
75
Types of Scenes You Can Use in Your Screenplays
What are all of the major types of scenes found within movies
that screenwriters can use within their screenplays?
Movie scenes are generally defined as the action or moment
within a single location associated with a time, place, and characters.
Some scenes can showcase multiple
locations as characters move from one location to another. When you have a
compilation of different scenes, you're witnessing a sequence,
which is made up of multiple actions and moments within multiple locations.
Screenwriters have a plethora of scenes to choose from that they
can utilize within their screenplays to tell their stories.
With that in mind, we thought it would be fun and informative to
compile a list of the major types of scenes that are found in movies, along
with a brief explanation.
1. Teaser — An opening moment, scene, or
sequence intended to hook the audience from the get-go by generating curiosity
and conflict that will be somehow tied to the story to come.
2. Backstory — A scene that showcases the
backstory of characters, sometimes told in flashbacks or teasers.
3. Protagonist Introduction — Introduces the
protagonist, oftentimes in their Ordinary World.
4. Dancing — A moment where characters within
the scene are dancing — for whatever reason.
5. Awkward — A point in the story where a
character(s) is placed in an awkward moment or situation.
6. Goodbye — The emotional scene where
characters bid each other farewell.
7. Shopping — The story cuts to characters
shopping for articles of clothing, cars, weapons, etc.
8. Wardrobe — A character is trying on outfits.
9. Return — The protagonist returns home after
their journey.
10. Romantic — Two characters enjoy a romantic
moment together.
11. Breakup — Two characters end their
relationship in a dramatic or comedic fashion.
12. Transformation — A character undergoes some
type of physical or emotional transformation.
13. First Meeting — The first time two
characters meet.
14. Antagonist Introduction — Introduces the
antagonist, oftentimes with a big establishing reveal of character traits that
will oppose the protagonist.
15. Temptation — A character is tempted to do
something they would otherwise not do.
16. Courtroom — Any scene that takes place
within a courtroom.
17. Sports — Any scene that features characters
watching or playing a sport.
18. Party — The scene that shows characters
witnessing or taking part in a wild or social party.
19. Discovery — The protagonist discovers an
object, clue, or piece of information.
20. Revenge — A character enacts revenge on
someone or something that wronged them.
21. Travel — Showcases characters in transit
from one location to another.
22. Suiting Up — A character readies themself
for an event or confrontation.
23. Planning — Characters go through their
plan.
24. Investigation — A character investigates a
location, searching for clues or evidence.
25. Revelation — Characters (or the audience)
discover something vital to the story.
26. Sex — Characters are involved in the act of
sex.
27. Dream — A scene that is either a clearcut
dream or is revealed to be a dream.
28. Flashback — Similar to the backstory scene,
a flashback offers key information or moments partial to the story and
characters.
29. Flash Forward — A peek into the future or a
stylistic story device.
30. Crash — Characters are involved with the
crashing of vehicles.
31. Death — A character(s) dies.
32. Pursuit — Characters pursue other
characters either on foot or by the aide of a vehicle.
33. Reverse of Fortune — A character expects a
certain, very clear outcome, but instead experiences an unexpected one.
34. Unexpected Visitor — A character surprises
other characters in a dramatic, scary, or funny way.
35. Escape – Characters escape from some type
of confinement — emotional or physical.
36. Meet-Cute — It’s where two characters that
will eventually form a romantic bond first meet in funny, amusing, awkward, or
unusual circumstances. In short, they meet in a cute and
memorable way.
Read ScreenCraft's 4 Ways Characters Can “Meet-Cute” in Your Romantic Stories!
37. Establishing — A scene that establishes
some type of location.
38. Aftermath — A dramatic scene where
characters see the aftermath of a previous story point.
39. Exposition — Characters share expositional
dialogue that helps to explain character backgrounds and plot points.
40. Rules — Similar to the exposition scene,
this is where the rules of the plot that characters must abide by are shared
through dialogue.
41. Altered Reality — A scene where characters
don't know if they are experiencing life through reality or some other altered
state.
42. Montage — A collection of visuals, moments,
or quick scenes that condense time and convey multiple actions quickly.
43. Emotional Breakdown — A character has an
emotional breakdown after experiencing something in a previous scene.
44. Hopeless — Similar to an emotional
breakdown, but more subdued as a character is at their most vulnerable state.
45. Training — A character trains for an event
or confrontation.
46. Recovering — A character recovers from a
physical or emotional confrontation, taking the necessary time to rest, relax,
heal, or recuperate.
47. Reunion — Characters reunite after a
considerable length of time.
48. Rebelling — A character rebels against an
authority figure, usually as the antithesis of their normal behavior.
49. Believing — Someone finally believes in
something they previously resisted.
50. Scary — Any scene that is meant to induce
scares.
51. Shocking — A moment that jolts the
characters and/or the audience by presenting something unexpected — a visual,
sound, or surprising story point.
52. Redemption — A character redeems themself
somehow.
53. Wonder — Someone experiences something for
the first time with a sense of awe.
54. Atonement — A character reconciles for
something they've done.
55. Reconciliation — Two or more characters
come together to reconcile.
56. Funny — Any scene that is meant to induce
laughs for the sole sake of inducing laughs.
57. Creepy — A scene that creates a sense of
unease via visuals, settings, sounds, imagery, etc.
58. Confident — A character displays newfound
confidence.
59. Lashing Out — Someone reacts to previous
events by acting out their anger or sadness.
60. Celebration — Characters celebrate
something.
61. I Love You — The first moment when two or
more characters say, "I love you."
62. Religious — Any scene that takes place in a
church or other religious location.
63. Cerebral — A scene that demands the
audience to apply careful thinking and mental effort to visuals or revealed
information.
64. Drug — Any scene where characters take
drugs.
65. Psychedelic — Often an acceleration of a
drug scene where characters are feeling the psychedelic symptoms of the drug
they've taken. This scene could also be non-drug related, focusing instead on
the types of visuals experienced during drug use.
66. Regret — A character looks at a picture,
stares off into nothingness, or somehow reflects on their life or actions with
regret.
67. Birth — Any scene where anyone or anything
is born.
68. Bonding — Two or more characters share a
moment together where they bond.
69. At Play — Characters having fun playing
something.
70. Drunk — Any scene where characters are
drunk — usually paired with party scenes.
71. Wounded — A character has been wounded as a
result of previous plot points and are doing their best to patch themselves up
or accept that they've been wounded and may not survive.
72. Facing Fear — Any scene that portrays a
character going up against their greatest fear.
73. Bed Talk — Two or more characters having a
conversation in bed.
74. Confrontation — Any scene where two or more
characters confront one another.
75. Final Battle — The climax of the film or
character arc, showcasing an action, horror, comedic, or dramatic battle.
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