What Makes a Great Scene?

“A complete dramatic unit that moves the story forward” – that’s one working definition of the basic building block of all scripts and productions: the scene. But what does it really consist of? How does one make each “unit” both essential to the larger story and effective as a singular beat within it? Dialogue and description might be the two basic elements that a screenwriter has to work with – and it’s important to execute both on a professional level. But perhaps even more crucial is the underlying dramatic content behind each scene, and how it advances and connects with the larger story. Far from just indicating a location change (or a serving as a chapter in the overall narrative), an effective scene is like its own story in miniature, with the same basic structure of “catalyst” leading to confrontation, followed by crisis and resolution. Erik Bork will discuss the key lessons he’s learned in writing scenes and scripts over the course of his 15-year professional screenwriting car