ABSTRACT
Dramatic movement occurs when there is a change in the dynamic relationship between characters, as when an ally becomes a foe, or a knight in shining armor becomes a ball and chain. When there is no change in the dynamic relationship—when there is stasis between characters—it is not dramatic. That is not to say that these relationships of stasis do not exist in film; they are common, they do not contain the essential dramatic movement of the scene or film. It is helpful in staging to be aware of this change in dynamic relationships and to realize that there are only two overall dramatic movements possible between characters, and both can be expressed spatially. A spatial rendering often used has characters A and B apart, then they come closer to each other, then apart again. Dramatic movement and the spatial movement that makes it physical are always relative to the starting point. Sometimes very small movements can be exceedingly powerful.
