ABSTRACT
Scenes are the smallest story unit. It can be thought of as a story in miniature—containing a setup, conflict, and resolution. Scenes are composed of multiple beats. Beats are the smallest action unit. Beats make up the action–reaction–action exchanges that together, add up to a scene. Alfred Hitchcock said, "Drama is life with the dull bits cut out". If a scene doesn't have a purpose, then get rid of it. Every scene contains some level of conflict. Ed Hooks cautions that the term conflict can become an obstacle in itself. In analyzing scenes, it is clear that an entrance and exit are often not necessary. Story continuity dictates that the strongest scenes start where the last one left off. Differentiating scenes is usually reinforced by a visual change in location or time frame. Surprises are one of those fundamental tools of story that keeps the viewer hooked, reorients viewers to new directions, and provides needed insights for story progression.
