DZ-40: Tactics and Scenes

How do tactics make your characters and scenes more dynamic?

In this episode, Stu and Chas turn their gaze to the "tactics" that characters use in scenes to get what they want. Tactics are how the characters try to achieve their goals and (we reckon) can be revealing of the essence of their character. The shifting and thwarting of tactics can make scenes more dynamic; while over the course of a story, the changing of tactics can reflect the growth of characters... even if their goal stays the same.

We take a close look at great single scenes from ZODIAC and TRAINING DAY. And then we look at a number of scenes over the course of HELL OR HIGH WATER, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and WINTER'S BONE.  And we also skate over WILE E COYOTE, GAME OF THRONES, MACBETH, HAMLET, and EDGE OF SEVENTEEN. Audio quotations used for educational purposes only. Timestamps indicated below!

It should go without saying but - SPOILERS AHOY.

EPISODE LINKS

• DRAFT ZERO - Related Episodes
  • DZ-34: Game of Choices – Decision Making and Character Implications
  • DZ-32: High-Tension Sequences
  • DZ-31: Tools for Better Dialogue
  • DZ-29: Showdowns & Scene Structure
  • DZ-14: Writing For Actors & Old Underwear
  • DZ-08: Status Transactions and the Power of Washing Machines
• The Game of the Scene
  • Improv’s Babel: Defining the Game of the Scene
  • http://kevinmullaney.com/tag/game-of-the-scene/
• ROADRUNNER [@ 8m 08s]
  • YouTube: Wile E Coyote and Road Runner E01
  • Twitter: Coyote Rules for Road Runner
  • Every Frame A Painting: Chuck Jones - Evolution of an Artist
• Scenes Compiled PDF of all scene excerpts
• ZODIAC [@ 16m 15s]
  • Script: ZODIAC screenplay by James Vanderbilt
  • YouTube: Zodiac - Arthur Leigh Allen interrogation
  • Find it on JustWatch
• TRAINING DAY [@ 36m 53s]
  • Script: TRAINING DAY by David Ayer
  • YouTube: Training Day - Initial Scene
  • Find it on JustWatch
• HELL OR HIGH WATER [@ 46m 22s]
  • Script: HELL OR HIGH WATER written by Taylor Sheridan
  • Find it on JustWatch
• SILENCE OF THE LAMBS [@ 1hr 21m 34s]
  • Script: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Ted Tally
  • Every Frame a Painting: Who Wins the Scene?
  • Find it on JustWatch
• WINTER'S BONE [@ 1hr 43m 23s]
  • WINTER'S BONE written by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
  • Find it on JustWatch

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