How to Write a Scene Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide
Analyzing a scene is crucial for understanding the deeper layers of meaning in films and plays. There are many different ways to analyze a scene for classroom study or performance: verbing, marking up the script, identifying subtext, making lists, and more. Close analysis forces you into a deeper understanding of the function of each element in the scene and draws attention to the small details that make movies transcend from good to great. These are the details that add the second and third layers of meaning that make for complex and compelling storytelling.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you master the art of scene analysis, whether you're a student, filmmaker, or simply a film enthusiast.
Understanding the Basics
Before diving into the specifics, it's essential to understand the fundamental elements of a scene. Gavin Anstey, the COO at Cinebody, highlights some key aspects:
- Lighting: Is it natural or artificial? Lighting sets the mood of the scene.
- Talent: How good is the talent? The majority of communication isn't verbal language, it's body language. How does the talent evoke a feeling or emotion without saying anything? Does the talent sound real and authentic?
Steps to Analyze a Scene
Here’s a structured approach to analyzing a scene effectively:
1. Initial Viewing and Note-Taking
Pick a film that interests you to watch for your analysis. The first time you watch it, pay full attention so you can understand the story and what’s happening in the scenes. Put your phone on silent or vibrate and set it aside while you’re watching the movie so you don’t get distracted by it during the film. Before you choose a scene you want to analyze, watch the entire film first so you can understand what’s happening. Scan through the film for a scene that’s about 2-5 minutes in length for your analysis. Find a scene that’s important to the rest of the story rather than a moment that doesn’t add to it. Analyzing scenes that are just conversations between characters can be just as fun as focusing on a big action scene.
2. Detailed Review and Deconstruction
Set aside any distractions and rewatch the scene you chose at least 2-3 times. Avoid taking any notes the first couple times you watch the scene so you can absorb as much of it as you can. Write down the events that occur in the scene in the order they happen so you have a general understanding of what’s happening. Include what the characters are talking about while you list the main actions of the scene. Go over the scene you want to analyze multiple times so you can pick out the details and take notes on it.
3. Identifying Key Elements
Look at your scene from a wider perspective so you can understand how it influences the rest of the film. Pay attention to the scenes that come before and after the one you chose. For example, the opening scene in Jaws introduces the shark to the viewer and shows that it’s a threat to humans in the water. Watch the characters for their body language, dialogue, and motivations. Start by taking note of which characters are present in the scene, and list what you know about them based on the rest of the film, such as their goals and personalities. Watch the actors perform and pay attention to how they move and interact with one another.
Tip: Pay attention to the characters’ costumes since they could give hints about the character’s intentions.
4. Analyzing Symbols and Framing
Symbols in a film can be and audio or visual cue that you relate to an emotion, mood, or action. Watch the scene again and pay attention to any important props or recurring images. Even characters can be symbols. The framing, or mise-en-scène, of a film refers to how the elements of the shot are arranged on screen. Pause the scene often and look and how the actors and set decoration are positioned on screen. Look at how the scene’s lit and how the highlights and shadows affect the mood.
5. Camera Angles and Editing
The camera angle refers to how much you can see in the frame and what the viewer should focus on. Write down if the camera moves around often or if it stays in one place since this can add to the overall feeling and tension of the scene. For example, action scenes usually have a lot of movement and have multiple angles to keep the viewer excited. The editing refers to the changes between shots during your scene and how they affect how a viewer experiences it. Make note of how the transition between shots affect one another and how fast they occur.
6. Sound and Music
Close your eyes and listen to the scene so you can focus on the music and sound effects. Then watch the scene again with your eyes open to see how the sound lines up with the editing and the character actions.
7. Connecting to the Film's Theme
Look at the notes you took on the scene and compare them to the overall theme of the film. Pick a topic for your analysis that you can support with multiple elements from the scene so you can expand and defend your argument.
Writing Your Scene Analysis
Once you've thoroughly analyzed the scene, it's time to put your thoughts into writing.
1. Introduction
Open your analysis with an attention-grabbing sentence that relates to the film or the theme of the scene. Mention the name of the film, the director, and the year it was released in the next sentence. Use the next paragraph to describe the actions that happen in the scene in chronological order so the reader knows you’re talking about.
2. Body Paragraphs
Aim to have about 2-3 paragraphs that each discuss a separate element from the scene that defends your thesis statement. Use examples from the scene to support the claims you’re making in your body paragraphs.
3. Conclusion
Reword your thesis statement to restate the main idea of your paper for the first sentence in your conclusion. Then use the next 2-3 sentences to summarize the ideas that you mentioned in your body paragraphs.
Additional Tips
- Watch Multiple Times: Try to watch the film more than one, if possible.
- Avoid Judgments: A film analysis is not the same of a film review. Avoid making pedestrian judgments about the film’s entertainment factor.
- Focus Your Analysis: Unless the assignment asks you, do not try to cover every single element the film uses.
- Use Character Names: If you are referring to the actions of a person in the film, refer to the scene using the character’s name.
Example of Analyzing a Scene
To illustrate how to analyze a scene, consider the 5 W’s - who, what, where, when, why - as a questioning framework. For younger or newer drama students, try introducing the concept of scene analysis by thinking like a detective solving a mystery. Look for clues and piece them together to solve the puzzle of the scene. Using the characters’ lines, stage directions, and text, students will figure out the who, what, where, when, and why of the scene.
- Who is in the scene? What do we know about them? What is their relationship to the other character in the scene?
- When is the scene happening? A specific date, year, era, or time period. In relation to other scenes - What happened immediately before and/or after the scene?
- Where is the scene happening? A specific location - Grandma’s kitchen, Mr.
- What are the characters doing in the scene? What are the characters feeling in the scene? In terms of what the characters are doing, start with what they are literally doing - washing the dishes, doing homework, going for a walk. What is the purpose of these actions? From there, consider what the characters are “doing” in a more interpretive sense. One character might be trying to convince another to do something, or a character might be saying one thing but meaning another. The characters might come out and say something specific about how they’re feeling (“I feel sad”), or they might have [sadly] or [sniffling] as a stage direction to illustrate their emotions.
- Why is this scene happening? Something needs to happen. Some new information has to be shared or something has to change from the beginning of the scene to the end of the scene, otherwise it doesn’t move the plot forward. What moments in the scene stick out to your students? Look back to the “when” questions and think about what happened before and after the scene.
- How do we know all this?
These are the details that add the second and third layers of meaning that make for complex and compelling storytelling.
By following these steps and tips, you'll be well-equipped to write a thorough and insightful scene analysis. Remember, the key is to pay attention to the details and understand how they contribute to the overall meaning of the film.
Nicole is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where she earned her MA in Cinema Studies.