- Can you create curiosity? Ask a question and keep the answer for later.
- How does the scene move the story forward and add to the audience’s understand-
ing? Each scene should change the status quo. The hero should be closer or farther
away from his goal than he was at the beginning of the scene. - Are you revealing character and motivation through each character’s behavior?
- What makes us have empathy for the hero?
- Does the scene have a catalyst at the beginning? Usually scenes do.
- New information might come out in the middle, spinning the scene off in another
direction. - Does the scene build to a climax?
- How are you going to make it funnier or more dramatic?
Stay away from the clichés and easy solutions. Do the unexpected. Add a twist. Scenes
normally depend on action rather than dialogue. Use complications, obstacles, and sudden
reversals. Use character relationships, subtext. What’s happening under the mask? Remem-
ber, however, that subtext will probably go over the heads of the preschool gang.
Your Scene: Where to Start and Where to End
Individual scenes can be as long or as short as necessary to tell the story and fit into the
pacing of the whole. Young children have a short attention span. Short scenes with lots of
action, gags, and kid-relatable characters help to keep your script on track. Although scenes
usually have a beginning, a middle, and an end, you can choose to cut off any one or two of
these to make your scene more effective. The beginning or ending of a scene is often unnec-
essary. Your scene may be better without it! You want only the essence. And in comedy you
need the gags! Once you’ve made your main point, the scene is over. Nothing should be
extraneous!
The Opening Scene
Grab the audience in the opening scene, or they won’t stay around for the rest of the story.
A teaser or action opening keeps the audience glued to their seats.Jackie Chan Adventures
has action before the opening credits. Get into the story right away. You can fill in any missing
pieces later. Often your opening scene is a gag scene in a comedy, a scary action scene in a
mystery, or a character-developing scene in a feature. Usually beginnings and endings of
scripts have some relationship to each other. For cartoons it’s best if this opening scene can
advance the plot—with the star—on the very first page. In a shorter cartoon we want to
know what the star wants, who opposes her, and what terrible thing will happen if the star
doesn’t obtain her goal—and we want to know it right away. In a feature you have more
time to develop character and set mood in the opening scene. We must like your characters
well enough to take this journey with them and root for them to win.
176 Animation Writing and Development