How to use sequences to write a better story

One of the worst problems I see in many scripts that I assess is a lack of clear sequencing. Sequences have been a fundamental part of screenplay structure since the beginning of movie making.

Remember that a script has the following main structural/form elements: Beats (in a scene), scenes, sequences, and acts. These combine to help create the structure of a script.

A sequence is a unit of scenes integrated by an idea or conflict. Sequences are essential to film storytelling.

Imagine the following scenes:

1)     A powerful man with top aides talking with a vengeful father.

2)     Guests at a celebration dancing and other guests arriving.

3)     Unwelcome people arriving outside the celebration.

4)     The powerful man dancing with his wife.

5)     A loving young couple dancing.

6)     Singing by the wife of the powerful man and a famous singer.

7)     A son of the powerful man bonking one of the bridesmaids.

8)     Meeting various workers of the powerful man and more of his children.

9)     Meeting the powerful man’s youngest son and his girlfriend.

10)  One of the workers asks the powerful man for a favor.

Can you remember all these disparate events that take up 15 minutes of screen time? Can you understand this multitude of characters and their relationships? Did you care? Did you lose attention while reading this list?

You’ve probably guessed that these scenes (here in a more abstract form) are the opening to The Godfather. The Godfather introduction is one of the best written sequence openings in modern film. This is because it does so much so well: It introduces the leading characters, especially the protagonist and his lover, sets up the world, and starts the story in one logical, dramatic, and memorable series of scenes. (And so much more.) A great sequence!

But if you take out the wedding idea from this unit of scenes in The Godfather what you have is a series of chaotic and confusing events. Add the logical wedding story string and you have a dramatic story unit. That is, a sequence.

Human beings have a limited capacity of how much they can remember and want to. Every story has to over come this cognitive and emotional problem. Organizing characters and events into logically related units very much helps lessen this problem. Films could not work if they were 100 scenes of disparate events. They work much better being broken into smaller logically related units: Scenes, Sequences, and Acts.

Too many story creators don’t focus on these important aspects of human psychology when creating their stories.

The Nature of Sequences

Your script and its acts must be made up of sequences. For example, one simple and common screenplay structure that recognises this vital fact is a feature script having two main sequences in act 1, four in act two, and two in act three.

There are many features to what makes a well-structured sequence. For example, many sequences will be focused on a minor goal of the protagonist. That is, on the protagonist’s mini-goal or plan enactment that he thinks will help him attain his main big goal. For example, John McClane in Die Hard wants to defeat the terrorists to save his wife. His first minor/sequence goal to achieve that big goal is to get outside help so McClane struggles to call the police and fire brigade.

A sequence most often is a mini conflict. It thus must involve opposition to the protagonist and his goal. At times, a sequence can even be started, dominated, and driven by the antagonist. In Die Hard, for instance while McClane is trying to stop the terrorists they have become aware of him and now begin their hunt to kill him. Conflict!

The climax of a sequence is like the climax of a scene. It will resolve, in a surprizing and dramatic way, the goal/problem of the sequence, and drive the characters to the next sequence. This turning point can be positive or negative for the protagonist, but it must lead to a new sequence based on another, higher-stake sequence goal.

Actionable Creative Takeaways

The key to writing better sequences is for you to think about and to consciously outline your sequences. Here are some practical questions to help you do that:

 1)     What are your protagonist’s mini-goals to attain his main goal?

2)     What are the big conflicts and obstacles against the protagonist reaching his sequence goals?

3)     What is the climax/turning point of each of your sequences?

4)     Does everything in each sequence drive towards its climax in an escalating way?

As a general tip, watch good films and see how their sequences work. Logical story units!

Also study your script to learn if you have really organized your story into main sequences. (Sequences can also have mini-sequences in them.)

There’s a lot more regarding what a sequence is and how to use them successfully in a script. But sequencing is fundamental to screen stories and must be used. Sequences are story units that give your script order, logic, escalation, and drama! Ignore them at your own great risk of telling your story in an average or confused way.

What questions do you have regarding sequences? Write to me.

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 “Scott McConnell is an excellent Script Editor.”                               Snorri Þórisson,  CEO Pegasus Pictures 

To discuss your story, class or business needs write to Scott here. 

                            “Stories are ideas in action!”

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