When we get down to scene resolution, there are so many cross-purposes at work that we need to limit our appreciation of what is going on to see anything in the clutter. First, however, let's touch on some of the forces that obscure the real function of scenes, then strip them away to reveal the dynamic mechanism beneath.

Resolution and Sequence

Earlier we spoke of plot in terms of Types. We also speak of plot here in terms of four resolutions: Acts, Sequences, Scenes, and Events. Both of these perspectives are valid story points depending on what you need to accomplish. Because all units in Dramatica relate holographically, no single point of view can completely describe the model. That is why we select the most appropriate view to fit the purpose. Even though looking at plot in terms of Types is useful, it is true that "plot-like" twists and turns are going on at the scene resolution as well. However, these dynamics are not truly part of the scene, but merely in the scene. An Act, Sequence, Scene, or Event is a temporal container--a box made of time that holds dynamics within its bounds. Much like filters or gratings with different-sized holes, the resolutions "sift" the dynamics trapping large movements at the highest levels and allowing smaller nuances to fall all the way down to the Elements.

What's in a Scene?

At the scene resolution, the effects of Types and Variations are like the tidal pull of some distant moon. But scenes are not the resolution at which to control those forces. Scenes are containers that hold Elements--anything larger cannot get crammed in without breaking. So the richness we feel in scenes is not solely because of what the scene itself contains, but also to the overall impact of what is happening at several larger scales.

What then does a scene contain? Scenes describe the change in dynamics between Elements as the story progresses over time. And since Elements are the building blocks of characters, scenes describe the changing relationships between characters.

Characters and Scenes

Characters are made up of Motivations, Methodologies, Means of Evaluation, and Purposes. These terms also describe the four major sets of Elements from which we build the characters. Discovering the driving force of a character in a given scene is valuable, such as whether their argument is over someone's motivations or just the method they are employing.

6 Goes Into 24 Like Theme Goes Into Scenes

We have spoken of the three and four act story points of story. We illustrated how both divisions are valid to specific tasks. When dealing with scenes, we find that no scenes ever hang between two acts, half in one and half in the other, regardless of a three or four act appreciation. This is because there are exactly 24 scenes created at the Element level: Six an act in a four-act appreciation, eight an act in a three-act appreciation. In both cases, the scenes divide evenly into the acts, contributing to the "feel" of each act break being a major turning point in the progress of the story.

Sequences, on the other hand, exist as a six-part partition of the story. Therefore, they divide evenly into a three-act appreciation but not into a four. Since the four-act view is objective, sequences--as they define Thematic movements--are an experiential phenomenon in the subjective appreciation and lose much of their power objectively.