Dave Baker by

Feel like there’s never any reason to lean on formula or be formulaic in your approach to screenwriting? Well, you might be wrong about that. While one should definitely aim for originality, incorporating a few tried and true scenes into your screenplay can be a great way to advance the plot effectively and efficiently and free up that creative energy for those truly stellar scenes and bits of dialogue.

Gearing Up Montages

They’re great. Everyone loves a good “strapping sh_t on” montage. You get loads of quick shots that allow you to showcase the character(s). Bonus details in the back of the shots to provide more information about who your characters are quickly and easily without talking down to them or worse–boring them to tears. Set your “gearing up” sequence to music and you can convey ample vibe, build momentum, and establish tone then head straight into the action that the audience will be bracing to see.

Sitting In The Car Right Before You Have You To Do Something Important

There’s nothing like a quiet scene of the protagonist sitting in a car trying to get up the courage to get out. It’s a perfect way to showcase insecurity and fragility. It also makes for a perfect way to build tension and suspense. Oh, and it’s dirt cheap too.

Funeral Sequences

Showing how different characters deal with loss is an important part of any story. Showing them in the act of grieving can also be very revealing about who they are as people. Funeral scenes are great ways to showcase who the characters are as well as provide a final insight into the departed character.

Enclosed Fight Sequences

Putting two bombastic characters in small spaces and them having them go at it is the best way to build a great sequence. Look at Diamonds Are Forever or From Russia With Love or The Raid. They all have major set pieces that take place in tiny quarters. This claustrophobia brings added psychological tension and works with single POV, multiple POV and omnipresent POV.

Entering A Hotel Room For the First Time

Whenever you have a character who’s on the road seeing what they do when they enter a hotel room for the first time is actually a great way to show who they are. Do they go to the bathroom first? Do they go to the bed to lie down? Do they empty their pockets? This no brainer device still works by instantly showing who the person is and what state of mind they’re in.

Up next 5 Totally Played Out Scenes We Never Need to See Again .

Learn about training with professional screenwriters at www.filmconnection.com.

Get more free film and screenwriting advice.