Scene by Scene: Value Shift
A Helpful Exercise
Strong scene by scene value changes increase dynamism, audience engagement and provide a framework for developing emotional changes in a concrete, structural and approachable way. Strong value changes are key to creating that, “rollercoaster ride” experience audiences crave and critics praise.
Value changes aren’t always immediately obvious. In fact, many writers completely ignore them, unwittingly trapping themselves in a purely logical plot-structure hell (A leads to B leads to C). Then they wonder why their work feels stiff and uninteresting.
Why? Because sequences of information without strong emotional components are boring. If audiences were only looking for logical sequences in storytelling, they would go read textbooks.
Most of your audiences aren’t going to be able to identify scene by scene value change, at least not in any concrete way (another great reason to have a pro read your script). They probably won’t even think of it, much less know what it is, but they will feel it - whether they feel it in a good way or a bad way is up to you.
So, let’s talk about what value changes are, go through some examples and then get into the practical application of this concept.
Understanding
Value Changes
Definition of Values: In screenwriting, “values” refer to key qualities or states that are important to the characters and their story arcs. Common examples include success/failure, truth/lies, freedom/imprisonment, love/hate, life/death, etc. These values are often directly linked to the characters' goals and motivations. A “value” can be anything (you can think of it like “X” in an algebra expression) but it tends to be something conceptual with emotional implications.
Significance of Value Changes: The shift in values from one state to another within a scene creates drama and tension. This change underpins the scene's narrative purpose, driving both character development and plot advancement. Without this change, scenes can appear static and may not contribute effectively to the overall story.
Types of Value Changes:
Polarity Shift: A direct flip from one value state to another, such as from happiness to sadness, or from danger to safety. This is often used in pivotal scenes that dramatically alter the course of the narrative. Strong shifts like this build the, “rollercoaster ride.”
Incremental Change: A gradual shift in value, which can be harder to perceive but builds tension or development more subtly across several scenes or even the entire screenplay.
Examples
Conflict Introduction: Begin a scene with a character in a state of security (positive value) and introduce a conflict or threat that shifts the state to insecurity or danger (negative value). For example, a family dinner starts warmly but turns tense when a previously hidden contentious will is mentioned.
Revelation: Start with a character believing a lie (negative value) and through dialogue or discovery shift to them learning the truth (positive value). This can lead to a dramatic shift in their understanding and subsequent actions.
Emotional Transformation: Show a character’s emotional state change as a reaction to events within the scene. For instance, a character starts a scene feeling defeated (negative value) but receives unexpected support or discovers a hidden inner strength, ending the scene with renewed hope or determination (positive value).
Goal Orientation: A scene could start with a character close to achieving a goal (positive value), but through obstacles presented in the scene, their progress is thwarted (negative value). This setup is common in adventure or thriller genres where physical stakes are high.
Moral or Ethical Shift: Characters may begin a scene acting under questionable ethics (negative value) and through introspection or external influence, decide to take the higher moral ground by the end (positive value). This is effective in dramas focusing on character redemption or evolution.
Practical Application
To apply this concept effectively, go through each scene in your work and:
Clearly define the key value at stake.
Identify the transition point within the scene where the value change occurs.
Refine the value change & increase contrast between the value at the top of the scene and the value at the bottom. Use dialogue, action, and visual elements to highlight these changes, making them clear and impactful.
Ensure each scene's value change impacts the overall story arc, propelling the characters toward or away from their ultimate objectives. If the value change isn’t strong enough, or doesn’t have enough impact on the overall story arc - get rid of it.
All in All
I highly recommend performing this exercise on later drafts of your work. More advanced writers might find it helpful to build scene by scene value changes as they outline, though newer writers could find this overly complicated if approached too early.
If you go through each scene in your screenplay 1 by 1 and apply these tips, you’re going make your screenplay significantly more dynamic, interesting, emotional and engaging. It can feel tedious, I’m not going to lie, but the results are worth it.
