First and Last Frames
What can we learn from examining the first and last frames of a movie?
I’m working on a new script and I’m thinking a lot about the beginning and ending.
What’s the first scene?
What’s the last scene?
What’s the journey I want the protagonist to experience?
How do the first and last scenes convey that journey?
Or don’t?
I came across a cool video showing a side-by-side comparison of the first and last frames from a bunch of movies. What stuck out to me is the variety of juxtapositions - colors, framing, characters, no characters, setting, tone.
So much about the story is communicated in two frames.
If you think about it, the first frame of the first scene is the first impression a reader or audience has of your story. Conversely, the last frame of the last scene is what the reader or audience will walk away with when the story is done.
As I begin the outlining phase of my current project (or even when I’m editing old scripts or essays), I’m paying special attention to the relationship between the first and last scenes. If something changes, what does that say about the story? If nothing changes, what am I saying instead?
