Concerning scene and sequence: some categorization issues

Abstract

There is no consensus regarding the use of terms like “scene” and “sequence” in the theory and practice of the screenplay. Sometimes, both words can designate the same thing, such as an action attached to a given place and time. Whereas some authors explain that a sequence encompasses one or more scenes (FIELD, 1995; PARENT-ALTIER, 2004), others adopt the opposite logic: a scene can encompass one or more sequences (MAMET, 2010; BRISELANCE and MORIN, 2011). But, then again, is this categorization really effective and precise? Why is it so usual at given times, in conversations about any given film, to hear the terms “the scene of the robbery”, or “the bank scene”, but also “the sequence of the robbery”, or “the bank sequence”? Beyond a mere difference in terms of jargon (film vs. television), the categories “scene” and “sequence” will be thoroughly investigated in this paper, in order to clarify controversies concerning the dramatic unit in the screenplay.