Scriptwriting Terms 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'inciting incident' in a screenplay?
- The event that sets the main story in motion (Correct answer)
- The climactic final battle
- The opening credits sequence
- The resolution of subplots
Correct answer: The event that sets the main story in motion
The inciting incident is the event that disrupts the protagonist's status quo and launches the central conflict.
Question 2: What does 'MONTAGE' indicate in a script?
- A series of short shots condensing time or events (Correct answer)
- A single long take
- A flashback to childhood
- A dialogue-heavy scene
Correct answer: A series of short shots condensing time or events
A montage is a sequence of brief shots edited together to compress time or convey a process.
Question 3: What is 'exposition' in screenwriting?
- Background information conveyed to the audience (Correct answer)
- The climax of the story
- A camera movement
- An actor's improvisation
Correct answer: Background information conveyed to the audience
Exposition is the delivery of backstory and context the audience needs to understand the story.
Question 4: What does the term 'on the nose' dialogue mean?
- Dialogue that states meaning too directly without subtext (Correct answer)
- Dialogue spoken very quietly
- A character lying
- Perfectly timed banter
Correct answer: Dialogue that states meaning too directly without subtext
On-the-nose dialogue says exactly what a character thinks or feels with no subtext, often considered weak writing.
Question 5: What is a 'McGuffin'?
- An object or goal that drives the plot but has little intrinsic importance (Correct answer)
- A comic-relief character
- A type of transition
- The antagonist's weapon
Correct answer: An object or goal that drives the plot but has little intrinsic importance
A McGuffin is a plot device—an object or goal characters pursue that motivates the story but matters little in itself.
Question 6: What does 'CONTINUOUS' mean when used in a scene heading?
- The action flows directly from the previous scene without a time gap (Correct answer)
- The scene loops repeatedly
- The shot is filmed in one take
- The scene is the longest in the script
Correct answer: The action flows directly from the previous scene without a time gap
CONTINUOUS signals that the action continues immediately from the prior scene with no break in time.
Question 7: What is 'subtext' in screenwriting?
- The underlying meaning beneath what characters say or do (Correct answer)
- Subtitles on screen
- A subplot
- Captions for the hearing impaired
Correct answer: The underlying meaning beneath what characters say or do
Subtext is the implied or unspoken meaning underneath the literal dialogue and action.
Scriptwriting Terms 3
What is the 'inciting incident' in a screenplay?