Movie moments, whether they happen in real life or up on the big screen, are really just dramatic beats. Ahhh, the dramatic beat, the life blood of, you guessed it, drama. What is it? A change in consciousness of a character. Simply put, your character learns something they didn’t know about themselves, their situation or those around them. From small to large, dramatic beats drive story and make scenes hum.

For me, a small dramatic beat occurs when Alanna comments how hot I look in the close up. Wow, up until now Alanna was just another student. Suddenly I am aware of new information which will affect things to come. If only Alanna had said nothing. Yeah, but then we would have no drama.

So read your scripts, check out your films and make sure they are peppered with movie moments or dramatic beats. Try and have at least ONE per scene. Confused? Ask a question in the FORUM. Learn something and have a movie moment.