Screenwriting : Exposition in a feature script: How to make it interesting without boring your reader? by Steven Gamella

Could flashbacks work? You could cover a lot of territory in afew minutes that way. Is there a moment where one character breaks down and finally spills it all out? I'd suggest in that case try and keep it simple and in as few words as possible.

put the exposition conversation into an action situation - anything from a fight to a beauty parlour. In Bridget Jones’ Baby, key exposition occurrs while one character is being waxed, so info is interspersed w yelps as the wax is ripped off. Very clever. Great example of how to put all-critical ⬆️⬇️ emotions into an otherwise simple scene.

Emotion and puzzles, that's what the audience enjoys and will invest time into. Put the information behind an obstacle a character has to overcome and/or deliver it in a way that's entertaining.

The theme of Silence of the Lambs all hinges around a childhood event in Clarice Starling's past which takes a few scenes to come out and only via aggressive interrogation and dealmaking by Hannibal Lecter.

Up has a huge backstory sequence about Carl losing his wife that's pure visual exposition, but it's incredibly emotional to watch because of the highs and lows we can all empathise with.

I watched Liam Neeson's movie "Blacklight" a little while back, Steven Gamella. There was a scene where a character told Liam's character exposition. They were in danger, and they were in a rush. Those two things kept the exposition from feeling like exposition, and those two things kept me from getting bored while the character told the exposition.

Here are a two older threads about exposition to gnash on, Steven Gamella, as well as a classic StudioBinder video.

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Exposition

https://www.stage32.com/blog/coffee-content-screenwriting-how-to-handle-...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oEq2XjFCaps

It has to be to the point Steven Gamella moving the story forward quickly, especially if it is a spec.

I find in an argument people always dredge up the past. So I used that just a few days ago.

“It’s okay for you….” He accuses her of manipulating the situation.

She comes back with “do you remember why that happened, how you ……”.

Just make sure the argument happens organically.

Or do the Marvel library scene. You get someone who doesn’t know as a proxy for the audience. Stick everyone in a library or lab, somewhere think is done, and explain it to the dummy.

Just click on youtube and you can find hundreds of script experts showing you how to do exposition. Find the expert you think works for you.GL

My advice is break it up, don't have one character deliver a massive monolog. Quick and concise points, with few follow up questions from supporting characters. Make it a conversation not a lecture, however; when in doubt I go to my go to resource. Studiobinder.

https://youtu.be/oEq2XjFCaps?si=pV1R6ki1F5O1m5hs

Great suggestions from everyone!

Echoing CJ Walley here. In order for exposition to be interesting to your audience, it needs to be: 1) Organic - Would the character actually be revealing it in this situation? Make sure they're not telling this information to someone who already knows (the classic, "Mark, you've been my best friend for 15 years..."). Perhaps there is a conflict in which they need to reveal this information in order to get what they want from the other person. 2) Make it information that your audience is dying to hear. If you set up a compelling question earlier ("Why is this person like this?" "Why does he flinch every time someone touches a potato?") and then escalate our interest in that question, it actually won't matter if you're "telling" the audience, because like a person dying of thirst in the desert, the information will be so welcome to us that we don't even care how it's delivered. Exposition is only boring to your audience if it is answering questions that your audience isn't asking.

Thanks everyone. Great suggestions!

You're welcome, Steven Gamella.

There is a lot audiences can get from non-verbal communication. Like if a topic is painful for instance. This way you can keep the dialogue exposition to a minimum and have a character’s non-verbal reaction to it tell the impact or importance of this.