Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach

by Paul Joseph Gulino

A substantial update of the previous edition, The Sequence Approach deconstructs recent feature films and offers a new section analysing popular television series.

A proven screenwriting method in emotionally engaging an audience, the sequence approach emphasises the underlying motives of each story plot to better convey its relation to the work as a whole. In this expanded second edition, Paul Gulino includes analyses of recent noteworthy films and serial dramas, such as Parasite, Barry and Breaking Bad, with an eye to how they manage audience attention, convey vital information and deliver their emotional payloads. The aim of the book is to help writers move readily from the feature film to the serial form, mastering both. It is perfect for both beginning writers and those with experience in the feature screenplay form.

Genres: Writing, Film, Nonfiction, Research, Art, Own

296 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Kali Srikanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* by 5.

Gulino does not tell us why the sequence approach to writing ended but he does tell us why he believes it should be revived. Any screen-writing method that makes the writer’s task easier and focuses on the audience’s experience is worth examining.

A typical two hour film, Gulino tells us, comprises eight sequences – two in the first act, four in the second and two in the third. Each sequence is a short film which mirrors the structure of a complete film. But while complete films have conflicts and issues that are resolved at the end, sequences have conflicts and issues that are only partly resolved. Because they are only partly resolved, they engage the attention of the reader and viewer.

Gulino does not just tell us to keep the audience engaged. He shows us how it is done with four tools. Other tools are discussed during his analysis of eleven screenplays.

Gulino’s method makes screen-writing easier. Instead of staring at a blank sheet of paper and wondering how to fill it 120 times, a screenwriter has only to craft a 10 to 15 minute mini movie to be on the road to a complete screenplay.

The book is an excellent introduction to the art of sequencing but it does not answer all the questions. Why, for example, did sequencing lose its popularity. Did Syd Field’s “Screenplay”, with its three acts and multiple plot points crowd out the art of sequencing? Was sequencing seen as a device that divided a film, rather than emphasised its whole? And why, if sequencing is such a good device, do screenwriters try to hide this structure?

Gulino illustrates his points with an analysis of eleven screenplays. Unlike many writers, he does not choose films that exactly fit his thesis. Five of his examples do not have the suggested 8 sequence structure – “Lawrence of Arabia” (16), “The Fellowship of the Ring” (12), “North by Northwest” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (9) and “The Graduate” (7). One that does conform is “Air Force One”, written by Andrew Marlowe who studied under Frank Daniel, a passionate advocate of sequencing and Gulino’s mentor. The examples illustrate the underlying drama of each sequence and the relationship to the drama of the film as a whole.

Conclusion: “Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach” is one of the best books I read on screenplay structure. It simplifies the writing process and emphasises the underlying drama of each sequence and its relationship to the screenplay as a whole. Now if you will excuse me I have a screenplay to work on.

[posthuman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading for the brutal kneecapping of Lord of the Rings alone.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

read the first chapter then skim the rest. useful.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes. As others have said, read the first chapter. The rest of the book breaks down sequencing in films. Not scripts, films. A lot happens between the page and the screen, and some of the writer's examples are obvious directing and/or editing decisions, none that should concern the writer when they are putting words on the page.

The first chapter (19 pages) is a must read for anyone trying to further their education on the study of screenwriting.
The rest of the book (200 pages) is overwritten, overanalyzed, and underwhelming as any sort of guide to actually putting the practice to use.

[Glenn Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful book for screenwriters that will help them avoid a sagging story during the second act. Paul Gulino learned this approach at USC. So did Chris Soth, who markets this same approach in a more formulaic way as the Mini-Movie Method.

I enrolled in the Mini-Movie Method class from ScreenwritingU, after reading partially through this book. I dropped the class because the book is much better. The book avoids the incessant hype, the need to tie it to Joseph Campbell's idea of an heroic journey, and the fixed formula of eight mini-movies.

This book treats sequences in a non-dogmatic way. He starts by explaining the idea behind a movie with eight sequences. But the movies he analyzes do not all have eight sequences. Some have fewer. Some have many more sequences.

The idea of breaking a movie into sequences, each with its own story dynamic of tension that relates to the overall story tension is a very helpful way to work on a movie. You don't have to work in a linear fashion. If you get stuck temporarily on one sequence, you can work on another.

What the book misses is more discussion about crafting and rewriting your sequences. The theory discussion in this book is very brief. Maybe a bare 5% of the book. The author briefly summarizes dramatic theory as it relates to audience interest based on telegraphing, dangling clause, dramatic irony, and dramatic tension. Then on to another brief summary. That a description of the eight typical sequences. The rest of the book is analyses of movies. Well-done analyses. But I think There could have been more discussion about how sequences expand a writer's ability to sustain interest. For example, how the classic three act structure for a movie can be applied to each of the sequences could have been discussed more and illustrated with diagrams.

[Ira Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gulino writes a fascinating book with a sequence approach or mini-movies strung together in order to tell the larger story.

It seems to make the task of confronting 120 pages a little bit easier. I’ve read several books on the subject and actually went to college to get a degree in Screenwriting.

What I truly loved about this book, is that over half of the book covers films that don’t fit Gulino’s theory. However, you see that somehow by breaking his rule, but sticking with the sequence method the film is better for it.

But my favorite, was his chapter on Peter Jackson’s “The Fellowship of the Ring.” It pointed out things I hadn’t noticed from a screenwriter viewpoint, and how as a huge Tolkien fan (reading the Lord of the Rings three times) growing up and accepted things wether they were good for filmmaking or not.

Highly recommend to screenwriters. And those who want a more analytical view of filmmaking.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequencing seems to lend itself to some good approaches for sustaining audience interest in a story, however, as the author readily admits, don't get the idea that sequencing is the only useful way to look at screenplays.

I do however think this is definitely a good book to have in your screenwriting library, and I did pick up some useful techniques from it. Unlike "Story," it's pretty boring, but it does focus on taking apart scripts sequence by sequence--so if you rent the movies while reading the book, you'll get a lot more out of it.

[Ramsey Ess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone on here said to read the first chapter and skim the rest and they were right, so that's what I did.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a mixed relationship with any type of novel about writing or how to approach an artistic mean. When I read them, I always find nuggets of truth or better yet, a type of clarification in what I've done in my own works.

Expanding on that further, I usually can pick up why some movies turn out well and why even certain pieces of my own writings were successful. But then after I've reached that understanding in a how-to book - I find the remainder redundant, even petty in its analysis.

This book is good. The first forty or so pages are clear enough. And like I said, I found some interesting points of clarity, and enjoyed looking into the sequence approach. It changed the way I see a screenplay and is a valuable tool no doubt in writing something commercial.

My suggestion would be to read the first forty pages (finish up the first movie - or choose the one you really enjoy to read about) then skim the rest. Actually, I think I saw another reviewer say this much before I rented the book.

I think the reason for such advice is, that you will quickly get the point after analysing one film. And when you start to read the next films and notice that you're just splitting hairs, you'll probably feel less enthusiastic about ploughing through another ten film synopsis, with minor revelations.

This review is not meant to put the book down or say the book is useless, but rather, if you're brand new to screenplays then perhaps you should read it word for word because I would'be found it more enjoyable years back.

[Wes · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I struggled through a good chunk of this and found the analysis lacking in both pointedness and succinctness. Would've been slightly more effective either assuming the reader has recently watched the film and/or just a far shorter snapshot of the sequence being discussed, as each sequence is overly described beat-for-beat and ironically -- for me anyway-- obfuscates the application of the author's approach.

Glad so many people are getting something out of this, unfortunately I'm not one of them. I don't generally love books on writing, but as an alternative I may suggest "Writing Your Story's Theme" by K.M. Weiland, or David Ball's "Backwards & Forwards" as books I found useful.

[S · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I think the idea of breaking the script down in sequences is a good one, though I don't know that the book really makes it any easier to do than just using that as a rule of thumb.

I thought some of the criticisms of The Fellowship of the Ring were very insightful and I actually agree with them because I always felt the story was episodic, but then he lets other "arthouse" films off the hook for the same sins, so is it or isn't it important to follow classical rules of dramatic structure?

I know no book is the final say on what makes a script great, but I wouldn't start here for the average person, though there are some good things in it.

[Brie Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fragmenting films into sequences is a fantastic approach for dissecting story. Gulino elaborates to great effect on the uses of writing tools such as the dangling clause, dramatic irony, and preparation. Narrowing focus on sequences allows for the application of a three-act structure on a manageable chunk of story, setting in motion a series of dramatic questions that compound to address the overall dramatic tension. I highly recommend this book to critics and screenwriters and alike.

[Cole Hansen]

Some really good writing advice with solid examples to back it up in the form of movies that were deemed successful in one way or another. I found it interesting to see him break down the films in how they work within this new (old) structure and his roast of Fellowship of the Ring is hilarious and well worth the read. Definitely will be using trying this structure in the future with my own writing.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juries out on whether this approach really works without some experimentation but it seems like a pretty good framework for creating a film story without throwing out the 3 act structure or getting bound to overly rigid rules.

[Haditha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four Big Tools
- telegraphing
- dangling cause
- dramatic irony
- dramatic tension

[Ej Marinzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn’t bad at teaching how to write in sequences. I also use an eight sequence approach when writing, but mine is based on Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.

[Patrick Grizzard · Rating 3 out of 5]

In attempting to tackle my first feature, I found the prospect of writing eight to ten 12-15 page sequences far less daunting than writing first, second, and third acts of 30, 60, and 30 pages each. As the author points out, writing each segment with its own protagonist (and their own objective and obstacle), tension, rising action, and resolution ensures that the script as a whole is cohesive and maintains dramatic tension throughout.

That said, this book is more of an analysis of sequence structure in classic films than it is a methodology or system for screenwriting (a la Syd Field, Robert McKee, etc.). That said, the author does introduce a handful of tools and techniques at the outset that are cited constantly in each analysis. This repetition helps to reinforce how these tools work, but also leads to the analyses all feeling quite similar.

Overall, nothing groundbreaking here; but a useful book that I would recommend to aspiring screenwriters who have a habit of letting structure get away from them as they progress through the second and third acts of their story.

[Abner Rosenweig · Rating 4 out of 5]

An instant classic in the field, STSA is essential reading for any screenwriter, and helpful for novelists, too. Gulino joins Aristotle/Syd Field (3-Act) and Joseph Campbell/Chris Vogler (Mythic) by offering a third paradigm of screenplay structure, the Sequence Approach.

90% of the value of the book lies within its first 19 pages, where Gulino lays out the sequence approach and discusses its merits, in addition to a fine--no, an outstanding--primer on the basic principles of drama. The rest of the book merely illustrates the sequence approach in a variety of films, which is helpful--don't get me wrong--it's also just a great deal of plot summary to plow through. The book runs on for 222 pages because it needed to be long enough to be called a book, but if you're looking for the action, it's in the first 19 pages.

Screenplays are commonly conceived in acts, scenes, and beats, with a few sequences that extend several scenes. Gulino asserts that a sequence, like a paragraph, is an essential unit of composition in film, and that most narrative films can be composed and analyzed by breaking them down into a string of sequences from start to finish. The author offers a standard 8-sequence template for sequencing a screenplay: two in the first act, four in the second act, two in the third act, but what I love about this book is that, unlike many other formulaic screenwriting approaches, the sequence approach is flexible enough to be stretched or compressed as needed to accommodate a wide variety of films. We see in the book how sequencing can work for films as conventional as Air Force One and Toy Story to more unconventional films like Nights of Cabiria and Being John Malkovich.

Gulino shows how the sequence approach simplifies composition and assists the writer in identifying and tracking dramatic tension throughout the script. The sequence approach also helps to better integrate subplots and sheds light on non-traditional narrative approaches that cannot be accounted for in other structural paradigms.

Once you've been introduced to sequences, you'll never go back. They're an immensely helpful tool for composing and analyzing narratives of all kinds.

Yo ho, yo ho, the sequence approach for me.

[Emma Sea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful book, although it ends rather abruptly. I would have liked some kind of conclusion, rather than just being dumped out of the book. The first chapter is definitely the meat of the content, but I highly recommend the analysis of Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, to get a very clear unpicking of why the film is so visually attractive and yet utterly unengaging.

[Rasha Dbakrly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful and professional. Good to read!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty useful. It shows the structure and flow of different genres of films.

[Matthew Siemers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great info in the first chapter. The rest of the book is examples.

Not sure why the author hates The Fellowship of the Ring so much.

[يوسف عبداللطيف · Rating 4 out of 5]

Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach proves that Paul Joseph Gulino understands the art of psychological leverage better than most political strategists working today.