Role of ‘Plant and Payoff’ in Script Writing: Learning through Professional Film Making Courses
The process of film making involves collaboration of different disciplines working together in the same direction. Each domain has its own significance and impact on the movie. Aspirants looking forward to make career in this industry must possess sound knowledge of the interrelation of these fields and how a change in one would affect the overall output. Different fields include direction, cinematography, screenwriting, acting, video and audio editing, visual effects, lighting, music, etc. One can look for top film schools in India where they can enhance their skills and gain professional knowledge.
Amongst others, screenwriting can be considered to form the base foe any film. This is because other fields add life to the story, but if the story in itself is not powerful then even after putting the best foot forward, it may fail to connect with the audience. As a screenwriter, it is vital to have insights on how to engage your audience. As a famous proverb goes - “You reap what you sow”, similarly in a screenplay, one of the very important device is ‘Plant and Payoff’, which simply means that we establish something earlier in the film that pays off later or is later used in the film
For instance, a dialogue, character, painting or photograph, prop or some piece of information is introduced (planted) early in a film, is mentioned repeatedly in the film (depends) and finally pays off later in the film,(generally during a climax). A good use of this technique engages audience and gives them a chance to be an active participant. It is essential to take care that both, plant and payoff, are far away from each other in a narrative, otherwise both it would appear deliberate and will fall flat becoming quite predictable.
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