Scenessuch

Scenessuch is a term used in media studies and online discourse to denote a specific aesthetic and analytical approach that foregrounds the construction and significance of scenes within a narrative. It describes works—films, television, theater, video essays—that invite viewers to notice how scenes are staged, lit, framed, and edited, rather than passively accepting them as realistic representations. The term treats scenes as the primary unit of meaning and emphasizes the deliberate choice of setting, props, and camera movement as evidence of authorial intent.

Etymology: The coinage combines scene with suchness or the suffix such to indicate a manner or quality; it arose in informal critique in the early 2020s among online critics and remix culture participants. It is not widely standardized and may appear in varied spellings.

Practice: Scenessuch works often employ meta-commentary, rapid cuts, or explicit references to production, breaking the fourth wall or highlighting montage techniques. Critics argue it can foster heightened awareness of media construction, though some warn it risks excessive self-referentiality.

Reception: The concept appears mostly in niche scholarly blogs and video essays rather than formal academic journals. It is typically discussed alongside reflexivity, metafiction, and self-referentiality, and sometimes linked to discourse about authenticity and spectatorship.

See also: Reflexivity (literary and film theory), Metafiction, Self-referentiality, Cinematic montage.