Scenárió

Scenárió is a Hungarian term borrowed from the French scénario, meaning a proposed sequence of events or a plan of action. In Hungarian orthography it is commonly written scenárió or szcenárió. The word is used across different domains to describe an outline of what may happen in a story, production, or project, rather than a finished script.

In the context of fiction and media production, a scenárió is typically a narrative outline or beat sheet that sketches the plot, characters, settings, and the progression of events. It generally does not include the finished dialogue or the detailed, scene-by-scene instructions of a screenplay. The scenárió serves as a planning tool to structure the narrative and pacing before drafting a full forgatókönyv (screenplay).

In planning and analysis, scenárió refers to scenario planning, a method for exploring possible futures by outlining hypothetical sequences of events under different assumptions. A scenárió often includes driving factors (economic, political, technological), a timeline, and branching paths such as best case, worst case, and alternative scenarios. This form supports risk assessment, strategy development, and contingency planning.

Usage and distinctions: forgatókönyv is the screenplay intended for production, with dialogue and stage directions, while a scenárió is the broader outline or planning document. The term is related to dramaturgia and narrative design. In business and public policy contexts, scenárió is commonly used to present possible futures and compare their implications in a clear, structured way.