scenebyscene

Scenebyscene is a term used in media production and analysis to describe an approach that treats each narrative scene as a discrete unit. In this context, a scene is defined by a change in time, location, or narrative focus, and serves as the basic building block for planning and analysis. The term contrasts with shot-based, beat-based, or sequence-based methods.

In practice, scenebyscene can guide script development, production scheduling, and editorial workflows. It supports authoring by enabling scene objectives, conflicts, and outcomes to be documented; it supports scheduling by mapping scenes to locations, actors, and resources; and it supports editing by tracking cut points and continuity at the scene level.

Fields commonly associated with the approach include scene title or number, location, time stamp, characters involved, objectives, emotional tone, and metadata for rights, continuity, and archival tagging. Many teams integrate scenebyscene with script databases, project management tools, and digital asset management systems to maintain a scene-oriented catalog.

While the term is most often used informally, it appears in discussions of narrative structure, production workflows, and educational contexts as a pedagogical method for dissecting complex media into manageable units. It can also be used as a branding term in certain products or platforms that emphasize scene-level organization.

See also: script breakdown, storyboard, scene, shot, beat sheet, and continuity.