Speaker 1: Does a portion of a story ever feel like it is moving too quickly? Or too slowly? One of the most difficult aspects of storytelling is pacing. But what exactly does pacing mean? And how do filmmakers approach it? This is What Is Pacing? Let's slow down to remind you to subscribe to StudioBinder and turn on notifications to stay updated on all our videos. We will be spoiling the following movies. Now, back to our regular scheduled pacing. Pacing in narratives refers to the speed at which a story is told. Most stories do not move at a single pace. As screenwriting expert Robert McKee writes, we coach the audience to move like a long-distance runner who rather than loping at a constant pace, speeds, slows, then speeds again, creating cycles that allow him to reach the limit of his reserves. Pacing in film has evolved over the medium's history. Early cinema often utilized long takes but featured shorter runtimes, resulting in slower editing but faster-paced stories. With the inception of more advanced editing techniques came more complex, and varied narrative structures. D.W. Griffith pioneered cross-cutting using pacing to affect the audience's emotions. Later, directors like Alfred Hitchcock used pacing to exacerbate suspense and shock. Today, pacing remains a primary consideration for all filmmakers.

Speaker 2: Must go faster. Hey, slow down. Safety first.

Speaker 1: Pacing can apply to both the micro and macro aspects of storytelling. Individual scenes have their own pacing, but you should also consider the pacing of larger sequences and the entire narrative as a whole. We'll look at the various ways story tempo can be manipulated, including during production and post-production. But first, let's look at pacing in screenwriting. The screenplay is the first place where the pace of a story can be dictated. There are several ways a screenwriter can signal the speed they want their story to be told. In his screenplay for Tar, Todd Field explicitly states his vision for the tempo with an opening disclaimer, writing, based on this script's page count, it would be reasonable to assume that the total running time for Tar will be well under two hours. However, this will not be a reasonable film. There will be tempo changes. The screenplay for A Quiet Place has action in short bursts, broken up by ellipses and line breaks. Building tension and emphasizing scares. Past Lives, meanwhile, moves at a steady meditative pace, letting small moments breathe. Writer and director Celine Song also uses character direction to pace a dialogue. Her lengthy bits of direction give an actor a keen sense of how to play the moment and extend the pause between the characters' lines.

Speaker 3: Hello.

Speaker 1: like Aaron Sorkin.

Speaker 4: You got a 1600? Yes, I could sing in an a cappella, but I can't sing. Does that mean you actually got nothing wrong? I could row crew, earn like a $25 PC. Or you get into a final club? Or I get into a final club.

Speaker 1: Sorkin deliberately omits any action lines during most of his exchanges, letting the dialogue create a rhythm of its own.

Speaker 4: Have you ever tried? I'm trying right now. To row crew? To get into a final club, to row crew. No, are you like, whatever, delusional? No.

Speaker 1: The Safdie brothers have made their name on breakneck pacing. Their scripts, too, hint at the tempo of their stories. In the opening scenes of Uncut Gems, they introduce us to the chaos of Howard's life.

Speaker 5: Arnold, tell them I'm coming up now.

Speaker 1: He ping-pongs from location to location, and they indicate just how all over the place he is with their scene headings like 30 Minutes Later.

Speaker 5: I'm literally minutes away from closing the biggest deal of my goddamn life, and when I do, you're gonna be embarrassed.

Speaker 1: And soon after. Howard Ratnick, how are you? Great to see you. What really creates an urgent pace is the Safdie's management of characters.

Speaker 3: What the fuck is going on out here? That's how you all knew you were fired.

Speaker 1: At any given time, Howard is having multiple conversations with multiple different characters. He and the audience are getting pulled several different ways at once.

Speaker 3: I have clients in the office. What you gonna do with that?

Speaker 5: Turn around and walk away. Well, good, well, good. All right, David, go back inside. Everything's fine. Hello, open the door. Okay. Jesus. You're with KG?

Speaker 1: Narrative tempo can also be affected by scene length. Most of the scenes in Requiem for a Dream, for example, take up less than a page. These short, fragmented scenes are used, to reflect the characters' lives spiraling out of control. Once the script is written, pacing can be further honed on set. During production, a director can dictate a story's speed through collaboration with their actors and cinematographer.

Speaker 6: Deciding to cover a scene with only one or two characters,

Speaker 1: is a very difficult task. One or two shots can often slow the narrative's tempo. Director R.P. Chatpong, where as Setukul, is famous for this approach, allowing his scenes to move slowly and deliberately. These long single takes build the dreamlike, meditative quality that has become the filmmaker's signature. .

Speaker 6: The world was stunned today by the death of Diego Ricardo, the youngest person on the planet.

Speaker 1: A single take can also have a more rapid pace. In Children of Men, Alfonso Cuaron uses a one-er to highlight the chaos of the battlefield. . and whip bands to create fast-paced fight scenes. Yasujiro Ozu would largely cover his scenes with almost no camera movement. The director's locked off shots allow scenes to breathe, letting the audience contemplate the subtle dynamics between characters. A camera doesn't need to be still to slow down a scene. In Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky uses a sedate camera dolly to evoke a character's dream state.

Speaker 7: Of course, actors' performances

Speaker 1: can also affect the speed of a narrative.

Speaker 4: We are in a really big hurry.

Speaker 1: Sure. Actors will often slow down a scene if they want to convey some inner emotion of their character. In this scene from Nomadland, Frances McDormand takes her time with a monologue, using moments of silence to show the emotions she wrestles with while recalling these memories.

Speaker 2: It's like my dad used to say, what's remembered lives. I may be spent too much of my life just remembering, Bob.

Speaker 1: In the Grand Budapest Hotel, Ray Fiennes employs a long beat or dramatic pause for comedy.

Speaker 3: The police are here.

Speaker 2: They asked for you. Tell them I'll be right there. Okay.

Speaker 1: Then moments later, he and Tony Revolori speed through their dialogue to ramp up the pace of the scene. Have you ever been questioned by the authorities?

Speaker 3: Yes, on occasion. What? I was arrested and tortured by the rebel militia after the desert uprising. Right. Well, you know the drill then. Zip it. Of course. You never heard the word Van Hoytel in your life. Got it. Okay, let's go.

Speaker 1: The narrative speed dictated on set will then be crystallized by the pacing in post. In many ways, the art of editing is the art of pacing. How long an editor decides to stay on a shot or in a scene has a direct effect on the speed of a story. Fast cuts are the most immediate way to increase the tempo of a sequence. Baz Luhrmann has a particular affinity for this approach, using speedy editing to give energy to his sequences. Chantal Ackermann, on the other hand, uses cuts more sparingly. In her film, News From Home, she lingers on shots of New York, allowing the city to play itself and for viewers to slowly sink into its world. Most films, however, fall somewhere in between these two extremes. This scene from The Hurt Locker begins with slightly more leisurely cuts. And once a shot is fired, there are several quick cuts underlining the sudden chaos of the sequence. This famous sequence from Platoon does the opposite, beginning with more frequent cuts and then holding on slow motion shots of Elias. Slowing down the pacing increases the drama and tragedy of Elias' death and makes it all the more excruciating to watch. The Rules of Attraction boasts a four-minute montage of a hedonistic romp through Europe. Both in euros. Both the edit and the propulsive narration makes this an extremely fast-paced sequence.

Speaker 8: Saw the Tate, saw Big Ben, ate a lot of weird English food. It rained a lot, it was expensive, and I'm jonesing, so I split for Amsterdam. The Dutch all know English, so I didn't have to speak any Dutch, which was a relief.

Speaker 1: This montage from The Wolf of Wall Street utilizes fewer cuts but speeds through more narrative. In just a few minutes, Belfort has taught his team how to sell and upgrades his company. Music can also play a large role in pacing. John Williams' score for Jaws uses pacing to a masterful effect. If we put this scene to slow music, there is far less suspense. But listening to the actual soundtrack, which speeds up, braces us for a scare. Hans Zimmer's score for Dunkirk makes heavy use of what sounds like a ticking clock, adding an earthy sound to it. And an urgent pacing to every scene, even ones which wouldn't normally feel rushed. The editing room is where all the pieces of pacing come together. And if the pacing isn't working, the editing room is where it must be fixed. The camera is where it must be fixed. The film is where it must be fixed. The director is where it must be fixed. And the director is where it must be fixed. Pacing is an essential element in any form of storytelling. And so it should come as no surprise that it is vital in cinema. No matter where you are in the filmmaking process, it is always important to keep in mind. It is always important to keep in mind. Pacing begins at a film's inception. Pacing begins at a film's inception. Set the pace in your script. Set the pace in your script. Block out scenes in a storyboard. Block out scenes in a storyboard. Design the most efficient shot list Design the most efficient shot list and more in StudioBinder's pre-production software. Design the most efficient shot list and more in StudioBinder's pre-production software. Design the most efficient shot list and more in StudioBinder's pre-production software. That's all for now. We hope you get where you're headed. At the pace you see fit. Discombobulate. Dazed. Will attempt wild haymaker. Employ elbow block. And body shot.