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These descriptions serve as a useful explanation of the hierarchy of the criminal organisation we have just started to follow.įurthermore, D’Angelo highlights the boys as ‘pawns’ and how difficult it is for pieces to transcend their roles. He uses the hierarchy of the Barksdale organisation to explain the roles of the different chess pieces.D’Angelo, a lieutenant in the Barksdale criminal organisation, teaches chess to two of his soldiers.It’s a brilliant piece of metaphor and exposition in writing. This scene has become iconic to fans of The Wire. In season 1, episode 3 of HBO’s The Wire, there is a scene in which three drug dealers play chess. In this duality the exposition is layered and effective.
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We’re not just learning about Watson, we’re learning about Sherlock. We are so busy being wowed by Sherlock’s talent for reading people that we don’t notice the key components of Watson’s backstory being revealed. Evident in Watson’s reaction, this proves to be scarily accurate. Sherlock delivers a quick summing up of his perception of Watson.
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This naturalistic explanation gives both Kay and the audience insight into the Godfather’s power. He told the Leader that ‘either his brains or signature would be on the contract’ (of the release form letting Johnny go). Gradually Michael reveals that his father threatened the Band Leader. Kay presses Michael as to ‘how’ his father did this.
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Weak exposition is transparent in its attempt to tell the audience information.Great exposition informs the audience with them barely noticing.Narrative exposition: the insertion of background information within a story or narrative.Įxposition is primarily information about the plot, a character’s backstory or the setting/context.
#Exposition story definition how to#
Learning how to write good exposition is a key step in learning how to write a screenplay. However, there is a fine line between pulling it off smoothly and making it feel too obvious to audiences. 15 Crafty Exposition Examples: How to Get Exposition RightĮxposition is an essential part of any screenplay.
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