Why This is Good

Necessary Dialogue-Critical Information

One type of necessary dialogue is dialogue used to relay critical information to other characters. I say critical, because you walk a fine line between repeating things the audience already knows (see Unnecessary Dialogue-Repetition).

While it’s not good to use the dialogue to describe something the audience has already seen, it is good to use the dialogue properly to relay information the other characters need to know in the most concise way possible.

As discussed in the Repetition post, if we the audience watch something happen, and then have to listen as a character explains in detail what we just saw to another character, we will be bored. However, if no one explains or repeats this information to the characters who didn’t witness it, and they continue on as if they understand what happened, we will be confused and irritated and wonder how they got this information. The key is to only relay the most critical information as briefly as possible.

Critical information only does not just apply to repeating things to other characters. It should apply to all of your dialogue. Dialogue should never be used as filler or just conversation. Dialogue that is necessary and good tells the audience things they need to know when dialogue is the best way to do it. Examples of information that is critical for the audience are:

-Revealing a character’s past (not just a wound but any relevant past information).

-Explaining where a character was and what they were doing prior to the beginning of the scene (only if that information is interesting and matters to the story).

-Explaining a plan-what the characters are going to do next, or what they hope to do to solve a major problem (this sets up anticipation and alerts the audience to what should happen so we will know if something goes wrong).

-Explaining how one character knows another-though this must be done subtly and naturally-the way introductions are done in real life.

-A witness or source relaying details about a crime or mystery to an investigator.

All dialogue should relay critical information, even if it is just subtextually. If a line is not completely necessary because it tells us something we need to know, it’s better to have silence. Movies began silently, after all, and they still should be motion pictures, not still talking.