Scene Descriptions

Generic Description

Cut to:

Denning looking up the grand staircase from the mansion's entrance hall

Immediate questions from the reader:

how is he looking up?
how is the staircase grand? what is it made from?
what is the hall like?

Specific Description

Cut to:

Denning peering uncertainly up the dark oak staircase, carved with gargoyles and dragons, which sweeps dramatically upwards from the broken tiles and spidery corners of the mansion's entrance hall.

You don't need too much detail. You do need a strong verb, some vivid adjectives to create precise mental pictures and to add an emotional frisson.

Make the following generic descriptions more specific and use your choice of words to convey a particular emotional mood. We should be able to guess the mood you are creating from your words alone.

1) INT: Alice's Kitchen Day
An old-fashioned kitchen, filled with family paraphenalia and two dogs.

2) Cut to:
an MTV-like studio setting with a live audience

3) Carl looks at the books on the Professor's shelves while he waits for her to arrive in her study