Laying Pipe: Meaning & Definition in Film

The Necessary Exposition

‘Laying pipe’ is an informal, yet widely used, piece of screenwriting slang. It refers to the crucial but often difficult task of conveying exposition to the audience. This is the foundational information—about the world, the characters, their relationships, and their pasts—that the audience needs to know in order to understand the stakes and motivations of the main plot. The metaphor suggests the unseen ‘plumbing’ of a story; it’s the essential groundwork that must be laid so that the rest of the narrative can flow smoothly. While absolutely necessary, the process of laying pipe is fraught with challenges, as clumsy exposition can be the quickest way to bore an audience.

The Challenge of a Good Lay

The primary goal when laying pipe is to make it invisible. Poorly handled exposition feels clunky, unnatural, and stops the story dead in its tracks. Common pitfalls include:

• ‘As You Know, Bob’ Dialogue: Characters telling each other things they obviously already know for the sole benefit of the audience (e.g., ‘Remember, you’re my sister, and ever since dad’s mysterious death, you’ve been in charge of the family company…’).
• The Infodump: A long, uninterrupted monologue where one character simply lectures another (and the audience) about the backstory or the rules of the world.
• The News Report: A lazy device where a character conveniently turns on a television just as a news report is explaining the entire setup of the plot.

Elegant Solutions for Exposition

Skilled screenwriters use a variety of techniques to weave exposition into the story organically and entertainingly, turning the chore of laying pipe into an engaging part of the narrative:

1. Introduce it Through Conflict: Backstory is much more interesting when it’s revealed in the heat of an argument. Two characters fighting about a past event is far more dynamic than one character calmly recounting it.
2. Show, Don’t Tell: Convey information visually. A character’s messy apartment, a framed photograph, or a faded scar can tell a story without a single word of exposition.
3. Use a Proxy Character: Introduce a character who is new to the situation. This character can ask questions that the audience also has, allowing for natural-sounding explanations.
4. Embrace Mystery: Don’t lay all the pipe at once. Withhold key pieces of information and reveal them gradually throughout the story. This turns exposition from a chore into a compelling mystery for the audience to solve.