The Three-Act Structure

Since the three-act structure has become nearly fundamental to today’s successful screenwriter, we’re going to take an overview of the formula and try to explain it as simply as possible. There are a number of versions of the three-act structure, and while we’re not going to examine each and every one, we are going to try to present a generalized version that is not exclusionary.

Essentially, the three acts represent the beginning, the middle and the end of your story. Act One is often referred to as the Beginning or the Situation. Act Two presents the stage for the Confrontation or the Conflict or the Complications, whichever term you choose to use. Act Three is the story’s Resolution or Conclusion. Three acts … three different responsibilities of the story.

So let’s take a closer look.

Act One

Act One is all about your story’s set-up. In these first thirty pages, you establish the situation of your main character(s) and the opening event that sets the rest of the story in motion.

For example, if we look at the first thirty pages of Flatliners, right off the bat we’re introduced to the setting: Harvard Medical School in the autumn. This is where the smart people gather. We meet Rachel, the all business, pretty Jewish woman. We meet Joe, whose life is one big camera shot. We meet Nelson and Steckle and Labraccio. And we discover the driving force that has drawn these five together … curiosity about God, the near death experience, even the other side.

At the end of Act One comes the first Plot Point. A plot point is an event that turns the story. In Flatliners, Nelson becomes aware of the “crossover” from his near death experience into his current reality.

Act Two

Act Two is considered by many screenwriters as the most difficult to write, especially considering the fact that it’s the meat of the story, covering at least sixty pages. This “middle” of your story is about rising action, about conflicts and obstacles, about hopelessness and despair.

The essence of story is conflict and Act Two is a minefield of obstacles designed to make the main character’s journey as difficult as possible. It doesn’t matter whether the thrust of the story is an external conflict or an internal conflict, the purpose of Act Two is to make everything more difficult.

In Flatliners, each of the main characters undergoes a near death experience, each flirting with death for a longer time, each beginning to experience the bleed through into their current reality. It’s not a pretty picture. The other side isn’t as romantic or as enlightening as they had anticipated. In fact, it forces them to face the very worst in them.

This is the bleakest of times. It’s when your hero appears to have lost. The battle appears over. Hope is gone.

Act Three

Act Three carries the last thirty pages of the story to its conclusion. This is the climax and resolution of your story. Does your main character succeed or fail? Have the experiences of Act Two given your character the strength and knowledge to fight beyond previously unthinkable limits? The final obstacle, the greatest of them all, is faced and overcome, and the story is resolved.

Three acts … the beginning, the middle, and the end.

Does your script have to follow this structure?

No.

But if you’re new to screenwriting, the Three Act Structure is an excellent starting point. It provides a solid foundation for your initial efforts, and once you become well acquainted with the structure, you can begin to mold it to your own needs.

No related posts.