Throughout the day, we were focusing on the structure of the script, which is split into two main types:
- The classic 3 Act Structure
- 2 Act Structure
3 Act Structure
To help our understanding on what a 3 act structure is, we watched a film called 'Witness' which clearly followed this structure. Because for my first project I'm doing a 10 minute script, we shown the conventional structure for a script of this size:
1st Act (the setup): 25% (2.5 pages)
The first act of your story should aim to be "the heartbeat of your script". This should focus on the ingredients of your story (as mentioned in my first weeks research e.g. characters, setting, etc). Simon reinforced the importance of the first act by explaining that the first few pages are critical as it is dependent to whether the audience are interested in the plot or not, thus whether they will carry on reading the script.
Nevertheless, the first act should include a hook - something which grabs the audience attention and draws them in. This is usually a disruption within the plot which can primarily lead to the problem in the story. For example in 'Witness' the hook would be the death of the character in the toilet - it interests the audience as they want to know why he died and who killed him. The main protagonist should also be put into character, so that the audience can learn about the character, such as their beliefs, personality, etc.
Additionally, the end of Act 1 should also include a turning point which too encourages the audience to stay active. This helps to lead to the final climax, foe example in 'Witness' the turning point would be John getting shot.
2nd Act (development): 50% (5 pages)
Primarily, the beginning of the second act should focus on allowing the audience to have some 'breathing space. For example, so that the audience can understand the plot and whats happening. The rest of the act however should focus on development - this can consist of character development and relationships as well as telling the story by including highs and lows.
However there should also be a point of no return - a point in the story where the plot cannot be reversed and characters cannot return to their normal life. This shows the first moments of change in a story as characters usually show signs of change compared to when they were first introduced. For example, in the 'Witness', the protagonist John's point of no return would be when he dances with the Amish girl he meets - he has adapted to a different culture and physically can not return to his cop life due to the conspiracy of the cops turning against him and trying to kill him.
Similar to act 1, act 2 too should have a turning point - this however is often more dramatic due to the stakes being raised and there is more for the protagonist to loose (e.g. John could loose the boy and Rachel). This usually leads straight into the third act which too should have a dramatic turn.
3rd Act (resolution): 25% (2.5 pages)
As evident in most films in general, the protagonist is often temporarily broken or portrays a minor downfall. For example, John in 'Witness' fights the punks and hears about his partner being murdered, leading to the bad cops to find his location. This follow up from the end of act 2 leads to the protagonist to create a new goal which differs from the first. Nevertheless, the drama must be intensified - this can include something emotive for the audience to be put at risk (e.g. the physical survival of the boy and John) as well as loose ends portrayed throughout the story to be 'tied up', thus leading to the climax.
The final climax is essential - it must resolve around the 3 main story elements:
- resolving the main plot
- the theme of the script
- action which conveys the newly transformed protagonist
Eventually after the climax is over, the audience should be given space to breathe - like at the start of act 2. The resolution of the story should be evident and the audience should be able to identify whether it was a satisfying ending and be able to answer any unanswered questions). However, the audience should be left with some enigmas to maintain audience motivation.
To conclude, the classical 3 act structure should consist of a set-up, development and resolution as well as making sure that every scene, every line and every action should push towards the climax. This research I found to be very helpful (especially for my script) as I was also concerned about how to structure a script!