The three part structure Act one, act two, act three

WHAT ARE you talking about, ms. navarro? Screenwriting is storytelling take a step back and look at the big picture humans have learned to tell stories in three parts in drama, these are called “Acts” Shakespeare plays generally had five acts modern plays often have two but don’t let that fool you

Setting and set-up: place and time main characters central problem or conflict what happens to get the plot started

ACT TWO Development: relationships deepen between characters motives and dangers emerge characters make choices that raise the stakes for them usually ends with a turning point—something happens that moves the main characters toward the climax

Resolution and conclusion: all the characters’ choices have been made…the climax of plot structure the consequences play out

Inciting incident Resolution… Denouement exposition CLIMAX rising action Falling action

If that sounds too complicated, let’s see how it looks on an actual movie. I’ll assume you’ve seen Star Wars: a New Hope (that’s the first Star Wars movie, released way back in 1977). If you haven’t seen it (really??) try to follow along. https://youtu.be/DSaJoU_r17E

The Hunger Games. I won’t take as long to explain this one; the basic three-act structure looks something like this……

ACT ONE. Life in District 12. Katniss Everdeen, her mother, and her sister Primrose; as well as the baker’s son Peeta and the miner’s son Gale. Primrose is selected by lottery to represent District 12 in the annual Hunger Games, but Katniss volunteers to take her place. Katniss and her fellow rep, Peeta, travel to the Capitol for training and publicity, during which Peeta announces publicly that he’s in love with Katniss.

ACT TWO. The Hunger Games begin ACT TWO. The Hunger Games begin. Almost half of the 24 tributes are eliminated on the first day. Katniss gets her bearings, searches for alliances, forms a kinship with Rue. The full terror of the “Games” grows on the viewer through one violent episode after another, until Rue is killed. The directors of the games announce a new rule: if both tributes of a district survive to the end, they will both be allowed to live. (Turning Point)

ACT THREE. Katniss finds Peeta, who is injured, and gives him medicine so they can both survive. All competitors from the other districts are killed, leaving Katniss and Peeta as the victors. At the moment of triumph, the directors announce that their new rule is cancelled; one of the survivors has to die. Katniss and Peeta threaten a double suicide, and the directors relent. But they’ll be keeping a sharp eye on these two, because now Katniss is marked as a troublemaker.

TRY IT: With one or two partners, outline the three-act structure of a popular movie—be sure it’s one that all of you have seen! List the main characters. Then list the major scenes that fall into each act. Decide which scenes are most important to moving the plot, and try to end act two with a major turning point. Here are some movies you might pick: The Princess Bride Raiders of the Lost Ark The Empire Strikes Back Toy Story Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring Back to the Future Up