Screenplay Understanding structure. What is structure? In a general sense, what does structure mean to you?

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Presentation transcript:

Screenplay Understanding structure

What is structure? In a general sense, what does structure mean to you?

Structure in story ✤ Screenplays succeed in part because of a structure, just like the structure within everyday things ✤ The root “struct”- ✤ to build, or put something together ✤ the relationship between the parts and the whole

Structure ✤...the parts and the whole... ✤ Let’s use the game of chess as an example: ✤ Pieces: paws, knights, kings, queens, etc. ✤ Players: You can’t play without players ✤ Board: You can’t play without one ✤ Rules: Need to follow the rules of the game

Structure ✤ Those 4 parts (pieces, players, board, rules) are integrated in the whole, a game of chess. This relationship between the parts and the whole determine the game. ✤ The same relationship holds true in a story, and a screenplay is a story told with pictures!

Story Structure ✤ The story is the whole! What are the parts? ✤ Actions ✤ Characters ✤ Dialogue ✤ Scenes ✤ Acts ✤ Conflicts ✤ Incidents ✤ Episodes ✤ Events ✤ Music ✤ The structure is the glue that holds everything in place!

Structure ✤ The most common and successful structure, is the 3-Act Structure ✤ Why? ✤ Because all stories have a beginning, middle, and end! ✤ And we can use math to figure out how it breaks down...

3-Act structure ✤ Most scripts are pages in length... ✤...Divide by 3... ✤...Each act is roughly pages long

3-Act Structure ✤ Act 1: The Set-Up ✤ Act 2: Confrontation ✤ Act 3: Resolution

Act I: The Set-Up ✤ Typically 30 pages in length ✤ This is where you: ✤ Set up the story ✤ Establish the characters ✤ Launch the dramatic premise (what the story is about) ✤ Illustrate the situation (the circumstances around the action) ✤ Create the relationship between the main character and others

Act I: The Set-Up ✤ The First 10 pages of the screenplay are the most important ✤ It usually takes 10 minutes of watching a movie to determine whether or not you like it or not.

The Segue ✤ In order to transition from one act to another, you need to change the direction of the story. ✤ We call this device a “plot point” ✤ A plot point is defined by any incident, episode or event that hooks into the action a spins it around in another direction ✤ Always a function of the main character

Plot Points ✤ Do not need to be big or dynamic scenes ✤ Purpose is to keep story progressing ✤ Acts as the “true” start of the story ✤ Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring ✤ When Frodo and Sam leave the shire ✤ The Matrix ✤ When Neo takes the red pill

3-Act Structure ✤ Act 1: The Set-Up ✤ Plot point one ✤ Act 2: Confrontation ✤ Plot point two ✤ Act 3: Resolution

Act II: The Confrontation ✤ Typically pages in length ✤ Revolves around the character encountering obstacle after obstacle that keeps them from achieving their need. ✤ Your main character needs to survive Act II ✤ Things need to happen!

Act II: Confrontation ✤ Lord of the Rings: The journey, and obstacles, and weather, creatures, and danger made up the second act. ✤ The Matrix: Rebirth, training, the oracle, agents, Morpheus gets kidnapped...and just as he gets rescued... ✤ Bam! Plot point two ✤ Neo discovers he is the one.

Act II: Confrontation ✤ “All drama is conflict. Without conflict you have no action; without action you have no character; without character you have no story; without story you have no screenplay.” ✤ -Syd Field

Act III: Resolution ✤ The last 30 pages of the story ✤ Resolution does not mean ending. ✤ The ending is just the last scene ✤ Resolution means solution

Act III: Resolution ✤ The Matrix: ✤ Resolution: Neo saves morpheus, discovers he is the one, wakes from death, destroys the agent, and rescues his crew from the sentinel attack. ✤ Ending: Neo places a phone call to an “unknown” (machines) threatening to show people the true reality, then flies into the sky

How to start ✤ To begin a screenplay you need a subject, not just an idea ✤ A subject is an action and a character ✤ An action is what the story is about ✤ A character is who the story is about

Subject and Character ✤ Take out a piece of paper... ✤ List 5 of your favorite movies (or movies you know very well) ✤ Who is the main character? ✤ What are the actions they go through? ✤ For one (your absolute most favorite movie of all time) identify the the three acts, and two plot points