1 Lecture 4: Compelling First Acts (and Second and Third Acts!) Professor Christopher Bradley Alien (1979) Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon

Previous Lesson Creating Characters –Characters should not be what they seem. –Building characters to fit your story and vice versa –Conflict –Your Protagonist and Antagonist are both right, but your Protagonist is more right. Frankenstein (1931) Screenplay by Edward Faragoh & Garret Fort 2

Previous Lesson (Continued) Story Structure –The basics of how to put a screen story together –Every scene brings the character closer or further away from his or her goal K2 (1991) Screenplay by Patrick Meyers and Scott Roberts 3

In this Lesson The First Act: The journey actually begins The Midpoint: The Protagonist thinks he’s succeeded The Climax: The real solution Writing Exercise #4: – What is the Inciting Incident in your story? 4 K2 (1991) Screenplay by Patrick Meyers and Scott Roberts

The First Act 5 The Fountainhead (1949) Screenplay by Ayn Rand Lesson 4: Part I

Function of Structure Recap Increasing pressures on the characters, asking more and more of them in terms of risk and difficulty of choice 6 Harold and Maude (1972) Screenplay by Colin Higgins

Screenplay Structure Remember: Structure is not formula. Principles, not rules. 7

The First Act - 1 The Backstory Why does the story begin today, right now? Who are the main characters? (Protagonist and Antogonist) Who are the supporting characters? What is the goal of each? (Note why each might not want to reach their goal? What scares them about their goal?) What are the genre and tone of the story? 8

The First Act - 2 The Opening Hook The Ordinary World Fear + Major Flaw reveal what is valued Establish: –Time Lock –Theme –Need (not want, need) By Page 4, it should be clear what the story is about. 9

The First Act - 3 By about page 10, the protagonist should have encountered the first major disturbance in the balance of his or her world, coming from the antagonist. The protagonist will take action to address this disturbance – Unsuccessfully. The Antagonist will take even stronger, more threatening action. 10

The First Act - 4 By about page 17, the protagonist has mounted a larger, more risky response to the antagonist. (This action will set up the First Act Break) This action taken by the protagonist fails again, plunging him or her into a MINI- CRISIS. They see they will not be able to address the threat before them, using the tools they’ve used, being the person they’ve been. 11

The First Act - 5 Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Star Wars. This is an example of a realization – one that will lead to the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2, when Luke leaves the life he’s known and starts another. 12 Star Wars (1977) Screenplay by George Lucas

The First Act - 6 The page 17 crisis is the first step on a journey. They make a decision to move either literally or figuratively into a NEW WORLD. 13

Lesson 4: Part II 14 The Midpoint

The Second Act - 1 The Protagonist has entered a New World with New Rules Formation of Teams –Who is on the Protagonist’s side? –Who is on the Antagonist’s side? Further development of subplots Love story: There should be a kiss (literally or metaphorically) by page 45 15

The Second Act - 2 The Protagonist faces his greatest test yet, and FAILS. The Protagonist falls into the hands of the Antagonist and is in the Antagonist’s control. The Protagonist comes up with a new plan to shift power. The plan seems to work! 16

The Second Act - 3 The Midpoint The Midpoint is the moment when your protagonist thinks she has attained her goal. And maybe, in a way, she has, but…. 17

The Second Act Pause the lecture and watch the clip from Alien. (This is an example of the moment when the protagonist thinks the problem is solved. It isn’t!) Alien (1979) Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon

The Second Act - 5 The protagonist thinks she’s solved her problem, but almost immediately, things start to fall apart. The Antagonist returns, more powerful than ever. The Protagonist faces her greatest fear, and FAILS. With each loss, there is more determination. There is no going back now! The story moves from what the protagonist wants to what the protagonist needs. 19

The Second Act - 6 It is here that the protagonist realizes that something far greater is being asked of him. Even though she thought she had changed as much as she could, something larger than herself, or what she thought her goal was, is needed. The goal becomes larger than the original goal. It’s now about honor, justice, nobility, true love. 20

The Second Act - 7 The protagonist seizes his own destiny. He faces his greatest fear and fails…yet again. THE BIG PIT. Just when he thinks it can’t possibly get worse, IT DOES. 21

The Second Act - 8 The protagonist has an epiphany. What she must do becomes clear. The protagonist creates a new plan. The stakes are higher than ever. If there was a ticking clock, now is the time the bomb explodes. 22

The Climax Lesson 4: Part III 23 Alien (1979) Screenplay by Dan O’Bannon

The Climax

The Climax - 2 The protagonist has his final showdown with the Antagonist. His new plan works (or in some cases, it does not— depending on your story, he may fail)! Resolve plot and subplots simultaneously if possible. A greater truth emerges. 25

The Climax: “A Greater Truth” All great films have a broader subject matter, a theme or, as McKee calls it, a Controlling Idea. It extends beyond the particular story a screenwriter tells. A Controlling Idea is the unifying idea of a story. It is concerned with a universal concept such as love, honor, identity, ambition, greed, etc. The universality of themes ensures that the audience will relate to a story on a deeper level. 26

Your Theme or Controlling Idea You might not know your theme beforehand. You might discover it as you write. Your theme might surprise you. Themes grow out of what you believe to be true. They grow out of your experiences and discoveries. 27

Discovering Your Controlling Idea “The most personal stories are, conversely, the most universal.” --Bob Rosen, the Dean of the School of Theatre, Film and Television at UCLA “If you’re moved, the audience will be moved.” -- Aristotle 28

Resolution Providing an opportunity to resolve any unresolved subplots. (How do you do this and not overstay your welcome?) – Providing an opportunity to show some of the results of the climax in the larger world – Giving the audience a moment to collect their emotions and reflect 29

Assignments Star Wars (1977) Screenplay by George Lucas 30 Lesson 4: Part IV

31 Reading Read Chapter 8 in Robert McKee’s Story, “The Inciting Incident.” Take the Reading Review to be sure you understand the concepts! 31

32 E-Board Post 32 What is your Inciting Incident? The event that ultimately leads your protagonist to take the risk that brings her into a New World with New Rules. Post a 1-paragraph description of this moment in your screenplay.

End of Lecture 4 End of Lecture 4 Next Lecture: What’s the Point? 33 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Screenplay by Ted Tally