Screenwriting1

Classic 3 act structure

What goes into each act?

Story - A young community leader finds herself becoming another victim of a known thief where she tries to deal with him from the knowledge of her job.

Plot - the way they go about it.

Theme (has to say something ABOUT the subject) - 

Classic 3 act structure - started with cinema now used in tv.

1st act Set up - beginning 25%

2nd act Development - middle 50%

3rd act Resolution - end 25%

10min - 2.5pg, 5pg, 2.5pg

30min - 7.5pg, 15pg, 7.5pg

60min - 15pg, 30pg,15pg

Timeline 

Writing backwards - write where you want to end up at the end of the script.

What is your emotion conclusion to your story. Everything in the script works to the one ending.

In each act - apply the backwards rule to reach the climax.

Beginning should be the heartbeat of the script. 

Act 1 should contain - characters, tone, setting, timescale, goals, problems, tension.

No important elements should be intorduced later than the climax of act 1.

Opening should have a Hook should keep the readers attention. It could set up the story. An incident that grabs the audience attention. Within the first 7 pages.

After the opening and hook act 1 starts to set up the character into action. Everything that makes them who they are. E.g environment, belief, tension, loves

Climax

Approach the end of first act you will have an inciting incident. The event that causes the crisis/problem that leads to turning point 1. This leads straight into the climax.

Emotional climax sets up problems to be solved.

Act 2

After a climax give your audience breathing space. A pause for reflection. 

The development - to put the characters through a series of highs and lows. Showing the character to become a different person.

A point of no return - the change the character have made so far where they cant go back.

Try to get the character to the point where they are never going to go back to the person who they were. Emotional change - can they go back to where they were?

Act 2 turning point 2

After pointof no return the stakes are raised. More is at risk. If it doesn't work, what does the character have to lose. By the end of turning point 2 would lead to climax and straight into act 3. Possibly where the character forgets the main goal.

Climax in the second act, the protagonist would need to have failed/defeated/in his lowest point.

Finds your protagonist defeated/broken (temporarily)

Every action has a reaction - planting seeds do it subtly.

Act 3

Final push and climax

Protagonist finds a new goal away from the main goal. The climax would have the character do something opposite from the start. 

Throug final act tie up loose ends.

Final climax will have a chase or race against time.

Is the greatest obstacle that protagonist has to overcome.

Resolve the main plot

Show through action the new change in character

Playing out the theme of the script. 

Act 3 end/resolution

After final climax you need to give the protagonist and audience some breathing space.

They would have faced their biggest challenge and would have won or lost, achieved or learnt something. Tie up loose ends.

What message does the audience leave with? Give them a satisfying ending. Making sure its all authentic and believable. What is the last thing the audience going to see in the last scene/shot? Powerful meaning in a scene.

Exploratory draft

Once completed pre-writing (idea, story, structure, theme, character) then actually write the first draft in screenplay format.

Quick process.

Then re-write and re-write etc...