The three act structure in movie screenplays is a model the helps scriptwriters organize the film.
Basically, this structure is the beginning, middle, and end.
So, Act 1 is the set up of the story. Act 2 is the confrontation. Act 3 is the Resolution.
Of course, not all movies follow this structure completely.
In this post, we will explain the 3 act structure film and give examples from movies to help better understand and apply this structure in your own scripts.
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that the movie acts should not be separated in the film. But rather the events should seem to flow seamlessly. One event should lead to the other in order to reach the resolution in the end.
This is the basic diagram that explains the three act structure.
So let’s dive in to every act while keeping in mind that this is NOT a rule that all films follow.
There are other narrative structures (such as the non-linear narrative of the french New Wave) that are completely opposite to these movie acts. And there are other detailed narrative structures such as the Save The Cat beat sheet template and the 5 point structure.
For now, we will go over the acts in the 3 act structure:
Act 1: Setup
The setup involves the introduction of characters and their story world. And some kind of inciting incident, which is typically a conflict that leads into the second act.
It’s usually the first 20-30 pages of your script. In these first 20-30 mins of the film, the audience should know who the main characters are, their personality, where the story is taking place (location and time).
In Fantasy or Science Fiction films, this first movie act should introduce the rules of the world we are in. For example, time travel, how magic works, what can technology do, what are the powers of the character….
Act I must also present a powerful hook. This exciting scene early in the script that captures the audience’s interest and hooks them up this is called the inciting incident.
This inciting incident takes place at some point at the beginning of Act I and often provokes a change in the routine of the protagonist. Something new they experience that could challenge or encourage them. T
This act ends with a plot point. It changes the course of the whole story and that presents a problem for the characters.
for example, In the movie Children of Men:
Act 1 presented the main character, Theo who is living a defeated life in a dystopian London.
Inciting incident: is when he is contacted by his ex-wife, and asked to help get travel papers for some refugees.
The plot point happens when the main characters are ambushed by an armed gang, and Julian is killed, and when Theo learns that his ex-wife is dead.
In Dead Man Walking
Act 1: Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon), a nun who spends her days helping poor children, receives a letter from convicted felon Matthew Poncelet (Sean Pen). Ths felon who is serving a death sentence asks her for help with legal problems.
Act 2: The Confrontation
In the second act, the stakes in the movie events are raised. The problem escalates, and new challenges for the main characters surface.
If we were to time each act of the 3 act structure, the second act will be the longest part.
Briefly, in this act, the characters will try to solve the main problem or work on reaching their goal but they will fail in doing so.
Usually, its towards the end of the second act. At this point, it would seem that the characters have reached a dead end and their goal would seem very far and hard to accomplish.
In many movies, the screenplay writers would choose to introduce a subplot in the second act. The sub-plot is an additional storyline under the main narrative of the movie.
In many cases, this subplot adds a new dimension to the characters. But the subplot can also be considered as a tool for the scriptwriters to spend some time from the movie in order to delay the third act.
Dead Man Walking
Act 2
The Federal Court of Appeals denies
Matthew’s last chance for an execution stay. All of Sister Helen’s and Hilton’s efforts to extend Matthew’s life have failed. The clock time reads 10:33 p.m. In an hour, Matthew Poncelet will be a dead man walking.
Act 3: Resolution
The three act structure usually ends with the resolution. It is a conclusion or closure for the main conflict in the movie. Whether it was a happy or sad ending.
Some call this third act as the confrontation because usually at the end of the film the main character must face the villain (or the good must face the bad).
The confrontation might be between 2 characters. Like in superhero movies almost all the time the hero faces and fights the villain in the end.
Or the confrontation can be between the main character and his/her internal conflict. For example, they could face a situation where they have to overcome their fear of something or to make a great sacrifice.
The third act is usually the shortest movie act among the three structures.
Most importantly, the third act must give the audience a sort of resolution.
Almost all movies that follow the three act structure end with an answer to the question asked or the conflict raised in the movie.
For example, in the end of Citizen Kane, the characters in the movie did not learn the real meaning of the word “Rosebud” which was raised in the first act, but the audience were able to learn the answer in the final shot. In the ending shot, the camera travels from the house to reveal a slid with the word “Rosebud”. This explains the meaning of this word that we were trying to figure out throughout the whole movie.
Many critics praise Citizen Kane for this reason, they say the movie has 2 endings.
Conclusion
The three act structure is a very good tool for screenplay writers to organize their thoughts and it is a good tool to make a movie easier to understand and follow.
But in some cases, this structure could limit the creativity of the screenplay writers and may make the movie predictable. This is because the audience who know about this structure would be able to predict the conflict and that the events will keep on lagging until the end of the movie.
So, the three act structure should not be considered as a rule or a formula in scriptwriting. Many successful movies did not follow these three acts clearly. For example movies that did not follow the three act structure are:
Pulp Fiction, Memento, 21 Grams, Tree of Life, Vantage Point, Reservoir Dogs…
