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Basic 3 Act Structure

The document outlines the basic 3 act structure for storytelling. Act I is the set up which introduces the main character and establishes the dramatic situation. The inciting incident occurs at the end of Act I and throws the protagonist's life out of balance. In Act II, the protagonist encounters obstacles while pursuing their object of desire. The mid point spins the story in a new direction, and another plot point occurs at the end of Act II. Act III resolves the story and brings harmony from the disordered state established in Act I.

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pradeep
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127 views

Basic 3 Act Structure

The document outlines the basic 3 act structure for storytelling. Act I is the set up which introduces the main character and establishes the dramatic situation. The inciting incident occurs at the end of Act I and throws the protagonist's life out of balance. In Act II, the protagonist encounters obstacles while pursuing their object of desire. The mid point spins the story in a new direction, and another plot point occurs at the end of Act II. Act III resolves the story and brings harmony from the disordered state established in Act I.

Uploaded by

pradeep
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic 3 Act Structure

The Three-Act Structure is more than formula, it is a powerful tool that can help
the storyteller efficiently organize his/her story material.

Regardless of the kind of subject matter, the story must invariably accomplish
a few tasks:

Start, Middle & End

A whole is that which has beginning, middle, & end.


A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else & which
has naturally something else after it; an end is that which is naturally after
something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent, & with nothing else
after it; & a middle, that which is by nature after one thing & has also another
after it.

What is an Act?

An “Act" is a unit of time/action within a drama during which a portion of the


story unfolds. The length of time for an act ranges from 30 to 60 minutes -
although they can be shorter or longer.

ACT I

Act I the beginning is a unit of dramatic action that is approximately 30 pages


long is held with dramatic context known as the “Set up”

SET UP
• Who’s your main character (establishing main character, their
relationships & other characters)
• What the dramatic premise of the story is ?(what its
About)
• What the dramatic situation is? (the circumstances surrounding the
action)

• Why now the story starts?


• Who wants what from whom?
• What happens if they don’t get it?

Inciting incident or Plot point

The INCITING INCIDENT radically upsets the balance of the forces in the
protagonist’s life.
Imperfect as it may be, the protagonist’s life is in relative control before the
Inciting Incident happens.
The Inciting Incident swings the value-charge of the protagonist’s reality
radically to positive or negative.

In most cases, the Inciting Incident is a single event that either happens directly
to the protagonist or is caused by the protagonist.
Consequently, he/she’s immediately aware that life is out of balance for better or
worse.
Occasionally, it may be a two-event Inciting Incident with a setup and a payoff.

Example:

Jaws: A shark eats a swimmer—Setup.


The Sheriff finds the corpse—Payoff.
Similar to a murder mystery: Murder occurs/Detective arrives to take the case.
If you’re using the Setup-Payoff method, do not delay the Payoff too much.
The Protagonist must react to the Inciting Incident.

Even if the protagonist chooses not to act, he must become aware of the
disruption in his life.
But this too cannot last too long, the protagonist must eventually act on the
Inciting Incident.

Three-part impact of the inciting incident

• The Inciting Incident throws the protagonist’s life out of balance, then
creates in him the desire to restore that balance.
• Out of this need—quickly, and often with deliberation—the protagonist
next conceives an Object Of Desire: something physical, situational, or
attitudinal that he feels he lacks or needs to put life on an even balance.
• The Inciting Incident then propels the protagonist into an active pursuit
of this object or goal.

Design of the Inciting Incident


Inciting Incident happens in only one of two ways: randomly or causally.
It may be made by the protagonist or by someone who has the power to upset
the balance of his life.
Causally: The hero may decide to try to make a success of his singing career.
Design of the Inciting Incident
Randomly: The hero is singing in his house when an agent who’s visiting a
neighbor overhears and offers to represent him.
Either way, the world of the hero is changed dramatically after this.

Not necessarily all screenplays start with Establishing characters. You can
straight away start with an incident.
Examples:
• Jaws
• Dog Day Afternoon
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Children of Heaven
• My Cousin Vinny

PLOT POINT I or INCITING INCIDENT

• A plot point is an incident, episode, or event that hooks into the action &
spins it around into another direction.
• A plot point occurs at the end of act I at about page 25 or 30.(depending
on the story)
• Here the true Dramatic need of the main character is established.

Plot point I (Inciting Incident ) can be an incident


Example:
• Thelma & Louise
• Children of Heaven
• Psycho

Plot point I (Inciting incident) can be an entry of a new character


Example:
Casablanca
Monster
Kupurush (Bengali)
My Cousin Vinny

Plot point I (Inciting incident) can be a decision


Example:
Kramer vs. Kramer
Saving Private Ryan
Lagaan
Twelve angry men

ACT II
Act II is a unit of dramatic action that is approximately sixty pages long, goes
from page 30 to page 90 & is held together with the dramatic context known as
“Confrontation”

THE CONFRONTATION

The main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that keeps him away
from achieving his or her dramatic need.

PINCH I

It is incident or a event that keeps your story on track in the narrative action that
keeps your story on line & leads to mid point.

MID POINT OR POINT OF NO RETURN

A mid point occurs in the middle of act II, about page 60 & it is an incident ,
episode or event that breaks the act 2 down into basic units of dramatic action;
the first half of act II & second half of act II

Point of no returns means where the protagonist enters into a conflict he might
never have taken on had he known all the details. But by the time he discovers
the full extent of the conflict, it's too late him to change his mind.

PLOT POINT II

• A plot point is any incident,episode,or event that hooks into the action &
spins it around into another direction.
• A plot point occurs at the end of act ii at about page 85 or 90 of your
screenplay.
• This is an incident after which the character gets a corrective head. The
story starts to resolve.
ACT III
• Is a unit of dramatic action that goes from page 90 to 120 (depending
on the story) the end of the screenplay & is held together with the
dramatic context known as “Resolution.”

Resolution

Resolution does not mean ending; resolution means solution, Harmony.


What is the solution of the screenplay, how does the story resolve?
Where the disordered state of the story comes to an ordered state.

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