filmmaking techniques_ act structure (film)

8/13/2019 Filmmaking Techniques_ Act Structure (Film)

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T H U R S D A Y , A U G U S T 3 0, 2 00 7

Act structure (film)

Act structure for films.

Act structure explains how a plot of a film story is composed. Just like

plays (Staged drama) have 'Acts', critics and screenwriters tendtodivide films into acts; though films don't require to be broken down as

such in reality.

Whereas plays are actual live performances that need 'breaks' in the

middle for change of set, costume, or for the artists' rest; films are

recorded performances shown mechanically and therefore don't need

actual breaks. Still they are divided into acts for reasons that are in

aesthetic and structural conformation with the original idea of Act in

theatre. Act breaks in a film are usually very obscure for lay audience

and only a trained person can detect the ending of one act and the

beginning of the other in the progression of a movie. The idea of Act

structure is of more value while writing a Screenplay than watching a

film, though the Act breaks are never actually written in the final

copies of screenplays, however, in televis ion scripts called Teleplays

clear detonations as such are almost always included.

Act is the broadest structural unit of enacted stories. The most

common paradigm in theatre, and so in films, is that of the 'Three-

Act structure' proposed by Aristotle. It simply means that any story

has a 'beginning', a 'middle' and an 'end'. Playwrights and

screenwriters divide their stories into three major parts viz. 'Set up',

'Confrontation' (alternatively called as 'conflict' or 'complication') and

'Resolution'. These form the basic three acts of any performance-

staged or screened.

Though various theories have been proposed and debated, the Three-act structure stands as the most popular one. Also, this is what

Hollywood and Bollywood has discovered and proved as the most

successful. The rest of the world cinema may have its own ways of

looking at the plot.

The 'Three-Act structure'

According to Hollywood, feature films are considered as audio-visual

narrative forms which can be seen in distinct parts called 'Acts'.

It follows that the enacted story opens with the introduction of

characters and situations, backdrop, locale etc. It creates interest in

the audience and takes them to feel concerned as to what the real

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problem is and what may happen with it. Plays, and screenplays,

usually revolve around main characters- the 'Protagonist' and the

'Antagonist' who engage themselevs into a battle. That is "Set up".

The next part- and considered to be more important- is complication

of the problem of the story. It intrigues the audience all the more,

giving them more and more information and putting vaious points of

view for imaginative comparison. This eventually leads to higher

points of audience interest. Because this second Act of most

screenplays adds all the possible dramatic values to the plot, this is

considered to be the core of the same. The Antagonist and the

Protagonist try and experiment with all their strengths (and

weaknesses of the other) to win the battle. That is "Confrontation".

This takes us to the third- and the most important- act, the

"Resolution". This means it tends to 'solve' the problem (-s) of the

story developed so far. But this is not obvious, as it is expected to

bring the 'climax' (or a series of climaxes) to give the audience the

pay-off. The tool usually implemented is a 'do or die' situation where

doors of escape for either or both of the two characters go on closing

one by one, leaving them with only a thin chance that demands the

fullest exploitation of their qualities and energies. This so called jaw-

dropping, breath-taking, arm-rest-grabbing moment for the audienceleads to the final outcome of the entire plot. And it is usually the

triumph of the good (Protagonist) over the evil (Antagonist), with

rare exceptions.

Srivenkat Bulemoni.

Posted by Srivenkat at 6:20 PM

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Abdul Hameed, Bombay said...

In United States of Amerika Mr Syd Feild is a master forscreenplay guru. In india i feel you are the screen guru.Thank

you sir, you gave lot of information for upcomers. Thanks once

again.

August 31, 2007 at 4:56 PM

jyostna said...

Good information. Kindly give regularly.

August 31, 2007 at 5:20 PM
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