[0:01]Every magic trick consists of three parts or acts. Perhaps no rule in screenwriting is more important than the three act structure. Nearly every major Hollywood movie today uses this format in some way. Formulas work. Let's stick with the formulas. I like formulas. But the three act structure can take many shapes and sizes and isn't as restrictive as one might think. Okay then, Mr. Lightbeer, prove it. All right then, I will.
[0:36]This is, what is the three act structure?
[0:42]Before we begin, be sure to subscribe and click the bell for more filmmaking videos. For this video, we spoke with author and story expert K.M. Weiland about how the three act structure works. I'm K.M. Weiland and I run the writing website helping writers become authors and have written books like structuring your novel and creating character arcs. The three act structure refers to a framework in which to tell your story. This means a three act structure is primarily focused on shaping a writer's plot. Since story refers to the events which occur in your screenplay, and plot is how that story is told. The three acts differ in length. Act one is the first 25% of a film. Act two is the next 50%. And act three is the last 25%. Not every film follows this structure. That made no sense. And the films which do follow it don't all follow it in the same way. K.M. Weiland explains that following these conventions doesn't have to result in a lack of creativity. So a lot of people feel that structure can be too limiting for a story or create a story that's formulaic. And this is actually the furthest thing from the truth. What structure does is provide a framework into which the story can then take many different forms. But also specifically, it's a guideline for creating a resonant psychological transformation. Because this is ultimately what story is. And so if you can understand kind of the skeleton underneath that, then you can create all kinds of stories on top of that. I particularly like the analogy of thinking of story structure as a gift box. So, it's always a cube, it always has wrapping paper and a bow and looks kind of the same. But what's inside of that gift can be anything. It could be a puppy or a video game or a cookbook. So, the possibilities are endless. According to Weiland, one film perfectly encapsulates the potential of a three act structure. Jurassic Park is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of structure. And one of the reasons for that is because of how well it balances plot and character. So when we think of this movie, we generally think of like a really full-on intense action movie. But in fact, there's basically no action until the midpoint in this story. It's all character up to that point. And it's just so beautifully and powerfully done that by the time we get to the midpoint and all the action, we are super invested in these characters and this dilemma that they find themselves in. Weiland has taken the three act outline and further broken it down into eight parts. The first of which is the hook. The opening of your film must answer one question above all else. Why should the audience keep watching? As Weiland puts it, I like to think of the hook as the first domino in the row of dominoes that is your story. And even though it isn't necessarily going to immediately immerse your audience in the main conflict that your characters will be experiencing, it is related and it's going to be that first thread that gets pulled that eventually leads into that full-on immersion with the main conflict. And obviously, the primary point and objective of the hook is to hook your audience into the story and to make them interested enough to keep going with it. The best way to do this in my opinion is to get them to ask a question. What do you believe it, huh? What do you believe it? Whether implicitly or explicitly, you want them to be asking, what is that? What's that about? Or simply what's going to happen next, so that they're interested enough to keep going. I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you stranger.
[4:45]Often, a good hook opens in medias res, meaning in the midst of things. Fast Five opens with an action packed jailbreak, before delivering any exposition. Hooks should also serve as a taste of what's to come.
[5:08]By the end of your film's hook, the audience may still have questions, but they know enough that they are invested.
[5:18]Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park has a thrilling hook which is filled with mystery. The scene begins in medias res. First, we are unsure what the army of workers are anticipating. And once we see the container, we're wondering what's inside it. And particularly because they don't show us what's in the cage, there's this hook, there's this this question that the film gets us to ask as viewers, which is what is that? What's going on? I mean, we know it's a dinosaur because we saw the movie poster, and we saw the trailer. But the very fact that they're not showing us the dinosaur on top of the fact that we have all of this drama and and suspense, and finally the guy getting eaten is a fantastic hook. Shoot her! Shoot her!
[6:14]Once you've drawn your audience into your film's world with a captivating hook, it's time to kick-start your story with the inciting event. The inciting event happens about 12% into your film and sets the narrative in motion. This is the moment when they brush up against the conflict for the first time. It isn't going to be a full-on immersion as we'll get later on in the story, but it's that moment where they first see it. And they are given the option of whether to engage with it or not. For an inciting event to have sufficient impact, stakes need to be built beforehand. The beginning of Doctor Strange establishes Stephen Strange as a brilliant surgeon. So when the inciting event irrevocably injures his hands, we understand that this has changed his life. No one could have done better. I could have done better. The profession which gives him purpose has been ripped away. Jurassic Park's inciting event occurs when Hammond invites Alan and Ellie to visit his island. Spielberg heightens the moment by having Hammond enter in dramatic fashion. What the hell do you think you're doing in here? Hey, we were saving that. Today, I guarantee it. I tell you what, why don't you come down, just the pair of you, for the weekend? Not only is it a literal call to adventure, but there's an obvious and absolute refusal of the call too. I'm sorry, this is not possible, this is just not. But this is the first moment when they brush up against what will be the main conflict in the story. And it's particularly beautiful because you can see this is a choice. The inciting event is a choice. It is something that they could still walk away from and nothing changes in their lives. Until they reach the first plot point. Occurring about 25% into a film, the first plot point segues a story into its second act. Weiland explains plot points as such. This is a big moment in the story. This is the threshold of no return, so that even if the character wanted to go back at this point, which they won't in the story because obviously we wouldn't have a story. But even if they did, they couldn't go back to the person they were. Something about the world or themselves or just their perspective of the world changes dramatically at this moment. This signals a full-on immersion in the conflict, so they're fully committed now. And they're after a specific plot goal, and they're facing opposition and that's bringing up obstacles. So, from this moment on, they will be fully engaged with the conflict and will move forward through the story in a way that is focused on this end goal. As such, the first plot point is the culmination of the first act. The climax of what has been set up so far. Typically, it is a point of no return. The protagonist journey is fully underway. In Lord of the Rings, this is when Frodo leaves the Shire. This is it. This is what? If I take one more step, it'll be the furthest away from home I've ever been. There is no going back now. His quest to destroy the ring has begun. Remember what Bilbo used to say? It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. Much of the beginning of the second act is the protagonist reacting to this plot point. I'm never gonna be able to sleep out here. Me neither, Sam. In Jurassic Park, the first plot point is this moment where not only do they enter the park, but they see the dinosaurs for the first time and they're just completely bowled over. This is one of my favorite moments in all of film. And one of the reasons for that is just how honest it is because this is like literally how we would feel if we were confronted by this living miracle of a dinosaur suddenly being before us. It's also interesting to note how they can't walk away from this. Even if they, you know, figured out right away, like, we don't want to be on this island with dinosaurs. This is a terrible idea. We're leaving now. Their lives are completely changed, their perspectives are completely changed. So if they turn and walk away from this moment, nothing's ever going to be the same for them. That is the hallmark of a good first plot point. They do move in herds. They do move in herds. The beginning of the second act follows Allan and Ellie reacting to the plot point. How did you do this? I'll show you. As the protagonists take in the new world they've entered in the beginning of the second act, they are then introduced to the first pinch point. The first pinch point can normally be found around 37% into a story. The pinch point is the first of many obstacles a protagonist must face in the second act. Weiland explains. Pinch points are primarily about emphasizing the antagonistic force and what is at stake for the protagonist within the story. These can be very subtle moments within the story or they can be really big turning points, and they do need to be turning points that move the plot regardless. But they are specifically about showing what is at stake for these characters. What are they at this point in the story possibly going to lose if they continue on this course of action? It's also a really good time to check in with the antagonistic force, depending on what type of story you're telling and how you the POVs are set up. But this can be a good way to show, even if the heroes are oblivious to what's going on, that the antagonistic force is in fact a threat, and what's going on behind the scenes. In there will be blood, the pinch point is HW losing his hearing.
[12:37]Wait, stay here. Stay here, son. I'm gonna fix this. I'm gonna be fine. Just wait for me here. Hold him down, hold him down. Don't speak. The setback for Daniel Plainview establishes the core conflict of the film. That the drive for profit poisons everything. The first pinch point often directly sets up the coming midpoint. In Aladdin, the first pinch point is when Aladdin obtains the lamp, which allows for the midpoint, the reveal of the genie.
[13:23]10,000 years will give you such a crick in the neck. Hang on a second.
[13:32]In Jurassic Park, the first pinch point comes when the tour is cut short by an impending storm. This hint set the true conflict between man and nature. There's nothing I can do. The captain says we gotta go. We gotta go. So this is basically just a very small, quiet conversation moment between Hammond and Mr. Arnold down in the control center, in which they're concerned about this tropical storm that's coming in. And this is great because not only is this storm something that immediately causes the plot to turn here, when they decide to cancel the tour and bring the jeeps back in. But it is also what is going to create the catastrophe, therefore foreshadowing and setting up what happens at the midpoint. You know, if it's all right, I'd like to stay with Dr. Harding and finish up with the trite. If, you know. Sure. I'm going to gas-powered Jeep. I can drop her at the visitor's center before I make a pole with the others. Great. Then I'll catch up with you if you want to go on. Sure. Yeah, I'll need to stay with her a little longer. Allan and Ellie are separated, and the storm is about to wreak havoc on the park. Once your protagonist navigates the first pinch point, they are thrust into the midpoint. The midpoint can also be considered the second plot point. It occurs halfway through a film and has major ramifications on story. As Weiland puts it, This is a big moment in any story and everything that has led up to this is then going to turn and lead in a different direction heading toward the climax. In character arc terms, I always refer to this midpoint as the moment of truth. Because this is a moment where the character's perspective on many things, but particularly the plot conflict completely changes. Up to this point they've been in maybe a sort of reactive phase. Just simply in the fact that they're trying to find their feet. They're trying to understand where they are within this new world, this new perspective that they find themselves in within the conflict. The midpoint shows them what they're really up against both within and without. And from that point on, using this information, even if the stakes are rising and the odds are stacking against them, now they are able to understand where they are within the scope of the conflict better and are therefore able to turn into a more active, proactive mode as they move through the conflict. Jurassic Park boasts one of the most iconic midpoints in cinematic history.
[16:03]The T-Rex's escape. Weiland notes. The story up until this point has been focused on character, but at this point, everything changes. And when the T-Rex bursts out, we suddenly come face to face with what this conflict has really been about all along. So up until this point in the story, the characters have been relatively reactive. The scientists have all been opposed to what's going on in the park, but they haven't been in like an active resistance mode. But after this point, they don't have a choice. And they have to full-on go into proactive survival mode and oppose this antagonistic force of the dinosaurs that's coming at them.
[16:49]This is an amazing scene because I think when anybody thinks of Jurassic Park, this is the scene they think of. And so that shows how important it is to create something that's iconic, something that's really big, and something that massively turns the plot at this point.
[17:47]The midpoint then takes us to the second pinch point. The second pinch point occurs approximately 62% into a screenplay. It functions similarly to the first pinch point. As Weiland explains, The second pinch point, like the first pinch point, is also about emphasizing the antagonistic force and what is at stake for the characters. Particularly, it's about setting up what's going to happen at the third plot point, which will be a false victory followed by a low moment. So this is a moment when the stakes are higher than ever, and it's a chance to emphasize what the characters really stand to lose if they continue down this path and are willing to risk it all once they enter the third act. In Iron Man, the second pinch point lays the groundwork for the next plot beat. I ordered this taken. Yesterday. I didn't approve any shipment. Well, your company did. Well, I'm not my company. Tony realizes Obadiah has pushed him out of the company's executive board and is continuing to sell missiles. Who do you think locked you out? I was the one who filed the injunction against you. It's the only way I can protect you. This betrayal sets up the showdown between the two characters. Jurassic Park's second pinch point is Nedry's sticky death. Hold on, nice boy. Hold on, nice boy. Hold on, nice boy. Weiland notes. Dennis Nedry, even though he's a bad guy, has pretty much been a supporting character, a minor character throughout the story. And yet, his death is very significant. So we have this scene in which he's trying to escape, and he doesn't make it, and the dinosaurs kill him. So not only is this wonderful foreshadowing of what is at stake for everybody else in the story, but it's also important in that without Dennis Nedry, Mr. Arnold and John Hammond have no hopes of getting the park back online. I can't get Jurassic Park back online without Dennis Nedry. So when Nedry dies in this horrific way, even though it's a subtle moment about a supporting character, it's thematically perfect and it completely amps everything up as we funnel into the third act. You've got to pump up the primer handle in order to get the charge. It's large, flat and gray. Right. Here I go, okay? This brings us to the third plot point. The third plot point ushers the story into its final act. Usually, occurring three-quarters into a film. Weiland defines the moment as such. I refer to this beat as false victory, followed by the low moment, but you may also hear it called Dark Knight of the Soul, or death rebirth. And this is a moment where the character takes everything they've learned in the second act and throws all their resources at their plot goal, at the antagonistic force and trying to overcome those last obstacles. And reaches this false victory. And I call it false, but this doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't effective or that the character doesn't in fact experience some sort of a win here. What it does mean is that the cost is higher than they counted on, and that the victory isn't the final push that's necessary to actually get through. No matter what type of story you're telling, whether it's the fluffy romcom, or a horror movie, or an existential crime movie, this is the beat that really digs deep into the psychological resonance of character arc and transformation, which ultimately is what story structure is all about. The third plot point can also often be a character's darkest hour. In Mad Max, Fury Road, this is when Furiosa discovers the green place has been destroyed by contamination. The soil. We had to get out. We had no water. The water was filth. It was poisoned. It was sour. And then the crows came. Considering she's been searching for the green place the entire film, this is a devastating blow.
[22:03]In Jurassic Park, the third plot point occurs when Ellie turns back on the power. Push it. Push it to close.
[22:13]We have this perfect illustration of the two-sided beat of the false victory and the low moment. Not only does this have immediate consequences for Allan and the kids, which is a great way to tie in and show the effect of her actions when the fence turns back on and Timmy is electrocuted. But she herself is immediately faced by the true antagonists in this story, which are the very intelligent Raptors. So just completely driving home what they're really up against in this story at this point. No, Tim. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. With this plot point putting the third act in motion, it's finally time for the climax. The climax, occurring within the final 10% of the film, is the ultimate culmination of the story so far. Weiland explains. Now, in some stories, it can seem like the climax takes place throughout the entirety of the third act, and it is usually a ramping up of intensity or tension in some way from the third plot point on. Regardless, there is always going to be this final turning point into the climax proper, which creates this final confrontation between protagonist and antagonistic force. So even if say you've had a major battle going on from the third plot point on, this is the moment where we turn that corner and the protagonist and the antagonistic go mano a mano. And just have that personal confrontation to decide the conflict. So the most important thing to understand about the climax is that it's going to funnel into this climactic moment, which is the deciding moment in the entire story, which decides whether or not the protagonist will gain or lose the plot goal. As such, the moment should fulfill your character's arc. Sarah Connor's climactic battle with the Terminator completes her transformation from unassuming citizen to the hero of human civilization. Sometimes, a climax is the very last moments of a film, but more commonly, there is a resolution which allows for the events of the climax to sink in. In Forest Gump, Jenny's death is the climax, but the film ends showing Forest taking care of their child, infusing some happiness into an otherwise glum ending. I wanted to tell you I love you. I love you too, Daddy.
[24:53]In Jurassic Park, the climax is the battle with the Raptors. It is the logical conclusion of the story.
[25:03]The predators are eaten by an even larger predator, hammering home that humans have no control over the ways of nature. The sequence also completes Alan's character arc, as he and Ellie save the children from the Raptors' grasps. And then there's what is in many ways the true climactic moment of the movie when the overarching conflict that has been happening over the entire course of the movie is decided. When Alan tells John Hammond, I've decided not to endorse your park. So have I. The resolution after the climax emphasizes this character growth. Alan has gotten over his hatred of children. It also punctuates the climax. The characters have escaped.
[25:58]As you can see, many Hollywood films can be broken down into a specific story outline. But this doesn't mean they lack originality. These films work because they contain fully realized worlds and great characters. Not just because they follow the rules of structure. As Weiland puts it, What it does is provide a framework on top of which you can build anything. It's just the bones on top of which you can create many different types of characters. For the full K.M. Weiland interview, check the description for a link to our Studiobinder Academy channel where you can find the long-form content and product tutorials. Does all this talk of structure make you want to get writing? Start your next great film with Studiobinder's screenwriting software. And don't forget to subscribe and enable notifications to catch all of Studiobinder's filmmaking analysis. That's all for now, and remember, when it comes to writing, just take it one story beat at a time.
