Three Act Structure (Part 2)

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  • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

    Originally posted by finalact4 View Post
    Sc111 is not a mean girl.

    I will vote to keep figment, like their style.

    Bono didn't mean it, he was just kidding.

    There is nothing flawed about the four-act structure. It breaks the vastness of Act 2 into a more manageable and exciting act by allowing for amazing mid-point turns which many stories already have.

    This is not something one must ponder for any length of time, simply add an event/turn halfway into the story that escalates the story either for the protagonist or against him.

    And if you're really feeling SALTY give it a whiff of death!

    I use four acts to structure my features. And if you haven't yet figured it out, that's where my call sign came from... FA4
    Wow. I missed Joe's threat of banning figment. Utter tripe.

    As for the 4-Act structure, I use it, too, because it's organic vis-a-vis the midpoint. Some gurus call it Act 2-A and Act 2-B -- it's just semantics.
    Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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    • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

      Originally posted by sc111 View Post
      Wow. I missed Joe's threat of banning figment. Utter tripe.

      As for the 4-Act structure, I use it, too, because it's organic vis-a-vis the midpoint. Some gurus call it Act 2-A and Act 2-B -- it's just semantics.
      After figment's latest post to me, I'm just sorry I can't ban him again.

      sc111, you say, "Some gurus call it Act 2-A and Act 2-B -- it's just semantics."

      There are gurus and people who are touting Act 2A as Act 2 and Act 2-B as Act 3, now if you know how Acts work in the dramatic structure, then in my opinion -- this is just my opinion sc111 -- I'm not saying you're wrong, I believe it's not "semantics."

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      • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

        Originally posted by JoeNYC View Post
        After figment's latest post to me, I'm just sorry I can't ban him again.

        sc111, you say, "Some gurus call it Act 2-A and Act 2-B -- it's just semantics."

        There are gurus and people who are touting Act 2A as Act 2 and Act 2-B as Act 3, now if you know how Acts work in the dramatic structure, then in my opinion -- this is just my opinion sc111 -- I'm not saying you're wrong, I believe it's not "semantics."
        More tripe.
        Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

        Comment


        • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

          Originally posted by TigerFang View Post
          It's easy to see how this works; most vehicles have four wheels on them and they roll along very well equipped that way.
          A truism.
          "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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          • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

            Originally posted by JoeNYC View Post
            After figment's latest post to me, I'm just sorry I can't ban him again.

            sc111, you say, "Some gurus call it Act 2-A and Act 2-B -- it's just semantics."

            There are gurus and people who are touting Act 2A as Act 2 and Act 2-B as Act 3, now if you know how Acts work in the dramatic structure, then in my opinion -- this is just my opinion sc111 -- I'm not saying you're wrong, I believe it's not "semantics."
            sc11 is right. It is semantics.

            Your opinion is your opinion, but your belief in wrong.

            No one calls Act 2a ACT2 and Act 2b ACT3. Literally no one says that.

            You don't have the authority to ban anyone.
            "Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden

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            • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

              It's all about what you can make happen on the page with character. It makes no difference what you theories you believe in or what structure paradigms you adhere to. In the end either the reader was entertained or they were not. If a writer can not get to the level of the execution needed to play in the majors then it really doesn't matter what they believe.

              It's like if you went to a baseball clinic and a hitting instructor was telling you about the basics of a batting stance. They'd tell you to tuck your chin over your shoulder, hold back elbow up, bat back, when getting ready to swing stride toward the pitch and swing level through the zone.

              Then you watch an MLB game and you see people holding the bat on an angle, another hitters chin is not tucked in, another has a major uppercut in their swing. Every single stance looks different because people tweak the basics until they find comfort, but at the end of the day it's about execution. You can hold the bat anyway you want if you're gonna hit 300, but if you hit 150 and have a screwed up stance then people will think your stance is the reason.

              It's not easy to write a page turner no matter what you believe in in terms of structure, just like it's hard to hit 300 in the majors no matter what your stance looks like.

              The X factor is ability. Your ability as a hitter translates to a certain batting average no matter the stance. Your ability as a writer translates to a certain level of execution no matter what you know about structure. This is why the whole section of screenwriting books is primarily not written by screenwriters because you can know how something works without being able to do it yourself.

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              • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                I like Save the Cat best overall, but I took in parts of so many books over the years to make my own. In general 3 Acts. But then I added the midpoint and how the story changes and I like it.

                Act I -- Set up (I like to get act one as short as possible. 17 pages is awesome -- comedies especially) 25 pages is normal for me.

                Act 2 (1st Half) -- Fun and Games (what's in the trailer, all the fun part of the idea that makes me the writer want to write it and person want to see the movie.) 30 pages.


                Midpoint
                - Something major happens to turn things more serious or changes the stakes. Spice up 2nd half so it's not just the same thing for 60 pages.

                Act 2 (Second Half) -- Bad guys close in. Stakes raised. 30 pages.

                Act 3 -- End this mess. 25 pages.

                110 spec pages max for me. 25 + (30 + 30) +25 = 110

                This is just general how I see it. You can call it 3 acts or 4... doesn't matter. There is no test. And I'm not teaching a class.

                My buddy likes to write in mini movies scenes -- say 8 to 12 and that is how he divides it up.

                Sometimes we just start writing and find it that way.

                Basically if you watch movies and write screenplays and read them -- you do get a feel for how to do this.

                It's not easy -- but the basics aren't hard to learn. I can teach anyone the basics. I can't teach anyone to write screenplays as well as I do right now. And same goes for most of us on this board.

                Structure is there to make sure the building looks like a building when you're done building it. Sometimes you read scripts that only put up 1 wall to the story.

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                • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                  Originally posted by finalact4 View Post

                  Your opinion is your opinion, but your belief in wrong.

                  No one calls Act 2a ACT2 and Act 2b ACT3. Literally no one says that.
                  "your belief is wrong"

                  Oh my. This is a bold statement. You can't let me just have my opinion? According to you -- no doubt -- I'm dead wrong.

                  finalact4, if I said this to you, sc111 and figment would be all over my butt.

                  No one calls "2a Act 2," etc.? There are indeed people who do this.

                  For example from a Guru: "we're using the traditional three act structure of live theater, and film is simply better suited to a four-act structure."

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                  • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                    Originally posted by Bono View Post

                    This is just general how I see it. You can call it 3 acts or 4... doesn't matter.
                    It does matter.

                    If you didn't sidetrack my challenge, you would have understood why. Or, at least be able to check out my point, and then scream bogus if you didn't agree with my opinion.

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                    • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                      You sidetracked your challenge. Simple as that. Can easily repost it and try again.

                      Why not just give your opinion now -- not for me -- but for everyone else's benefit then?

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                      • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                        Originally posted by Bono View Post

                        Why not just give your opinion now -- not for me -- but for everyone else's benefit then?
                        No. The mood has past. It's not a perfect environment right now. This thread went to hell. Yes, I'm acting like a girl. Things have to be perfect for magic to happen.

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                        • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                          Originally posted by JoeNYC View Post
                          Yes, I'm acting like a girl.
                          Sexist much?
                          Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                          Comment


                          • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                            I got to say, one day I'd love to meet the real Joe so I know if you are secretly having a great time drinking your tea or whatever as you post these things. I see a hat and cigar too.

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                            • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                              Originally posted by Bono View Post
                              I got to say, one day I'd love to meet the real Joe so I know if you are secretly having a great time drinking your tea or whatever as you post these things. I see a hat and cigar too.
                              I considered that a while back. My conclusion: nope.
                              Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                              Comment


                              • Re: Three Act Structure (Part 2)

                                Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                                Sexist much?
                                That wasn't me.

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