Three Act Structure Explained — The Secret to Telling a Great Story

Three Act Structure Explained — writer and story expert K.M. Weiland breaks down three-act structure and how it works using Jurassic Park.

What is the Three Act Structure? ►► https://bit.ly/wi-3a
Watch the Full Interview with K.M. Weiland ►► https://bit.ly/km-in
StudioBinder Blog ►► http://bit.ly/sb-bl

K.M. Weiland resources:
Helping Writers Become Authors (Blog) ►► https://bit.ly/km-bl
K.M Weilan (YouTube) ►► https://bit.ly/km-yo
Structuring Your Novel (Book) ►► https://bit.ly/km-sn
Writing Archetypal Character Arcs (New Book) ►► https://bit.ly/km-ac

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Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to the Three Act Structure
00:49 - Why the Three Act Structure Matters
03:24 - Part 1: The Hook
06:18 - Part 2: Inciting Event
08:16 - Part 3: 1st Plot Point
11:16 - Part 4: 1st Pinch Point
14:36 - Part 5: Midpoint
17:45 - Part 6: 2nd Pinch Point
20:11 - Part 7: 3rd Plot Point
22:54 - Part 8: Climax
25:56 - Takeaways

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THREE-ACT STRUCTURE EXPLAINED

If you’re a writer, hoping to be a writer or even a casual movie-goer, you’ve probably heard of three-act structure. More than simply “beginning, middle, and end,” three-act structure is dominant in Western storytelling. And in this video, we sat down with writer and story expert K.M. Weiland as she breaks down the eight parts of three-act structure, how they work, and what they aim to accomplish. To do this, Weiland dissects one of the best-structured movies of all time — Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, written by David Koepp based on a novel by Michael Crichton.

WHAT IS THREE-ACT STRUCTURE

While the concept of a three-act structure is fairly recent, stories have followed this pattern for centuries. Act One introduces us to the characters, their world, and the major conflict. Act Two sees the characters set out to resolve that conflict and attain whatever goals were established in the previous act. Act Three contains the final test or confrontation that will decide the outcome of this pursuit with either success, failure, or something in between. In a nutshell, this is the structure that most stories, novels, films, TV shows, or any other narrative medium follow.

DOES THREE-ACT STRUCTURE WORK?

Yes, it does, but not for every story. Shakespeare often constructed his plays in five acts. The three-act structure is ubiquitous in Western storytelling and, therefore, has, in some circles, garnered a negative reputation as being creatively restrictive. But as Weiland explains, story structure of any kind doesn’t preclude creativity — it is merely the container, and what is inside (the characters, the plot, the themes, etc.) is the real gift.

Learning three-act structure is a way to grasp the fundamentals of storytelling. That way, when bending or breaking those rules becomes necessary, it can be done without sabotaging a story’s chances of reaching and connecting with the audience.


#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking

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♬ SONGS USED:

"Fratres (Version for Cello & Piano)" - Avro Pärt
"A Battle in the East" - Rhythm Scott
"Last But Not Least (Instrumental)" - Chelsea McGough
"All Star" - ANBR
"Journey To The Island" - John Williams
"War Banner (Instrumental)" - Cody Martin
"Incident At Isla Nublar" - John Williams
"The Princess Appears" - John Williams
"Shining Star" - Earth, Wind & Fire
"The Hands Dealt" - Michael Giacchino
"Theme From Jurassic Park" - Michael Giacchino
"1986" - Angel Salazar
"Three Is Company" - Howard Shore
"Welcome To Jurassic Park" - John Williams
"British News Team" - Lance Conrad
"Glass" - Claudio Laucci
"T-Rex Rescue & Finale" - John Williams
"The Raptor Attack" - John Williams
"Crystal Clear (Instrumental)" - Tiko Tiko
"Dennis Steals The Embryo" - John Williams
"Terminal' - Stanley Gurvich
"Many Mothers" - Junkie XL
"High-Wire Stunts" - John Williams
"Merge" - Theatre of Delays
"Forrest Gump Suite" - Alan Silvestri
"State Lines (Instrumental)" - Aaron Kellim

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Music by Artgrid ► https://utm.io/umJy
Music by Soundstripe ► http://bit.ly/2IXwomF
Music by MusicBed ► http://bit.ly/2Fnz9Zq

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