Thursday, May 10, 2018

Video Essay: How Three-Act Screenplays Work (and Why It Matters)



I’ve been tapping into The Closer Look quite a lot for my featured video essays, and I’m overdue to change it up a bit. Fortunately, Lindsay Ellis (formerly known as the Nostalgia Chick) had exactly the kind of essay I was looking to feature here.

You’ve probably heard the term “three-act structure” dropped a lot as if you’re supposed to know exactly what that means. But what is the three-act structure, and what does it want from us? In this essay, Lindsay gives a great beat-by-beat breakdown of the structure. You’ll be surprised/horrified at how all of your favorite stories fit into this format.

How fundamental is the three-act structure to storytelling? Without even trying, the novel I’ve been working on fits into it very neatly.



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