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

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 for that formulas but the three-act structure can take many shapes and sizes and isn't as restrictive as one might think okay then Mr light beer prove it all right then I will [Music] this is what is the three-act structure [Music] 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.myland about how the three-act structure works I'm cam Wyland 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

2 is the next fifty percent and act three is the last 25 percent 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 km 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 farthest 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 in 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 Wyland 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 Wyland 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 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 in huh whether implicitly or explicitly you want them to be asking hmm 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 laugh stranger [Music] often a good hook opens in medius rares 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 [Music] by the end of your film's hook the audience may still have questions but they know enough that they are invested [Music] Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park has a thrilling hook which is filled with mystery the scene

begins in media's res en't sure 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 suspense and finally the guy getting eaten is a fantastic hook shoot foreign 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 [Music] 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 in 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 for today I guarantee it why don't you come down just the power 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 this is the first moment when they brush up against what will be the main conflict and 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 first plot point occurring about 25 into a film the first plot Point Segway is a story into its second act Weiland explains plot points as such so 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 a 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 signal is 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's journey is fully underway in

Lord of the Rings this is when Frodo leaves the Shire this is it is what if I take one more step it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been there's no going back now his quest to destroy the ring has begun remember what Bilbo used to say 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 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 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 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're moving in heard they do move in hearts the beginning of the second act follows Alan and Ellie reacting to the plot point how'd you do this 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 pitch point is the first of many obstacles a protagonist must face in the second act Wyland explains points are primarily about emphasizing the antagonistic force and what is what is take for the protagonist within the story these can be very subtle moments within this 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 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 blood huge point is HW losing his hearing [Music] a setback for Daniel Plainview establishes the core conflict of the film that the drive for

profit poisons everything [Music] 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 why ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck hang on a second in Jurassic Park the first pinch Point comes when the tour is cut short by an impending storm this hints at the true conflict between man and nature 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 trike if you know sure I'm in a

gas powered Jeep I can drop her at the visitor center before I make the bullet the others great then I'll catch up with you if you want to go on you sure a little longer Alan 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 [Music] can also be considered the second plot point it occurs halfway through a film and has major ramifications on story as Wyland puts it so 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're at 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 foreign boasts one of the most iconic midpoints in cinematic history T-Rex Escape Wyland 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 with 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 Spielberg pulls out all the stops to establish the importance of the moment which Alters the direction of the plot whereas the first half of the second act follows the team exploring the island the second half follows them trying to escape death by dinosaur good Birds the same way again the midpoint also challenges Grant's

world view Grant has firmly established he doesn't like kids kids you want to have one of those and with the T-Rex's Escape he is now forced to care for two of them the midpoint then takes us to the second pinch point the second pinch Point occurs approximately 62 percent into a screenplay it functions similarly to the first pinch point as winand 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 and 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 remember this taken yesterday I didn't approve any 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 [Music] 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 nedri's sticky death boy nice boy 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 Nedra 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 all 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 Wyland 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 rom-com or 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 and water was filth it was poisoned it was Sour a bit in the crows came considering she's been searching for the green place the entire film this is a devastating blow [Music] in Jurassic Park the third

plot Point occurs when Ellie turns back on the power [Music] illustration of the two-sided beat of the false Victory and the low moment not only does this have immediate consequences for Alan 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 boy good boy it's

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 Wyland 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 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 lean on this is the moment where we turn that corner and the protagonist and the antagonistical Manoa mono and just have that personal confrontation to decide a 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 Forrest Gump Jenny's death is the climax but the film ends showing Forest taking care of the child infusing some happiness into an otherwise glum ending I want to tell you I love you I love you too Daddy in Jurassic Park the climax is the battle with the Raptors it is The Logical conclusion of the story

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 Allen's character Arc as he and Ellie save the children from the ratto's grasps and then there's what is in many ways the true romantic moment of the movie when the overarching conflict that has been happening over the entire course of the movie is decided when Alan tells Jon Hammond 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 [Music] you could see 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 wylan 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 km Wyland interview check the description for a

link to our studio binder 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 Studio binder screenwriting software and don't forget to subscribe and enable notifications to catch all of Studio binders filmmaking analysis that's all for now and remember when it comes to writing G just take it one story beat at a time [Music]