The Three Act Structure
Act One - In Act One the protagonist meets all of the characters in the play. We also find out what the main problem of the story is. Everybody can usually plot Act One because we have to know the problem to have the idea. The trick in Act One is to keep it interesting. Don't just start rolling out story points. Start at the most interesting point, where there is conflict and excitement, and help the audience sort it out.
Act Two - This is the part of the narrative where the storyline escalates, it is the most important part of the film as there is a complication in the storyline and the protagonist usually has a dilemma to overcome. Sometimes there is an introduction of a new character that will be a helper to the main character. An example of this is in the film "Batman Forever" by Joel Schumacher. In this film Batman's sidekick Robin enters the frame and becomes another main character.
Act Three - This is simply the resolution of the problem that the protagonist had been facing, there is usually a final "big scene" where the story come to its climax
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Three Act Structure of "The Shawshank Redemption"
The Shawshank Redemption serves as a good example of a film that uses the Three Act Structure. The film follows the guidelines for a Three Act Structure as defined by Professor Ramirez-Berg very closely.
Act I typically sets up the film and provides the viewer with information about what the world is like. This opening includes background information and sets up the story. In The Shawshank Redemption, Act I opens with the lead character Andy in court and going to prison for a crime he did not commit. As the first act continues, Andy arrives in prison. Plot point 1 arrives when Andy asks a fellow inmate, Red, for a rock hammer. This scene pulls Act I, which was around 32 minutes, to a close.
During Act II, the protagonist is typically faced with a struggle of some sort and is forced to make various moral choices. During Act II of the film, which runs a bit long at around 75-80 minutes, Andy grows closer to Red and begins adapting to his life in prison. Andy soon gains the trust of the warden and the midpoint of Act II comes as Andy begins playing opera over a loud speaker to the entire prison. This was a result of the prison library Andy had been in control of. As Act II begins to close, Andy starts informing his knowledge of the corrupt prison regulations to his fellow inmates. Plot Point two shows Andy escaping from prison through piping.
Act III opens with the guards finding Andy's open cell and discovering he had used a rock hammer to pick through the cement walls. Red later goes up for parole and is granted his freedom. Once in the real world, it is unclear as to whether Red will make it after being away in prison for so long. The climax of the film occurs as Red goes to a spot he was told about by Andy and finds a letter and cash. The closing resolution scene shows Andy and Red being reunited in Mexico. Act III lasts about 30 minutes.
The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a Three Act Structure and although it doesn't follow the basic time ruls, it does run very close. By examining the film closely, it can be easily broken down into three basic components.
Act I typically sets up the film and provides the viewer with information about what the world is like. This opening includes background information and sets up the story. In The Shawshank Redemption, Act I opens with the lead character Andy in court and going to prison for a crime he did not commit. As the first act continues, Andy arrives in prison. Plot point 1 arrives when Andy asks a fellow inmate, Red, for a rock hammer. This scene pulls Act I, which was around 32 minutes, to a close.
During Act II, the protagonist is typically faced with a struggle of some sort and is forced to make various moral choices. During Act II of the film, which runs a bit long at around 75-80 minutes, Andy grows closer to Red and begins adapting to his life in prison. Andy soon gains the trust of the warden and the midpoint of Act II comes as Andy begins playing opera over a loud speaker to the entire prison. This was a result of the prison library Andy had been in control of. As Act II begins to close, Andy starts informing his knowledge of the corrupt prison regulations to his fellow inmates. Plot Point two shows Andy escaping from prison through piping.
Act III opens with the guards finding Andy's open cell and discovering he had used a rock hammer to pick through the cement walls. Red later goes up for parole and is granted his freedom. Once in the real world, it is unclear as to whether Red will make it after being away in prison for so long. The climax of the film occurs as Red goes to a spot he was told about by Andy and finds a letter and cash. The closing resolution scene shows Andy and Red being reunited in Mexico. Act III lasts about 30 minutes.
The Shawshank Redemption is an example of a Three Act Structure and although it doesn't follow the basic time ruls, it does run very close. By examining the film closely, it can be easily broken down into three basic components.
