Sequences and Acts




Generally speaking there are two (sometimes three) sequences in ACT I, four (sometimes five) in ACT II and two sequences in ACT III

SEQUENCES AND ACTS
Generally speaking there are two (sometimes three) sequences in ACT I, four (sometimes five) in ACT II and two sequences in ACT III.
ACTSEQUENCEPLOT OBJECTIVEKEY PLOT POINTS
I.
Seq 1Character/Status Quo1. Point of Attack
Seq 2Set Predicament2. Lock In
II.
Seq 3First Obstacle
Seq 4Higher Obstacle3. First Culmination
Seq 5Rising Action/Subplot
Seq 6Highest Obstacle4. Main Culmination
III.
Seq 7New Tension5. Twist
Seq 8Resolution
But as always, there are exceptions and ways to mix the batch of dough in a different way. They might not be in chronological order, two separate sequences might be in parallel action, the first act of the story might be delivered in flashback during the second act of the film. This is why each story is a prototype, that it must be invented anew each time.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that your story can only be unique if you mix the sequences into a bizarre order. Many (most) of the best, most compelling stories are also the simplest, the ones which find their uniqueness not in structural or plot machinations but in the uniqueness of their central characters and special insights of their approach to storytelling - the observations of the film makers, the humanity that they portray.

ACT ONE

Sequence 1 - Introduce Main Character/Status Quo

Plot Point #1: Inciting Incident/Point of Attack

Sequence 2 - Set Predicament/Establish Main Tension

Plot Point #2: The Lock In

ACT TWO

Sequence 3 - First Obstacle/Raise the Stakes

Sequence 4 - Higher Obstacle

Plot Point #3: First Culmination

Sequence 5 - Subplot/Rising Action

Sequence 6 - Highest obstacle

Plot Point #4: Main Culmination

ACT THREE

Sequence 7 - New Tension

Plot Point #5: 5. Twist

Sequence 8 - Resolution

But as always, there are exceptions and ways to mix the batch of dough in a different way. They might not be in chronological order, two separate sequences might be in parallel action, the first act of the story might be delivered in flashback during the second act of the film. This is why each story is a prototype, that it must be invented anew each time. 

Don’t be fooled into thinking that your story can only be unique if you mix the sequences into a bizarre order. Many (most) of the best, most compelling stories are also the simplest, the ones which find their uniqueness not in structural or plot machinations but in the uniqueness of their central characters and special insights of their approach to storytelling - the observations of the film makers, the humanity that they portray.

Center Stage:Directing for Actors

Screenwriting Script Tips
Nina Foch made the girls cry, and occasionally the boys too. And they were never tears of joy. Trust me – I was there. For anyone not familiar with late Oscar nominated actress, take a look at Executive Suite, Spartacus, or The Ten Commandments – she's impossible to miss. I was fortunate to know her, not as a colleague or friend, but as a student. She was the iconic teacher of the "Directing the Actor" classes at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. It was 1998. I was center stage – like so many had been before me, and countless more had yet to endure. My assignment: act…

Script Logic: The Syllogism

Screenwriting Development
Another way to look at story is by examining it as a syllogism, a three part form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two propositions (or premises). Here's the equation: (Character + Want) / Obstacles = Story
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