Inspired 3D Short Film Production: Story — Part 2
Structure The purpose of studying story structure is not to force you to fold your creative vision into any standard formula, but to assist you in your ability to analyze and critique your own work. If something doesn't seem to be working in your story, you might be able to find the answer by studying typical time-tested structures, which might provide clues as to where your story went awry.
The Ever-Popular Three-Act Story Structure There are plenty of feature-length stories that contain five or more distinct acts, while many short stories have only one or two. However, the three-act structure is certainly the most common. Occasionally, an act is intentionally left out for dramatic effect. For instance, sometimes a story starts off in the middle of the second act, and the first act exists only as a back-story, revealed during the action by way of flashbacks or conversation. Your story might begin in the middle of a chase where the pursuer yells, "Hey, you stupid mutt! This is the last time you'll eat my dinner!" With this single line of dialogue, the relationship between the characters as well as the reason for the chase are revealed without actually requiring a setup. Act One indeed existed, but it is not contained within the bookends of the actual narrative. Remember this timesaving technique when you are working on your short-form script. The third act is sometimes partially left out to let the audience decide on the ultimate story resolution. These are sometimes referred to as existential endings. A third act indeed exists in these films, but the story is left with a significant loose end. Examples include The Graduate (What will Ben and Elaine do now?), The Color of Money (Will Eddie beat Vince?) and the CG short Passing Moments (Will the two train passengers ever cross paths again?).
The Instigating Incident and the Climax The incident that ushers in the third act is the climax of Act Two (perhaps the capture of the pickpocket). In Die Hard, the setting and characters are well established in Act One. The second act officially begins when the terrorists take over the party, and Act Three starts after the roof explodes.
Structure refers to the logical and dramatic ways in which you assemble the plot points and character progressions of your story. In other words, it is the compelling roadmap by which the story travels from setup to resolution.
The most standard story assembly, described in texts as old as Aristotle's Poetics, is the three-act structure — a beginning, a middle and an end. Although a number of modern scholars make it a point to debunk the validity of the three-act story structure, it is difficult to ignore its significance, popularity and time-tested effectiveness. The first act establishes the characters and the goal or conflict. For example, you come home from a long day at the office, looking forward to enjoying your wife's famous fettuccini alfredo, only to discover that your dog, Butch, has already eaten your dinner! The second act involves the main action of the conflict and the climax. For example, you chase Butch around the house and yard, eventually tackling him, and just as you raise your fist to deliver punishment, you notice the neighbor's cat, Fluffy, sitting on your back porch, licking alfredo sauce from her paws. The third act, which is usually the shortest, contains the resolution. The sun sets on a tranquil evening as you and Butch sit in the backyard and share a nice, juicy, barbecued Fluffy-burger.
Rarely do individual acts gradually segue into one another. Rather, a clear and significant event usually takes place to announce the arrival of the subsequent act. Once the scenario is established in Act One, the second act generally begins with an instigating incident that sets the plot in motion and compels the protagonist to act or respond, perhaps after an initial refusal. The instigating incident generally comes in one of three forms:
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