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3-act structure vs. 4-act structure in movies

» 3-act structure vs. 4-act structure in movies

Long piece by screenwriter Todd Alcott comparing the classically-constructed act structure of Star Wars (3 40-minute acts) to Jaws (4 30-minute acts).

What studying the act break does is reveal the journey of the protagonist — at one moment, the protagonist is one person, and in the next moment he is another, and that change is irreversible. The path of the protagonist is the meaning of the movie — that’s the important thing, everything else is in the service of the delineation of that concept.

Screenwriting/storytelling nerds will love digging in the archives of Alcott’s blog. (Start with the “Screenwriting 101” tag.) I’ve blogged Alcott’s stuff before, but my friend James Francis Flynn sent me this analysis.

read more posts about:
• acts
• jaws
• movies
• narrative
• star wars
• storytelling
• todd alcott

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67 notes

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21. poetrymidwest said: Read Chris Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. Heroic Journey structure never fails, as long as the structure is just that, the structure upon which the tale is told. thewritersjourney.com/h…
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38. kouyukki reblogged this from austinkleon and added:

    analysis.) this is so interesting!!

39. newcanon reblogged this from austinkleon and added:

    So many mainstream movies fail at this. The Hero’s Journey...Joseph Campbell is a must...

40. harharhar likes this
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42. ghdos reblogged this from austinkleon and added:

    Flynn) Sounds dope. On my way to read it now.

43. austinkleon posted this