{"id":76272,"date":"2016-06-30T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-30T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=76272"},"modified":"2016-06-29T16:22:41","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T21:22:41","slug":"rules-of-three-act-structure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/rules-of-three-act-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"Bending the Rules of the Three-Act Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"

The three-act structure has long been the standard for storytellers \u2014 but bending the rules can lead to exceptionally cool results.<\/h2>\n

The principles of the three-act<\/strong> structure<\/strong> have\u00a0been employed by storytellers for ages. In the early\u00a020th century, filmmakers adopted the three-act structure<\/strong> to develop compelling stories for their burgeoning art form. While this traditional structure remains the standard, filmmakers have found ways to bend the structure to their creative will.<\/p>\n

\n

What Is the Three-Act Structure?<\/h3>\n

Three acts. Three elements of a narrative arc. Makes sense, right? The set up. The rising action. The resolution.<\/strong> Let’s look a little closer at this concept.<\/p>\n

The Set Up<\/h3>\n

\"RulesImage\u00a0via\u00a0Lucasfilm<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The set up<\/strong> is exactly what it sounds like. This is when characters are introduced and the world of the film is established. Near the end of this act, the first turning point is introduced \u2014 and the game changes.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Rising Action<\/h3>\n

\"RulesImage\u00a0via Lucasfilm<\/em><\/p>\n

The characters spend the second act dealing with the conflict<\/strong>\u00a0presented at the end of the first act. Traditionally, while confronting said conflict, the characters find a way to make things even worse. This act is the “meat” of the story.<\/strong> It should be dense with plot movement and character development. A weak, meandering\u00a0second act is a perfect way to lose an audience.<\/p>\n

The Resolution<\/h3>\n

\"RulesImage\u00a0via Lucasfilm<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

In the final act,\u00a0characters reach their peak potential and growth by acting on valuable lessons learned during the first two acts. The final conflict \u2014 the climax of the narrative<\/strong> \u2014 arrives. The characters accept their destiny by confronting and defeating their demons\/issues\/Death Stars.<\/p>\n

\n

How to Bend the Rules<\/h3>\n

The classic three-act structure<\/strong> isn’t going anywhere. It’s undeniably a dependable and familiar storytelling template. Even better, it’s malleable, allowing for subtle subversions<\/strong> and bold disruptions<\/strong> of expectations. Here are some classic examples of stories that\u00a0tweaked the trope.<\/p>\n

Fragmented Structure: Pulp Fiction<\/h3>\n

\"Rules
\nImage via Miramax<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Quentin Tarantino<\/a>\u00a0has built a career on deconstructing the three-act structure<\/strong>. Pulp Fiction<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>has set up, conflict, and resolution<\/strong> \u2014 just not necessarily\u00a0in that order. Tarantino fragments the narrative and\u00a0jumbles the arc. The story unfolds\u00a0in chapters told out of turn. Occasionally a three-act structure<\/strong> unfolds within the fragments of the greater whole, but the chapters exist on a timeline that ends in the middle before reaching the end where the story begins. If you will.<\/p>\n

Non-Linear Structure: Memento<\/h3>\n

\"Rules
\nImage via Newmarket Films<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan<\/a>\u00a0never met a story he couldn’t make more complex. Take\u00a0Memento<\/em><\/a>, for example. To call the film’s narrative path untraditional is an understatement.<\/p>\n

The anterograde amnesia<\/a>\u00a0of the main character \u2014 Leonard, as portrayed by Guy Pearce<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0allowed\u00a0Nolan to craft a non-linear playground of a plot that moves forward and backward at once. When the story is unfolding in reverse, Nolan presents the action in color. When time moves chronologically, Nolan uses black and white footage. This device is jarring and disorienting, forcing the audience to feel the effects\u00a0of Leonard’s inability to create new memories.<\/p>\n

Eventually, both strands of the narrative collide at the end of the film in dramatic fashion. The traditional aspects of storytelling are there \u2014 but don’t expect to find them in the places they’re usually found.<\/p>\n

Parallel Structure: The Usual Suspects<\/h3>\n

\"Rules
\nImage via Gramercy Pictures<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Compared to the previous examples,\u00a0The Usual Suspects<\/a> from Bryan Singer<\/a>\u00a0doesn’t play quite<\/em> as fast and loose with the rules of traditional structure, but it’s still a noteworthy example of manipulating the three-act structure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Two story lines\u00a0unfold at once through narration and flashbacks. One thread follows the exploits\u00a0of criminal Dean Keaton, who is killed at the beginning of the film. The other features the interrogation of\u00a0Verbal Kint, a small-time hood connected to the incident that led to Keaton’s death. Both play out in linear fashion \u2014 but Kint’s narration unfolds “after the fact” and Keaton’s character arc is exposed in flashbacks.<\/p>\n

In the end, Singer still uses a traditional three-act structure,\u00a0<\/strong>it’s just broken up and twisted by the\u00a0narrative sections featuring Kint. The parallel narratives force the audience to put together two complicated puzzles at once \u00a0\u2014 puzzles that only exist to obscure the shocking final picture.<\/p>\n

Is the three-act structure worth using anymore? What are your favorite examples of films that used or abused it?\u00a0<\/strong>Share your thoughts in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The three-act structure has long been the standard for storytellers \u2014 but bending the rules can lead to exceptionally cool 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