Hey, guys.
I know the infamous 3-act structure, while widespread, has its issues... so here is my advice to all of you: try to write in 2 acts, not 3. 2 halves of roughly equal length, with the midpoint being the event horizon for your story - before and after, if you like. Alternatively, split that second act in half - Act 2 Part 1, Act 2 Part 2 - and when you're done with your story, use that midpoint as the Act 1/2 break. Simplicity can go a long way, and sometimes, you've just got to throw convention out of the window and give it a kick up the backside at the same time.
S. P. :)
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i like it. keeps it simple and mirrors a bit of the 4-act structure a little bit
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Modern films have 5 to 8 acts. 3–5 acts are too slow for the modern young audience.
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I actually like this approach, especially the idea of treating the midpoint as the real turning point rather than forcing every story into a rigid three-act formula. Sometimes writers become so focused on hitting structural markers that the story starts feeling mechanical. If the midpoint genuinely changes what the protagonist wants or what they’re up against, it can give the second half a completely different energy.
I think structure should serve the story, not the other way around.
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Another symmetrical structure is the 8-sequence structure with…
"Act 1" -- seq. 1 & 2
"Act 2a" -- seq. 3 & 4
"Act 2b" -- seq. 5 & 6
"Act 3" -- seq. 7 & 8
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8 sequences? facepalm
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Stefano, I like how you think!
Most of the screenplays I've come up with use a six-act structure (borrowed from made-for-TV movies; Michael Hauge's system is another component)...and the third act serves as the turning point/midpoint in a lot of them. And I like to call the end of each act a "plot point."
And in a way, a two-act format can mirror a six-act one.
Great suggestion you've come up with!
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I kind of already do this with kishōtenketsu which I really like, way more than 3-act structure. The breaks are clearly defined and it's very creator-friendly.
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Stefano Pavone each sequence is 10-15 pages. I have seen La La Land (2015) broken down this way. I've written two scripts with that system in mind and now am on a third with it.
8 sequences? thumbs up!
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That format is very good if you need a strong denoument. It can work well at the end to a trilogy, too. Like on LOTR: Return of the King where the central conflict ends at Mt Doom, but then the massive ensemble of characters needs closure. The movie was criticized for the long, drawn out ending, but the thing is... in the book it's even longer. But overall, it fits where it is, at the end of a looooong story.
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This makes sense for me. The hardest part about writing is the whole act structure and outlining; I tend to start writing and figure it out. lol.
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The other side of the coin is a guy like John Milius (Apocalyse Now, Jeremiah Johnson, Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, etc.) who paid no attention to acts. "Just tell a good story" was his advice essentially.