ajwinn/ThreeActStructure

## ThreeActStructure
My sole claim to fame is having written a screenplay in college that won the 2004 David Letterman Competition - a feat that required rigorous study of Syd Field's Three Act Structure.  The subject matter obviously varies, but in brief, the first act is approximately 30 minutes long, the second act is 60 minutes, and the final act is 20 to 30 minutes.  The first act's responsibility is to introduce us to all the characters, their flaws/goals, and the conflict event that drives the protagonist into the second act. In the second act, the protagonist faces increasingly difficult situations that drive him toward overcoming his flaws and resolving the conflict event.  The third act observes a capable protagonist making a final decision that addresses his flaws and the primary conflict.

The structure itself is essentially "beginning, middle, and end" with some advice about when to deal with conflict. Some writers prefer Joseph Campbell's "Monomyth" or "Hero's Journey" structure (famously used in Star Wars), which is essentially a more verbose and rigid subset of the Three Act Structure that requires themes like "mentor", and "atonement". Even in that form, the Three Act Structure doesn't dictate subject matter - it works equally well with science fiction as it does with romantic comedies or dramas.  Even movies with a disjointed narrative like Memento are written using this structure. Hollywood often gets a bad wrap for "formulaic" movies, but I think people are really trying to describe the content, not the Three Act Structure itself.
	My sole claim to fame is having written a screenplay in college that won the 2004 David Letterman Competition - a feat that required rigorous study of Syd Field's Three Act Structure. The subject matter obviously varies, but in brief, the first act is approximately 30 minutes long, the second act is 60 minutes, and the final act is 20 to 30 minutes. The first act's responsibility is to introduce us to all the characters, their flaws/goals, and the conflict event that drives the protagonist into the second act. In the second act, the protagonist faces increasingly difficult situations that drive him toward overcoming his flaws and resolving the conflict event. The third act observes a capable protagonist making a final decision that addresses his flaws and the primary conflict.

	The structure itself is essentially "beginning, middle, and end" with some advice about when to deal with conflict. Some writers prefer Joseph Campbell's "Monomyth" or "Hero's Journey" structure (famously used in Star Wars), which is essentially a more verbose and rigid subset of the Three Act Structure that requires themes like "mentor", and "atonement". Even in that form, the Three Act Structure doesn't dictate subject matter - it works equally well with science fiction as it does with romantic comedies or dramas. Even movies with a disjointed narrative like Memento are written using this structure. Hollywood often gets a bad wrap for "formulaic" movies, but I think people are really trying to describe the content, not the Three Act Structure itself.