Three act structure

Three act structure

The three act structure is a common principle used in storytelling which can be found in films, novels, poetry etc. the three structures are:

Act 1 – setup/beginning, which introduces the main characters and themes present in the story.

Act 2 – confrontation, in this act the stakes get higher as the characters confront their quest/goal, this section is usually the longest.

Act 3 – resolution, in the final part the hero and villains conflict ends usually with a big and dramatic scene to keep the audience engaged to find out the end. This section ties up the loose ends and wraps the events up.

My video loosely follows this structure as it starts by introducing the character of Rob hitchhiking and his goal is presented when he says he is looking for someone; this character is also introduced in another scene.

For Act 2 there is the search of the general with actions scenes mixed in and ends with the death of the general and the shootout with Rob and a group of people who intercept him.

In Act 3 it ends with Rob escaping into the woods who is stopped by the police in which the scene ends with Rob blowing up the forest and then waking up in a bed and having a break down. While this act doesn’t tie up the loose ends this was done on purpose to keep the ending ambiguous.