Formats what work and what wont

[relichunter]

Okay, so some who have met me in meet & greet know I am from AFDA, a filmschool in Johannesburg. I am doing my honours this year, and the weirdest thing for me is format.

Not the correct way of writing a screenplay format, but the way you do it.

E.G. At AFDA we are taught ETB (Explosive Theme Bundling). But in no books, EVER, have I seen it being used as an example. The ETB uses explosions (events) to push the characters forward.

1. Introduction: James is a young man struggling to find a job. He has to listen to his Father and GRandfather gripe about Apartheid every day.

2. 1st Explosion: His friends invite him for a joyride. Along the way, they see an old lady crossing the street. They decide to rob her.

3. Problem solving vacuum: James stops them from robbing the old lady but gets arrested himself.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Most books that I have read, or are reading, talk about a three act story. the beginning middle and end. I ahve no idea how to utilise this. I have just entered a proposal for a 13 episode series to our National BRoadcaster, and the want to know how the three acts play into each of the thirteen episodes. How do I explain this? How do I know which format is the better format? This is really confusing to me. If you can help, please give me your advice.

[Keith Wallis]

Relichunter - I'm out of my depth in this genre but I've moved your thread to the screenwriters forum where you may get better advice.

[DrRita]

Okay, so some who have met me in meet & greet know I am from AFDA, a filmschool in Johannesburg. I am doing my honours this year, and the weirdest thing for me is format.

Not the correct way of writing a screenplay format, but the way you do it.

E.G. At AFDA we are taught ETB (Explosive Theme Bundling). But in no books, EVER, have I seen it being used as an example. The ETB uses explosions (events) to push the characters forward.

1. Introduction: James is a young man struggling to find a job. He has to listen to his Father and GRandfather gripe about Apartheid every day.

2. 1st Explosion: His friends invite him for a joyride. Along the way, they see an old lady crossing the street. They decide to rob her.

3. Problem solving vacuum: James stops them from robbing the old lady but gets arrested himself.

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Most books that I have read, or are reading, talk about a three act story. the beginning middle and end. I ahve no idea how to utilise this. I have just entered a proposal for a 13 episode series to our National BRoadcaster, and the want to know how the three acts play into each of the thirteen episodes. How do I explain this? How do I know which format is the better format? This is really confusing to me. If you can help, please give me your advice.

Hi relichunter,

I think what you are getting stuck on is the semantics of the structure. I've never heard the term "explosions" either but I think he is meaning the turning point incidents. In the first 10 pages there is the Inciting Incident (this would be the first "explosion") which kick starts the story and gets the character on the journey. There are many terms used to explain the various turning points which make the character change his/her plan in trying to resolve the problem at hand and "explosions" could be just one of them.

If you can correlate the terms with the terms used in other books you are reading you will probably find that they are the same action.

As for the three act structure . . .

Every episode will have a three act structure . . . for television its more since a television show is written around commercial breaks. Hence about 6-7 acts I think. (I'm not a tv writer but have written a bit for tv) But it still follows the structure used for three acts.

Here's how it goes:



Beginning of Act I --Story opens with the mc's world as "normal" (which is Normal for the character at the beginning of your story . . . not "normal" in the ordinary sense.)

Inciting Incident-- Upsets the applecart and interrupts the MC's normal world. The MC makes a plan.

End of Act I--the events have painted the MC into a corner and the plan isn't working. The MC must find a new plan.

Beginning of Act II-- the MC comes up with a new plan and a deepened commitment/determination to recapture the Normal World.

Middle of Act II--the MC's plan fails because of a major development that spins the story again. The MC must come up with yet another solution which will require doing something that makes him/her venture into fearful territory (ask forgiveness, overcome arachnophobia) in order to make things right.

End of Act II--The Crisis point where the new plan has failed, all hope is lost, the darkest point in the movie and the MC's life.

Beginning of Act III--The MC comes up with a final "do or die" plan that requires him/her to rely on something new (inner strength, God, etc) which will make him/her grow.

End of Act III--the plan can either work or fail but the the act of stretching causes the MC to grow and change.

Resolution The endnote . . . all lose ends tied up no dangling motivations or story plot points.

[relichunter]

Dr Rita. Thank you. I get it now. Just one question. What's the MC? Main Character? Protagonist? I hate being at filmschool. There are so many terms for the leads and I can't keep up with them.

I am looking at optioning a book to turn it into a screenplay. Would you suggest that I use the same format as I find it in the book, or would you suggest I re-treat it with the format you just suggested?