Transition: 2nd act to 3rd Act - Writers Forum

frefaln · 07-07-2005, 09:23 PM

Hello all,

I'm a bit more than halfway through a screenplay, and I'm trying my best to adhere to the following guidelines:

- each page = roughly 1 minute screen time
- Act I = roughly 30 pages
- Act II = roughly 60 pages
- Act III = roughly 30 pages

I fully understand the purpose of Act I and II. In the first act I introduced the characters and set the table for the plot to come. In the second act I've been spinning off multiple plot lines, each containing conflict or potential for conflict.

My problem is, I'm having trouble deciding what qualifies as a good plot point which supposedly kicks off the third act. In the case of my screenplay, there is a major goal that my main character has from the very outset. Over the course of Act I and II, there are multiple obstacles (both real and imaginary) that develop.

According to the guidelines above, there should be a plot point with 30 minutes left, one that drives toward a conclusion. It doesn't seem to fit. I've seen many effective movies where circumstances were not resolved until several seemingly unrelated threads converged to produce an unpredictable ending. If I tip off the audience 30 minutes in advance about a resolution, doesn't that make the script predictable?

Sorry... I'm rambling. But I'm wondering if any other screenwriters have also felt the Act II-III transition was ambiguous at best. Any tips/clarity is appreciated!

mammamaia · 07-08-2005, 07:31 AM

relax, frefaln!...

don't get so formula-bound that you lose sight of the story... while syd field is a stickler for all those rules 'n regs, and it's good to keep them in the back of your mind, following a rigid template too strictly can be counterproductive...

just write what feels right, as you get into that third act and the resolution... you'll know soon enough if it works or not...

after you've typed that wonderfully satisfying 'fade out' you can then go back and see if anything needs fixing...

if your script is violence-free, i'll be glad to give it a look, if you need any help...

love and hugs, maia

ps: one thing in that list of 'rules' is a bit off... the 1 pg = 1 minute thing applies only to the entire script as an average... it does not mean each and every page will = 1 minute... depending on amount of action/dialog, some may = 5 minutes on screen, and some only seconds... it's the average of the total that comes out to 1=1...