Animation Basic Animation scenario writing 1
GCC Academy
Hello, I'll be lecturing on animation scenario writing
the three-act structure, and plot points
I am Professor Park Jaewoo from the Department of Comics and Animation Technology at Sejong University
Let's briefly review the learning content
We'll be learning about the fundamental components of the three-act structure
and its elements
Then, we'll explore the flow of segments within the three-act structure
We'll also focus on learning the key plot points
The basic components of the three-act structure
The term "three-act structure" literally means
It's divided into Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3, right?
And between those structures, there are certain plot
In other words, we'll be learning how the story progresses
by incorporating key plot points
So, what are the basic components of the three-act structure?
In English, it's called the three-act structure
Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3
so each act is divided into three parts
First, let's examine the basic components
of the three-act structure
Secondly, let's discuss the importance of the three-act structure
We'll delve into how the three-act structure
guides the narrative progression
Thirdly, let's explore what drives the momentum of the three-act structure,
what propels the movement of the three-act structure
Those are the topics that I'll cover today
The three-act structure
In other words, what is three-act structure?
Many of you have probably heard about
"Four steps in composition - Introduction, development, turn, and conclusion" in the context of storytelling
The "Four steps in composition" is equivalent to the three-act structure in English
which we'll be discussing about the three-act structure
So, in a screenplay,
events are often categorized into three parts
I often receive questions like this
"When writing an animation script,
do I need to strictly adhere to the three-act structure?"
"Is it not acceptable to deviate from that structure?"
"Can't it be done in a more unconventional way?"
There's nothing you can't do; everything is possible, folks
But it's important to establish the basic framework of the story structure first
Then, after that, you can modify that structure as you see fit
That's the way to write a compelling story
Rather than completely demolishing the structure from the outset,
understanding how Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 are structured
I believe it's important to prioritize learning that first
So, while it's indeed a three-act structure,
I've subdivided Act 2 into 2-1 and 2-2
So, even though it's referred to as a three-act structure,
Act 2 is divided into two parts: 2-1 and 2-2
I'll explain the reason for that later on
What are the reasons for the necessity of the three-act structure?
The three-act structure resembles human language and everyday life issues and events
For example, we explain a certain event to our friend
In that case, when, where, who
what, how, what happened
explaining in this sequential order is very natural
Actually, if you try writing down
how you would explain an event to your friends,
Without realizing it, you would find that
there's a beginning, a middle,
and an end, with a conclusion at the end
So, the structure emerges as beginning, middle, end, encompassing three elements
That's precisely the structure of the three-act format
Therefore, there's really no need for you to think of it as difficult at all.
So then, what is the three-act structure?
Within the three-act structure, characters undergo continuous change
and develop new motivations
So, they strive to resolve the events with that newfound determination
Storytelling is driven by the characters
The events that occur as the characters attempt to resolve the situation
are the story elements within that three-act structure
So, think of it as the character creating a playground
to resolve the situations
Then, what is the ultimate purpose of the three-act structure?
The climax in the third act is what emerges at the end of the story
Do you know what the climax is?
The climax is the point in the story where the conflict reaches its peak,
escalating to the point where there's nowhere else for the characters to go but down,
sort of like a sudden burst
Thus, what serves as a device to maximize that climax
is the three-act structure
Lastly, what is the driving force behind the three-act structure?
In the three-act structure, characters play a significant role
Characters are a crucial component of the three-act structure
When it comes to characters,
in simple terms, there are good characters and bad characters, right?
There are characters who play the role of villains
Then, there are characters who try to stop the villain
Would their values be the same or different?
They are different
So, what would arise from that?
Conflict arises
The conflict would escalate and eventually reach a breaking point
There could be small explosions, moderate explosions,
or even a big explosion
Those eruptive moments constitute the plot
The plot is essentially a series of events
However, while events may play
varying degrees of importance
within a given act or scene,
the three-act structure is primarily driven by the plot
catalyzed by the characters and their conflicts
Hence, the driving force of the three-act structure is the characters and the plot
Characters are indeed the most crucial aspect
Because when you're crafting storytelling,
when the story doesn't come to mind and good ideas don't seem to surface
The most crucial thing to always consider is
learning more about your characters
When a compelling character is introduced
along with their conflicts and storytelling,
the resolution of the three-act structure often falls into place smoothly
So, let's take a look at the segment flow and plot points of the third act structure,
detailed components of the structure, its role,
followed by an in-depth analysis,
and then we'll delve into examining the action chart of the third act structure
In the detailed components of the three-act structure, point 2 is
In each segment, Act 1, Act 2-1, Act 2-2, and Act 3
Let's explore how characters respond to challenges and conflicts,
what events trigger reactions from the characters
and drive the plot forward,
and ultimately how these efforts
converge and intensify
into a climactic explosion in the third act
I've come up with some names of my own
What is Act 1?
Act 1 is called the "isolation phase"
What I mean by "isolation phase" is that
In Act 1, characters are physically or psychologically isolated
In Act 1, a character who was living an ordinary life
Something significant happens that sparks a big change at the end of Act 1
So, that character either physically falls into a downfall
or experiences a significant psychological shock
They find themselves falling into a new world
I'm simplifying it for the sake of easy illustration,
more in the realm of action stories and such
In fact, you can think of it as a formula that applies to all genres,
whether it's romantic comedy or thriller
Then we move on to Act 2-1
The character becomes isolated
The character has fallen into a new world
What should they do then?
Well, the first step is to survive in this new place
So, they'll adapt and start exploring
Thus, I call this phase the adaptation or exploration phase
But as the character continues on like that,
The character simply thinks, 'This is a new world, I just need to adapt and explore'
Would it be interesting if they said that?
It wouldn't be very engaging
Then, new crises start looming over the character
So, the character who once wished for a normal life
and didn't want to end up in this situation
realizes that they need to wake up
'No, I have to take action...'
'I need to survive as well...'
That's why Act 2-1 is referred to as the response phase
The level of conflict will gradually escalate, won't it?
Now we're entering what we call the story buildup phase
As the story's conflict level rises,
we transition into Act 3
Act 3 is what I call the sacrifice phase
Because the character puts forth their utmost effort to resolve the situation,
pulling out all the stops and utilizing every ability they have
So, it ultimately leads to the hero making a sacrifice
They throw themselves into it,
making a sacrifice of some kind, and that's how it concludes
Therefore, the basic framework of animation storytelling:
Act 1, Act 2-1, Act 2-2, and Act 3,
If you watch Hollywood animations or live-action films,
You'll find countless trends, evolutions, and mediums
nowadays there are also plenty of OTT platforms
That structure is the timeless formula for core story structure
Even when you read webtoons or novels,
stories are built using this three-act structure
So, when writing an animation script,
you establish the basic framework of the animation narrative
And ultimately, what does it boil down to?
It serves as a device to embellish the character's ultimate climax
The climax is the scene where
the theme of the story is visually expressed
when a director or screenwriter says,
"I want to convey this message
through this animation,"
the climax is where
all the built-up conflicts and tensions from the three-act structure finally explode,
leading to the resolution of the conflict
Ultimately, within the framework of the three-act structure,
characters with various backgrounds find themselves embarking on adventures and getting swept up in whirlwinds
as they encounter event after event, navigating through new environments
In the end, a climax is born
through their sacrifices and proactive responses
for the greater good
Let's delve into a detailed analysis
Act 1 is referred to as the isolation phase, right?
The hardship begins
So, it's often called the setup point
In English, it's often called the "expository point"
We need to get to know the protagonist
Then we need to establish the setting to some extent such as
Who is the protagonist? Where do they live? What do they do?
The trend nowadays is that Act 1 is becoming very short
In the past, when you watched movies, Act 1 used to be around 30 minutes
In drama movies, Act 1 used to be around 30 minutes
The remaining 60 to 50 minutes would be Act 2
The remaining 20 to 30 minutes would be Act 3
However, as audiences increasingly prefer faster pacing,
it's quite common for Act 1 to be wrapped up within 10 minutes nowadays
They start with the conflicts right away
Nevertheless, every Act 1 still contains the expository point
So, as Act 1 progresses, it eventually leads to Plot Point 1
I'll now refer to this as Plot Point 1
This is where the first major event occurs
Then, what happens next?
With this pivotal event, we transition into Act 2-1
The character now faces challenges
and is thrown into a new world
So, in Act 2-1, it's about exploration and embarking on a new journey
I refer to Act 2-1 as the turning point
It's the turning point because
it's where powerful adversaries, events, or obstacles...
the bigger the obstacle, the more our character...
You've probably had moments like
when you watched a movie and thought, "If I were in that situation, I'd lose it"
"It's too much." It has to be that tough
So, when faced with a major obstacle,
you think, "What's going on here? This is all new to me"
If I can't find a way out, what then?"
It has to be that challenging
Therefore, you find yourself standing at the crossroads of the first pivotal decision
And eventually, all characters become reluctant heroes
I refer to them as the reluctant heroes because
not everyone is born talented, handsome, strong, beautiful,
exceptionally capable, or possessing superpowers,
and they don't necessarily appear in the story from the beginning
Even superheroes like Batman or Spider-Man, who have superpowers,
face tremendous hardships
Movies wouldn't be interesting if all we saw were perfect characters
As a result, reluctant heroes ultimately evolve into sacrificial heroes
And that begins in Act 2-1
Depending on the development of the situation in Act 2-1,
the turning point is emphasized
So, as we move into Act 2-2 eventually and
create characters in Act 2-1 thinking, "This isn't going to fly, is it?"
or "If I don't step in, it's not going to work,"
Then as we transition into Act 2-2,
the conflict deepens
It sets the stage for a bigger villain and a more significant conflict to emerge
So the protagonist makes a special decision
The protagonist, who had just wanted to live quietly and peacefully,
disliking everything here and there
and wanting to escape from the situation, starts thinking,
"This isn't right. If this continues, the city will explode"
as the villain's actions become increasingly extreme in Act 2-2
I'm giving an easy example
using action movies, but
what should the protagonist do in that situation?
They might have to make sacrifices, wouldn't they?
The protagonist awakens to their true potential
"Awakening" is often considered a transformational turning point
Just because it's called a transformation point doesn't mean it's about transforming into a superhero or anything like that
"I started out selfish and ended up as the protagonist almost against my will,
but now I realize I must make sacrifices"
Consequently, the protagonist emerges as a sacrificial hero,
embracing the new changes with enthusiasm
The protagonist, upon this awakening and realization,
now enters the final stage of both internal and external growth
The most significant crisis unfolds at the end of Act 2-2,
potentially bringing about the greatest peril
What's the biggest crisis?
The greatest crisis isn't just another mundane event;
which leads us into the climax of Act 3 with
it's something significant enough that if left unresolved, could jeopardize the safety of the town
or the well-being of my loved one
This pivotal moment unfolds at the conclusion of Act 2-2
So Act 3 becomes a saga of sacrifice, resolving the conflict
Act 3 is referred to as the sacrificial phase earlier
When I mention the protagonist as the hero here,
I'm referring to the character who is the focal point of the story
The character at the heart of the story
So it doesn't mean that
every character has to appear like a superhero
The protagonist's transformation into a sacrificial hero
is showcased in their final appearance in Act 3
Thus, they play the climax point role for all events
Events gradually, bit by bit, accumulate
as we progress through Acts 2-1 and 2-2,
in Act 2-2,
we must present an event that truly pushes them to their limits,
making them feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to proceed
As viewers, we tend to make some predictions
as we watch the movie
We often predict, "Oh, that's obvious; it'll end that way," or
"No way, Batman will win, right? He has to," or
"The superhero is bound to win, isn't he?"
We already know these outcomes as we watch
However, despite knowing these things, why do we still get emotionally invested every time we watch an animation?
Why do we find ourselves immersed every time we watch a movie?
The reason is that when huge conflicts or obstacles are thrown at the protagonist,
it makes us believe in them
And we would think, "Oh, that seems quite challenging doesn't it?" or
"I wonder how they'll manage to resolve it?"
So, in the climax scene where the main conflict of the movie is resolved,
the protagonist ultimately epitomizes the sacrificial hero
And the movie concludes by
expressing the director's theme in a visual form
What I mean by visual form is that
although it may receive assistance from dialogue and music,
ultimately, in the climax scene,
something visually striking unfolds
Action movies could feature scenes such as
massive explosions
or epic battles
as straightforward examples
Or in tranquil movies, there might be directing styles where the protagonist gives up everything
and sacrifices themselves,
or leaves their loved one,
in various visually striking ways
Ultimately, for the sake of that one scene,
creators, whether directors or screenwriters,
build up characters
Now, let's take a look at the action chart
I've made a chart like this
In Act 1, the ordinary character
is thrust into a new world or situation by the events
that occur at the end of Act 1
Act 2 is often referred to as the second act
In Act 2-1, the character must adapt
to the new situation or world
However, just as they're trying to adapt, another new event occurs
and new obstacles appear
That obstacle would become Plot Point 2
Consequently, as they navigate through challenges,
they start evolving into a more sacrificial character
Then, our protagonist is faced with an overwhelming event that truly pushes them to their limits,
making it almost impossible for them to cope
That would be Plot Point 3
So, ultimately, in Act 3,
their efforts to resolve these challenges reach their climax
As Act 3 draws to a close,
the climax scene emerges, marking the pinnacle of the narrative tension
Analysis of the three-act structure through a real example
There's a movie called "Kung Fu Panda 1"
It's a CG 3D animation produced by DreamWorks
"Kung Fu Panda 1" is indeed an excellent example for studying the three-act structure
In fact, it has a very simple storyline
The success story of an underdog is a very universal
and globally relatable story structure
If we examine why this movie was successful,
In "Kung Fu Panda 1," the protagonist isn't a remarkable village youth, but
a food-loving, chubby panda
However, when you look at the Kung Fu Panda, it intertwines the story of a very ordinary underdog with
a very special character, typical of an animation screenplay
a very exemplary storytelling
and a scenario that possesses elements for global success
Because there weren't many examples of animations
featuring pandas before this film
So, let's take "Kung Fu Panda" as an example and
analyze its three-act structure
Act 1 of the story is the isolation stage
Let's analyze the story of "Kung Fu Panda"
while providing a brief summary
Assigning titles to each act can be helpful
So, I've titled Act 1 of "Kung Fu Panda 1" as
"Dreaming of the Dragon Warrior"
So, we will start with the synopsis of Act 1
Next is the second act's setup point and
how the protagonist was established
And thirdly, what are the protagonist's goals and conflicts
And fourthly, what event Plot Point 1 represents
Those are the key factors that we will analyze
If we look at the synopsis of Act 1,
In the village's legend of the Dragon Warrior,
there are these magnificent animals
who train in a palace nestled in the mountains
Although not as strong as those animals,
There's nothing wrong with imaginations
Thus, by becoming the Dragon Warrior,
the character dreams of defeating villains with his dazzling kung fu skills
named Po,
our Kung Fu Panda character
The funny thing is, his father is a goose
So, later on, his birth secret is revealed
in the second and third series.
He's fated to continue the family business at the noodle shop
run by his goose father
And physically,
he finds it somewhat challenging to move his body
and absolutely loves to eat
Meanwhile, at the Jade Palace nestled in the mountains,
Grand Master Oogway, the martial arts instructor, and
Master Shifu
who is a red panda
they are concerned about the escape of the villainous Tai Lung
They had imprisoned Tai Lung, a former disciple who had done bad deeds in the past, in prison
worried that the former disciple's escape might eventually lead to the destruction of the village
So, they believe they need the Dragon Warrior to stop him
And they decide to host a kung fu tournament
with the purpose of selecting the legendary Dragon Warrior
They already have students who excel in martial arts,
such as snakes and tigers
Nevertheless, they still want to fairly select the Dragon Warrior
Our panda, Po, must help at his father's shop,
but he can't miss the once-in-a-thousand-years tournament
He can't even imagine participating in it
He hauls his hefty body up the mountain and arrives at the Jade Palace
So, in order to enter the firmly closed palace,
Oh, in fact, he can't get in
But he can't just trespass
Upon seeing fireworks, he thinks maybe he can use fireworks to get in
Amidst the chaos, a bang erupts in the middle of the tournament grounds
Then, Grand Master Oogway, the turtle, presumably
suddenly points to Po, the panda,
and announces that he has been selected as the Dragon Warrior
Then stunned Po receives cheers from the crowd
And Act 1 comes to a close
Here, the story begins with Po's initial imagination
Draped in a cape, Po, now the lonely Dragon Warrior,
heroically defeats villains, showcasing these imagined scenes in Act 1
But as soon as those imagined scenes end,
he quickly snaps back to reality, thinking he needs to hurry and deliver noodles
he realizes that he is just a chubby and food-loving son of a noodle shop owner
And we mentioned that his father was goose earlier
With such absurd settings,
the character of Po, who is disconnected from reality, is certainly well-defined
Even through such short imagined scenes,
Po's character is effectively established
And what is that setting?
Not only Po is in a situation where he can't even learn kung fu,
but he also can't even talk to his father about his own dreams
He feels too embarrassed to share his dreams with others, even his father,
because he's afraid of being judged
and finds his father's expectations as burdensome
Such things become part of the setting
and minor conflicts emerge first
Internal conflicts are just as important in the scenario as external conflicts,
if not more so
What would be his internal conflict?
Po wants to learn kung fu
However, because he must continue the family business of making noodles,
he finds it difficult to express his intentions to his father
and can't defy his father's wishes
And his self-esteem is very low
Thus, he perceives himself as a chubby panda, questioning if there's any kind of martial arts he could possibly pursue
So, the internal conflict of being unable to confidently assert
and pursue what he desires becomes part of the setting
Ultimately, these become a buildup for the second and third acts as well
So, he goes to the once-in-a-thousand-years Dragon Warrior selection tournament out of curiosity,
but it turns into an event that hints at hope and possibility beyond mere curiosity
Then, what scene is Plot Point 1?
In the movie, when a firework misfires
and Po lands in the middle of the arena
Grand Master Oogway, instead of selecting the famous Furious Five —
Tiger, Crane, Mantis, Viper, and Monkey —
famous martial artists in Chinese martial arts, chooses Po,
causing the crowd to cheer, and the first act comes to a close
So, this plot point becomes when the firework misfires and Po lands in the arena,
followed by Grand Master Oogway designating him as the Dragon Warrior
would be the Plot Point 1
And then we would transition to Act 2-1
which is an exploration phase
I titled it "Breaking Through the Wall of Reality: Tai Lung's Escape"
So, let's delve into the synopsis, turning points,
protagonist's goal and conflict,
and then what Plot Point 2 entails
We'll investigate those factors now
In Act 2-1 of the synopsis, a messenger from Master Shifu rushes in
and checks to see if Tai Lung is securely imprisoned, if the villain is well-contained
However, it's the first time the villain reveals himself
Here, we realize that Po's life won't be easy
Meanwhile, as Po enters the palace with much fanfare,
he is very excited about the prospect of learning kung fu
He may seem naïve and innocent,
but even Master Shifu, who serves as his coach, does not trust Po and advises him to give up
Master Shifu says, "You're not the one"
"Furious Five should be the Dragon Warrior"
"Po, you get out" and advise him to give up as well
And even the Furious Five, who will become Po's comrades,
also dislike him intensely
As Kung Fu Panda once again grapples with the disappointment brought on by the harshness of reality,
the Grand Master Oogway, who chose Po as the Dragon Warrior, imparts a profoundly poetic advice
Emphasizing the significance of the present over dwelling on the past or future,
he encourages Po to relish the here and now
Oogway is quite old
and disappears from the scene
And then, the scene transitions again
Despite giving the message to reinforce the borders,
The villain, Tai Lung, escapes,
bringing imminent danger to the village and the Jade Palace
What did we say earlier?
There has to be a crisis
Well, the first crisis begins
Looking at the turning point, the bewildering dream has become a reality
Although the dream has come true
Po, who became the Dragon Warrior without knowing anything,
is ecstatic at the prospect of being able to learn Kung Fu
However, the wall of reality and prejudice
crushes his self-esteem once again
Po's friends and even his master ignore him
At the same time, the formidable villain Tai Lung escapes from prison
And the crisis intensifies
Po gradually approaches a crossroads of choice
What was the reason for choosing the Dragon Warrior?
To stop Tai Lung
But Po is the Dragon Warrior
When he first entered the kung fu lesson,
Po starts thinking, "What exactly is the Dragon Warrior? What am I supposed to do?"
Po wasn't prepared yet
and keeps thinking to himself, "Am I supposed to get out like my master said?"
"This doesn't seem right. I just came here to have fun"
He stands at a crossroads of decision
Therefore, Po's internal conflict deepens
due to the mistrust of his master and peers
And Tai Lung's escape foreshadows
an escalation of both physical and psychological conflict
So, what's plot point 2 here?
Plot point 2 is when Tai Lung finally breaks out of prison and escapes
From there, we realize that
Po will encounter a physically formidable enemy
Thus, it condenses into the confrontation between Po and Tai Lung
So, as the Dragon Warrior, Po finds himself
unable to avoid the confrontation with Tai Lung,
and in Act 2-2, he transitions into an opportunity to regain his self-esteem
Therefore, he begins to confront reality
Now, we move on to Act 2-2
I've titled this part as
"The Defeat of the Furious Five and Po's Journey to Self-Rediscovery"
Let's explore the synopsis, transformation point,
and the purpose and conflict of plot point 3
If we look at the synopsis,
Po gained courage from the advice of Master Oogway
And Tai Lung has escaped
So, Po challenges himself in training but face repeated failures
And it turns out that the villain Tai Lung was the beloved pupil of Master Shifu in the past
We come to know the fact that he failed to become the Dragon Warrior
and instead turned into a villain due to his insatiable greed
The crisis escalates due to Tai Lung's escape
Grand Master Oogway leaves,
leaving behind Master Shifu to believe in Po and train him
Consequently, Master Shifu reluctantly realizes
that he has no choice but to train Po, even though he doesn't like him,
because Po is the Dragon Warrior, and there's no one else
Thus, Shifu trains Po, but Po keeps trying to escape
But here, an idea pops up in his mind
Po's favorite thing is eating
And Po's best trait is his positive personality
Therefore, Master Shifu trains Po by using his appetite and positivity,
and eventually, Po starts to improve gradually
While Po is progressing, someone needs to capture Tai Lung, right?
So, the Furious Five go to capture Tai Lung,
but they suffer a devastating defeat and retreat
Then, what is the turning point?
It turns out to be an opportunity for Po to discover his strengths through Master Shifu's persuasion
Po realizes that his love for food and positive attitude are his strengths
With this realization, he transforms into a more proactive and confident version of himself
Ascending from an unexpected hero driven by his appetite
to becoming the town's one and only rescuer
I see this as a remarkable transformation
So, eventually, as he becomes aware of his shortcomings
and faces critical gazes from his peers,
the conflict intensifies with the arrival of Tai Lung,
forming both A and B storylines
The A storyline revolves around the physical conflict introduced by the arrival of Tai Lung
The B storyline focuses on my low self-esteem
and how to overcome it
So, Po tries to give up on being the Dragon Warrior,
but with Master Shifu's persuasion, he undergoes training once again
The internal conflict begins to be resolved
alongside the external conflict
However, with the defeat of the Furious Five,
the external conflict intensifies significantly
Even the skilled Furious Five are defeated, and eventually,
Po has to confront Tai Lung
Next, the third act becomes a sacrificial phase
Let's explore how the Dragon Warrior is born
We'll look into the synopsis, climax points,
and themes
The synopsis of Act 3 is pretty simple
Po becomes frightened after seeing the defeated and battered Furious Five
But as the Dragon Warrior, he comes to realize his duty and destiny
The citizens are unable to evacuate, and chaos ensues in the village
Po engages in a showdown with Tai Lung, who has invaded the Jade Palace
Master Shifu has a technique called the Wuxi Finger Hold, which he passes down to Po
It's quite amusing that it's a technique
where the power to defeat the opponent is condensed into a single finger
In the end, he uses it to defeat Tai Lung
and save the village
With the ultimate level of Kung Fu, the Wuxi Finger Hold,
Po overpowers Tai Lung in a spectacular display of light
Po overcomes prejudice and fulfills his dream of becoming the Dragon Warrior
So, the climax of the underdog story unfolds
Po sacrifices himself to fight against Tai Lung
The scene is visually stunning as light flashes brightly
and is depicted vividly
The theme of the movie, that with belief in oneself and hard work,
authenticity and achievement are possible,
is expressed in the end
The most important aspect of the story is
within the framework of the three-act structure, how characters think, act,
and demonstrate proactive determination
The driving force of the three-act structure is, firstly, the characters
Secondly, it's the events created by those characters
It's always good to keep that in mind
Thank you
Summary Basic components of the three-act structure The story is created within the framework of the three acts, consisting of Act 1, Act 2-1, Act 2-2, and Act 3
The flow of segments and plot points within the three-act structure Flow of segments within the three-act structure Act 1 (Isolation phase): Characters experience either physical or psychological isolation
Act 2-1 (Adaptation/Exploration Phase): Adaptation and exploration of the new world Act 2-2 (Response Phase): Detect the crisis, initiate responses, and begin strategizing Act 3 (Sacrifice Phase): Reaching the climax of resolutions with sacrifice
Plot Points Plot Point 1: The decisive first event occurs, marking the transition from Act 1 to Act 2-1 Plot Point 2: At the end of Act 2-1, a pivotal event presents a major obstacle, forcing the characters to face their first critical decision
Plot Point 3: Towards the end of Act 2-2, an event occurs that could bring about the greatest crisis yet
Analysis of the three-act structure with real examples Act 1: "Dreaming of becoming the Dragon Warrior" Setup Point: Introducing the character of Po, a panda with a setting detached from reality
Act 2-1 "Facing the Wall of Reality, Tai Lung's Escape" Turning Point: Po finds himself at a crossroads, unprepared and faced with a critical choice Act 2-2 "Defeat of the Furious Five and Regaining Self-Esteem"
Transformation Point: Po transforms into a proactive and confident individual Act 3 "Birth of the Dragon Warrior" Climax Point: Po overcoming prejudice and realizing the dream of becoming the Dragon Warrior