How to Effectively Use Three-Act Structure in Film Scripts

By Mark Heidelberger

I once had an executive tell me, “Great story, mediocre script.” When I pressed him on what made the script mediocre, he fumbled about trying to explain it – how it took too long to get to moment X or that moment Y had no conflict between the hero and villain – before finally settling on the fact that, “Look, it just didn’t read the way professional scripts usually read.” This was early in my career, so I simply told myself his lack of articulation meant he didn’t understand the material.

However, as I acquired more experience over the years, I started to better understand what he was getting at. A viable script will have a clear three-act structure that’s driven by the protagonist’s actions and his interactions with an antagonist. This ensures that needed drama occurs as the story progresses, and at a pace that will satisfy audience expectations. While it might sound rote, it’s a tried and true formula that studios, producers, directors, actors and others are looking for.

Most screenwriters have heard of three-act structure, but too often distill it down to having a “beginning, middle and end.” This won’t cut it. Hollywood professionals are used to seeing three-act structure executed in a more precise way, where certain beats involving certain characters happen around certain pages. They might not realize your first act break didn’t involve your hero or that your midpoint came 10 pages too late, but they’ll “feel” that it’s off and pass. So here are the key anchors you want to get right in a 120-page script so you don’t get the feedback I got so many years ago:

Teaser & Set-Up

Establish the protagonist’s ordinary world in the first 15 pages – his life before something happens to alter its course. Where we get to know what kind of character we’re going to be following, what he wants and what flaws he has. Moreover, the first two to five pages should be an opening sequence that teases the story to come and is so darn interesting, it immediately hooks the reader.

Inciting Incident

Something has to happen to the protagonist around page 15 to change his world. And whatever it is, it should set up the conflict with the antagonist. You have some flexibility with page count here, but if your inciting incident starts to go much past page 20, you have too much set-up.

First Act Break

The protagonist needs to make a choice around page 30 that sends him on the journey we’re going to see over the next 90 pages. Note: It can’t be someone else making the choice or having the choice made for him like I’ve seen some writers try to do. Structure is built around the hero’s actions.

Rising Action

From pages 30 to 60, the protagonist needs to make progress in his endeavors. We should see him act and the antagonist counteract, back and forth. But ultimately, the protagonist rises toward his goal. Think of the character trajectories like this: as the protagonist rises, the antagonist falls and vice versa. This inverse relationship is at the heart of screenplay conflict.

Midpoint

The protagonist hits a false high point around page 60. Why is it false? Because the protagonist hasn’t yet learned his lesson, overcome his flaw or defeated the antagonist even though things look rosy otherwise. It’s also critical to have another incident here that alters the protagonist’s trajectory downward.

Falling Action & Betrayal Moment

From pages 60 to 90, the protagonist loses ground to the antagonist and his life starts falling apart. He still hasn’t heeded the story lesson, and he alienates many of those around him. Halfway through this section, there is sometimes a “betrayal moment” as well where either the protagonist breaks someone’s trust or has his trust broken by someone else.

Second Act Break

The protagonist needs to be at the lowest point we’ve ever seen him around page 90. Lower than he was at the beginning. Lower than he’ll be at the end. All needs to seem lost. Don’t be afraid to take your hero and drop him off a metaphorical cliff. At this point, some outside influence will need to rally him to stand up and fight.

Climax

The last quarter of the script is, of course, the showdown between protagonist and antagonist, including any build-up to get there. How it ends will define whether it’s a comedy or tragedy. If the protagonist prevails, it means he’s overcome his flaw, learned the lesson and got what he needed, even if it’s not what he originally wanted.

Coda

While not necessary, the last couple pages can serve as a tag that wraps up any loose ends and offers the reader closure. It usually doesn’t go more than one or two scenes though.

I understand this may feel a bit mechanical, but there’s a lot of creative leeway within this structure, and faithful execution is often what sets apart Joe Pro from Joe Schmoe. Once you find success following the rules, you’ll have more wiggle room to break them because others will know you understand them. My advice: read as many professionally written scripts as possible (Drew’s Script-O-Rama has tons) to observe how the structure is employed in practice. You’ll find doing it right means not only a great story, but a great script, too.

Mark's Pro Tip #7

Pro Tip #7 - Just get the picture made!!!

There were several times early in my career when I had the chance to get a movie into production, and due to my own obstinance, stubbornness, whatever you want to call it, the project stalled. Largely because my parameters for getting it made were too rigid.

As an example, I had developed and was packaging a horror/Western feature many years ago, and I was intent on doing it on a minimum $10 million budget. I had attached a very good director, name actors and other elements of value.

But raising the money is the hard part, and I quickly learned that others might not see the same value in the project that you do. When I was offered $750,000 to do it for the Sci-Fi Network, I balked. No way that was going to happen. I'd have to scrap most of the elements I attached! Well, it turns out the film never got made at all because I could only see it getting made one way.

This is not to say you should sacrifice your story's integrity or other key factors; there's no point in making the movie if you don't want that movie made. Heck, if you want to tell the story of Billy the Kid and your financier wants to do it in outer space, you might move on.

No, my advice here is to simply pick your battles. Stick to your guns on the things that truly matter, but be flexible, amiable and willing to compromise on areas that are not make-or-break. You'd be surprised how many different ways a good movie can be made, whether it's on a lower budget or with lesser name actors or with a different director or, yes, even in space. Be open to having the conversation to see if there is a happy medium between your vision and what other stakeholders want.

Because at the end of the day, you just want to get the picture made. It might not be 100% of your original vision, but at least it made it to the screen. Audiences, on the other hand, will never get to see the picture you didn't make.

Mark's Pro Tip #6

Pro Tip #6 - Treat every job like an interview for your next.

As a freelancer in the entertainment industry, we're always on the lookout for our next gig. Even when we're currently on a gig. That means every person who hires you may be in a position to hire you again. Or introduce you to someone else who can hire you. Or you may just happen to meet some random on set who's about to jump on a new project and can slide your name to the line producer. But will they?

Bottom line: go into every job with the mindset that it's a job interview for the next one, because it is. In a business where word of mouth is crucial, being a true pro that can be counted on and that people like to work with is essential.

How you handle yourself on set, especially when problems arise. How you speak to others above and below you. Whether you show up on time. Whether you go that extra mile. Whether you stay on budget. How much you bitch and complain. How prepared and knowledgeable you are in your area of expertise.

And make no mistake, you are being watched. Everyone in Hollywood whispers about you behind your back while smiling to your face. The question is whether they're whispering nice things or not. So do yourself a favor: show up to every gig prepared to give your best. Your next gig may just depend on it.

Mark's Pro Tip #5

 Pro Tip #5 - Learn something new every day.

I have been toiling away in the entertainment industry for 25 years, and it never ceases to amaze me how much there is to learn. Not only are there so many facets to the filmmaking process that you can educate yourself on, from development to production to post to marketing and distribution, but the industry is constantly evolving and changing. I literally learn something that I didn't know every day I work.

Take rapidly changing camera tech. Whole conventions are dedicated to annual changes in the field. How about the world of user-generated content. AI or XR techniques. Reasons for the migration of films overseas. The use of new platforms for fundraising. The latest hot actor on the scene that no one ever heard of until last week. Newly updated budgeting and screenwriting programs. Previously unknown films just waiting to be discovered and studied. Shifts in marketplace economics. The list goes on and on.

Listen, read, open your mind to what's new, and you'll find yourself becoming a more well-versed and versatile filmmaker. The more knowledge you have to share in your area of expertise, whether a producer, AD, DP, editor, writer, makeup artist, sound mixer, you name it, the more valuable you become to others.

As a collaborative medium, filmmaking offers all of us the chance to learn something new each and every day. So embrace that gift. The day you stop learning because you know everything, well, that's the day you should go do something else.

Mark's Pro Tip #4

 Pro Tip #4: The value of a script is not what you think!

I get a lot of novice writers coming to me for story and budgeting services, and a common refrain I hear is that they've written the next Citizen Kane. Not only is this NEVER the case, but the people who say this with the most gusto often have the WORST material. It's not that they're trying to write something bad. No artist sets out to craft a piece of shit. It's simply that they're energized from having watched too many movies, but haven't received the sort of training in the craft that allows them to execute at a professional level (or even know what professional screenwriting looks like). So here's a little secret for everyone who thinks they've written The Shawshank Redemption:

You script is literally worth the paper it's printed on.

Yes, seriously. If it costs you $4.50 to print out your script, then that's what it's currently worth. Not until someone other than you has decided they want to buy it, finance it, make it, etc., does the value of that script increase. Don't fall into the trap of thinking your script is special. There's 100,000 spec scripts floating around Hollywood on any given day, and nearly everyone has an overly high estimation of theirs.

If you really want to boost the value of your script, there are a few steps you can take that will give you a better chance: 1) Learn the craft! Study it. Writing is hard. Just typing out your idea in Final Draft doesn't make you a screenwriter. Master classes and extension courses are available, so you don't need a four-year degree. Just a dose of humility. 2) Execute! Read scripts that have sold and emulate that style and quality. 3) Solicit feedback from people not related to you and who have no reason to be nice to you. Professional coverage services, writer groups and screenplay competitions that provide feedback are a few great options. 4) Rewrite!!! And if you can't get it over the line, hire someone to rewrite it.

This industry is all about getting kicked in the teeth and then saying, "Thank you, sir. May I have another?" This is the most likely path you'll face in getting your script produced. Understanding that your script is not as great as you think and that you'll face a lot of rejection is key to preparing yourself for the fight ahead. But if you stick with it and put in the work, you may just come out the other side with a script that is worth something someday.

Mark's Pro Tip #3

Pro Tip #3 - Not all money is good money.

"Just get the movie made," I often say to clients, colleagues, mentees and friends. Getting your movie made is paramount. That sometimes entails killing your darlings or making sacrifices you wouldn't otherwise make. It also means sometimes taking less money or money with strings attached. However, it's imperative that you're able to determine whether money is "good" money or "bad" money, as the last thing you want to do is end up in a legal situation or worse. Here are a few ways to determine whether money is "good" (worth taking) or "bad" (not worth taking):

- Are the recoupment terms overly onerous? In other words, might you be unable to meet the obligations the investor is asking for, even under the rosiest scenario?

- Does acceptance of the money put your other investors in a bad place or, worse yet, cause them to drop out because it now makes their position untenable?

- Does the investor seem to have unrealistic expectations of what you can truly do?

- Is the investor asking you to personally guarantee return of the money at some future date?

- Are there strings attached to the money that otherwise put you, your team, your other investors or any others working on the project in a precarious position legally, financially or reputationally?

- Does the investor demand he retain control of the funds and all key decision-making during the production process?

- Is the investor refusing to work with legitimate organizations like major banks where funds can be verified and escrowed or provide other reliable methods of verification?

If you answered "no" to these questions, the money may very well be good to go. If you answered "yes" to these questions, it's probably not. To know for sure, the best bet is to consult legal counsel and any knowledgeable stakeholders that you trust.

At the end of the day, if you need to turn down some bad money, just remember that that funding source is not the only game in town and that there are plenty of good money sources out there to fund your movie. You just need to go find them.