Don't make yourself crazy with page numbers. Write your story. Then go back and trim to make things flow better. That percentage is pretty accurate, but it isn't a law, it's a guide line.

If your first act is too long, you can bore the audience, if the second act is too short, perhaps something is missing. Many new writers spend too much time setting things up - thinking they need to explain everything. Many times writers have trouble with the second act because they don't have a "inciting incident" to work towards.

If your script is 30 pages the first plot point should happen at about page 10, your inciting incident at around page 22. Most feature scripts are in the 90 to 120 page range. But again, don't make yourself crazy with page numbers. Write it the way you want ti. Then if there are things that you don't thing are working, go back and see if your acts are too long or too short based in this guideline.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Just write the script. Don't worry about page count. During your rewrite you can tweak it if it's way too long or short. Anytime you focus on your page count you will be forcing your story into something that may not be important...isn't that important. It would be like a 500 pound man trying to put on a pair of pants meant for a 90 pound man. It's not going to be good. Use those page counts and Acts as a guideline not a rule! Write, write, write! Write a great script...that is the bottom line.

For fun try to fit the original Star Wars (also known as Episode IV: A New Hope) into the three act structure. Luke, the main character doesn't appear for nearly twenty minutes. Han the other main character shows up even later. At least the third act is easy to nail down.

I could be wrong but I think it was somewhat successful financially despite that.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

quote:

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Originally posted by certified instigator

Don't make yourself crazy with page numbers. Write your story. Then go back and trim to make things flow better. That percentage is pretty accurate, but it isn't a law, it's a guide line.

If your first act is too long, you can bore the audience, if the second act is too short, perhaps something is missing. Many new writers spend too much time setting things up - thinking they need to explain everything. Many times writers have trouble with the second act because they don't have a "inciting incident" to work towards.

If your script is 30 pages the first plot point should happen at about page 10, your inciting incident at around page 22. Most feature scripts are in the 90 to 120 page range. But again, don't make yourself crazy with page numbers. Write it the way you want ti. Then if there are things that you don't thing are working, go back and see if your acts are too long or too short based in this guideline.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

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Re: message from instigator. I don't want to get too pedantic, but here's what I understand about plot points:

Act 1: 1 plot point (inciting incident, p 22 thereabouts)
Act 2: mid point scene followed by plot point 2 (toward the end)
Act 3: Plot point 3

Is my understanding here correct? Does act 3 have a plot point, or is the climax itself a plot point?

Star Wars is the classic three act structure - the first act runs longer than typical, the hero introduced a little later, but then the first plot point comes in at the usual point.

rc444 - the third act doesn't have a plot point or inciting incident. The final plot point is what drives the story into the last acts which is in conclusion of the story. Doesn't mean there can't be twists or surprises in the third act - just that there are no more inciting incidents. All conflicts are resolved during that last act.