SantaSusanaHighSchool

ThePacingandStructureofaFeatureLengthScreenplay

GuillermoRodriguezRivas
CPEnglish12
ProfessorPamelaBradley
November20,2015

Abstract
Ihaveneverwrittenafeaturelengthscreenplaybefore.Ihavewantedtowriteabouta
conceptIhadforaboutayear,butIhadnoideawheretobeginwithwritingthescriptitself.
OnceIhadmySeniorprojectapproved,IthoughtIwasgoingtobeabletoopenupmyscript
writingsoftwareandgetcrankingonthestory,andititselfwouldcomeoutphenomenal.I
actuallytriedthatandgotlosttryingtomakemyoverlycomplicatedandmuddyideainteresting,
butIfailed.IscrappeditandrealizedIneedtoresearchacouplethingstoallowmetowritea
screenplaythatwouldnotonlybefunctional,butsellabletostudios.Thiswouldincludestory
structure,aconceptfamiliartomostpeople,thathasbecomeahottopicofcontroversyinthe
writingbusiness.Ifoundthata3actstructuremarkedby3beatsworksbestformyconcept,
givingenoughroomforunpredictabilitybutstillfitinafamiliarformat.Despitemyresearch,I
willlearnthemostthroughtheexperienceofwritingthescreenplayitself,atleastintermsof
actualprogressintomycareerinthefilmindustry.

EversinceIwenttogosee
StarTrek:IntoDarkness
withmyfamily,Ihadaconcept
rattlinginmybrain.Notfromthefilm,butbecauseofacommercialIsawbeforethemovie
played.ItwasaGEcommercialaboutaboythatspokeinbeeps,butthosebeepscould
communicatetomachinesandmakethemdothingsliketurnonandoff.Iwasinspiredbythat
commercialandIcreatedacharacterwhohasthatsamepower,butisconflictedonwhetherhe
shoulduseitforthegreatergoodortorevoltagainsthiscreator.Iwantedtotellthatstory
throughafeaturelengthfilm,soIdecidedthatwouldbemyseniorproject,soIcancertifyinthe
filmdepartment.Thethingisthat,despitebeingafilmstudent,Ihaveneverwrittenascreenplay
ofthatlengthbefore.Ihavewrittenscreenplaysthatareatmost10pageslong,andthoserequire
amuchdifferentpaceandstructurethanfeaturelengthfilms.Thepacingofafeaturelength
screenplayisveryparticular,anditallcorrelatestothestructureofthestory,whichhasbecome
amatterofdiscussionamongstwritersintheindustry.Itisveryimportanttolearnonstructure
andhowitdictatesthestory,sowhenitcomestowritingmyownscreenplay,Icanusethe
theorytocraftascreenplaythatfeelsoriginal,buthitsallofthenotesthatthestructuredemands.
Thesimplestformofstructureisthe3actstructure,witheachactbreakingupthestory
intobeginning,middle,andend,whichChristopherJacobsrenamesinto,setup,confrontation,
andresolution.Thisstructurehasbecomesowellknownandfundamental,thateachacthasa
certainlength,whichtranslatestotheamountofpagespereachact,assumingthateachpageofa
screenplaytranslatestoaminuteofscreentime.Thebeginning,whichisabout2030pagesin
length,hasthesetupandintroducesthecharactersandtheirproblems,itendswithatroubling
incidentthatstartsthechainofeventsofthedrama,themiddle,whichis4080pagesinlength,
hastheconfrontationwhichdevelopsthecharactersduetotheirresponsetotheconflictathand,

whichendswiththeclimax,thepinnacleoftheconflict,andtheend,whichis1030pagesin
length,whichistheresolutionthatresolvestheconflictandmostlysolvesthemysteriesthat
remainedaftertheclimax(Jacobs).Nowifaddallthosepagesyouhavea70140page
screenplay,whichisaccuratesincetheactualstandardis110pages.
Nowitisworthnotingthattherearemorestructuresthanjustthethreeactstructure.
MichaelHaugehasastructurebasedon6actswhichchangewith5turningpointsatspecific
partsofthefilmbasedonitspercentageofthewaythroughthefilmtheturningpointoccurs.
AnotherveryfamousstructureistheBS2structurecreatedbyscriptguru,BlakeSnyderinthe
book,
SavetheCat!:TheLastBookonScreenwritingYou'llEverNeed
whichdividedeveryfilm
intobeatswhichalltiedtogetherintoacoherentstorythatisunderstandableandemotionally
drivensothattheaudiencecanenjoy,andmarketabletotheproducerswhocanbuythe
screenplayfromthewriter.
Nowasaninexperiencedwritermyself,theworkofthesegurushavebeenenlightening
tosaytheleast,howevertherearethosewhoareagainststructurealtogether.Generalclaims
stemfromcomplaintsoffilmnarrativesbecomingpredictableandformulaichoweverthereare
deeperconcerns.KathrynMillardlamentsthatwehavebecomesubservienttostory,andthat
storyhastakenoverwhenfilmmakersshouldbeworriedaboutthevisuals.WimWenders,a
directorwhoisknownforhavingnonconventionalstorytellingmethods,talksaboutthe
overbearingnatureofthestoryonfilmmakers.
Directors,writers,producersworkforyearssometimestodevelopTheStory.Toget
thestoryrightistheparamountobjective,moresothanever.Theactorsare

exchangeable,thedirector,too,ofcourse,andsoiseverybodyelse,exceptforThe
Story.(Graf)
Millardexplainsthattheonlywaytofixthisproblemistogobacktotheguerillastyleof
filmmaking,goingintoashootwithalooseplotandimprovisewiththecamera,herexample
beingtheCharlieChaplinfilmthatwasmadeinthisstyle
KidAutoRacesAtVenice
,thefirst
filmtofeatureChaplinssignaturecharactertheTramp,andtheonethatputhimonthemapin
thefirstplace.
Despitetheargumentsagainstit,structureisstilldefendednotjustfromproducersbut
writersaswell.StephaniePalmer,formerMGMPicturesexecutiveandauthorofthewritingand
pitchingguide,
GoodinaRoom
,defendsBlakeSnyderandthecriticallypannedfilmsthat
obviouslyuseandfollowtheBS2beatssaying,
SaveTheCat
isonlytheblueprintforascript.
And...Thescriptisnotthemovie.(Palmer)Palmercontinuestoarguethatmanymoviesare
fallingshortdespitehavingacriticallyacclaimedstructuresuchasSnyder'sbecausefilmsare
justdifficulttomakeanddontappealtoeveryone.StructuredoesntmeanbadasPalmer
claims,infactmanywriteruseatypeofstructureonewayoranother.MarioO.Moreno,astory
specialistfor
Script
magazinewritesinanarticle,
IsScreenplayStructureTheoryRuining
Movies?
structureapproachcomesdowntowhateverservesthewriterandtheirstoryonthat
particularday.Theonlywrongapproachisonewheresomeone(writerguru,executive)claims
theirapproachistheonlycorrectone.(Moreno)
Writingwithoutsomesortofstructurewouldbenearlyimpossibleformeasanovice
screenwriter.UsingsomesortofstructureIwillbeabletolearnthepacingofafeaturelength
screenplay.NoweveryscreenplayhasthesamementalitythatMikeKuciakputbestdescribingit

asAscriptshouldtreatascenelikeitsahouseonfire:Runinsideatthelastpossiblemoment,
grabonlythemostvaluablethings,andgetthehellout.(Kuciak)Hemeansthateveryscene
needstohavepurposeandanexplicitmeaningtoit,andineveryscene,everyactionhas
meaning,sothattheactionscanbetranslatedimages,whichbecomescenes,whichbecome
films.Inrelationtostructure,thatmeansawritercannotjustfillpagesandgetawaywithagood
screenplaybecausetheymetwiththerulesofthestructure.ThismeansIhavetogivevalueto
everyscene,whichIalreadyfailedinpastdraftswhereIhadscenesofcharacterstalkingfora
good34pages,slowingdownthescreenplaytremendously.
ImademoremistakesinpastdraftsthatIcorrectedafterresearchonstructureand
pacing,notablyinclarity.Clarityisvitaltothepacingofascreenplay,becauseasawriterIwant
thereadertounderstandandwanttomakeit,sinceIwantthereadertobeaproducerthatis
willingtofundthemovie.IfyourscriptisntasclearasBaccarat,thenstudioreadersaregoing
togetconfusedwhentheyreadit.(D'Costa)Ithoughtacleverwaytogetaroundtheformulaic
natureofstructurewastohavetwoprotagonistsandmultiplesupportingcharacters,however
afterreadingDCostasarticle,Ihadtothrowoutthatdraftaswell.
SoIamleftwithmanysuggestionsofusingstructure,butwarningsagainstfollowinga
formula,thatmustfollowaproperpacewhilealsobeingcleartomyreader.Thatisalottoask
ofanovicewriter,butitiswhatImustdotosucceed.Intermsofthespecificityofmyplanfor
myseniorproject,Iplantofollowthethreeactstructuretheclosest,andadheretotheadviceset
bytheskeptics.Letmeexplain,myscreenplaywillfollowthethreeactstructuredescribedby
ChristopherJacobswiththebeginningintroducingmymaincharacter,exploringhiswantof
freedom,whileintroducinghisfatherwhowantshimchainedtoawallfortryingtorunaway.I

wanttheincitingincidenttoberunningawayafteradayofbeingcapturedandtotakeahostage
thatbecomeshisloveinterest,creatingaproblemthattheconflictcanbuildoffofandcan
naturallydevelopthecharacters.Ialsofollowtheskepticsadvicecloselyaswell,oneideaborn
fromaneedtodifferentiatemyselfisthatmynarratorisnotmyprotagonist,butratherthe
hostage,itsaninterestingwaytointroducetheaudiencetothisworld,fromacharacterthatwas
suddenlythrustintothisconflictjustliketheaudience.
Themostimportantpartofmyscreenplayisgoingtohavetobeappealingtothereader,
whichmightbeafutureproducer.
RayMorton
,aprofessionalscriptadvisor,wroteanarticle
called
MEETTHEREADER:WhatILookFor
aspartof
Script
magazineaboutexactlywhathe
wantswhenhereadsascreenplaythatsomeonewantstosell.Helistsexactlythepointsthat
structureadvocatespraisestructurefor,somethinginterestinginthebeginning,clarity,andan
earlyconflict,whichhewrotedownthatthosearepositivethingshelikes.Thepartthatstruck
methemostandthepartIwillonlylearnthroughexperienceishistalkabouthavingavoice.
WhatImeanisapointofvieworasenseofhumororawayoflookingatcharacters,scenes,
andtheworldthatarefresh,original,andunexpected.(Morton)DespitethatIresearchedall
thistheory,thatistheonethingIwilllearnthroughexperience,whatIwanttosayinmystory,
anditmightbethemostimportantpart,abovestructure,abovepacing,aboveclarity.Writingmy
firstfeaturelengthscreenplaywillhelpmefindmyvoiceasawriterinthemedium.

WorksCited
Jacobs,Christopher."SCREENPLAYBASICS."
SCREENPLAYBASICS
.Web.16Sept.2015.
D'Costa,H.R."TheNotSoSexySuccessTipScreenwritersIgnoreatTheirPeril."
ScribeMeets
World
.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Sept.2015.
Evins,Barri."BREAKING&ENTERING:KeepItSimpleStorytellingScriptMagazine."
ScriptMagazine
.21May2015.Web.18Sept.2015.
Graf,Alexander
TheCinemaofWimWenders:theCelluloidHighway,London:
WallflowerPress.
2002.Print.
Hauge,Michael."STORYSTRUCTURE:The5KeyTurningPointsofAllSuccessful
ScreenplaysMichaelHauge'sStoryMastery."
MichaelHaugesStoryMastery
.N.p.,22
Sept.2014.Web.18Sept.2015.
Kuciak,Mike."PacingYourScript."
ScriptMagazine
.26Mar.2012.Web.18Sept.2015.
Millard,Kathryn."WritingfortheScreen:BeyondtheGospelofStory."
::SCAN|Journalof
MediaArtsCulture::
.Web.17Sept.2015.
Moreno,Mario."Screenwriter'sGuidepost:IsScreenplayStructureTheoryRuiningMovies?"
ScriptMagazine
.3Sept.2013.Web.17Sept.2015.
Morton,Ray."MeettheReader:WhatILookForScriptMagazine."
ScriptMagazine
.2May
2014.Web.18Sept.2015.
Palmer,Stephanie."BlakeSnyderAndTheReasonHollywoodMakesBadMovies."
Goodina
Room
.N.p.,26July2013.Web.18Sept.2015.