3-act structure Archives - The Story Department

“Set Up The Goal Before The End Of Act 1” – And Other Bad Screenwriting Advice

October 22, 2018May 3, 2018 by Karel FG Segers

If anyone tells you that a screenwriter must set up the story goal before the end of Act 1, avoid their screenwriting advice. They don’t understand drama. I’ll explain in a minute. The internet is rife with advice of all kinds, and I find it increasingly difficult to locate useful gems. If you’re really critical, … Read more

About Screenwriting Rules [And The 3-Act Structure]

October 31, 2016October 17, 2016 by Karel FG Segers

When How To Train Your Dragon was released, some people learned to their horror that the film was written following Blake Snyder’s beat sheet. How could such a successful – and critically acclaimed – film be written by the numbers?? Creatives hate screenwriting ‘rules’. So they should. But it is also helpful to understand what rules … Read more

Best o/t Web 9 May 10

May 9, 2010 by Solmaaz

:: Failed screenplays: don’t be another statistic.
:: With so much action, how to balance character and plot.
:: How to pull off an unscripted documentary.
:: Make it rain- for fifty bucks!
:: It feels like everything has been done… because it has.
:: Give your villain his monologue, he needs air time too.
:: Frank Cottrell Boyce says to forget the 3-act structure- thoughts, feelings, concerns?

11 Laws of Great Storytelling

December 18, 2009 by Cherie Lee

Jeffrey Hirschberg says: “While it is impossible to have a foolproof formula, I have learned certain principles dramatically increase the probability of your story achieving a modicum of greatness.” by Jeffrey Hirschberg Throughout my years of screenwriting I have read and analyzed thousands of scripts from writers of all levels, including screenplays from my students … Read more

Structure: The Untouchables

November 3, 2009 by Karel FG Segers

David Mamet has never equaled the tremendous power of his eighties screenplays. The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Verdict, The Untouchables and even his own directorial debut House of Games, starring his then wife Lindsay Crouse.

The Untouchables has always been my favorite. De Palma turned the script into the most cinematic of Mamet’s writing.

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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