Unit 4: Revised 3 Act Structure

Three Act Structure

ACT 1

The Setup

• An overcrowded factory floor is seen, a nervous man named Alastair separates from a crowd of machine operators carrying what appears to be a broken computer.

• Alastair steps aboard a lift & chooses the sixth floor – labelled “6 - Miles Harkin CEO”.

• Alastair is escorted from the lift by Harkins “Giant” bodyguard Andreas.

• Alastair enters the CEO’s pristine office; he creeps towards the middle of the room & places the broken computer on the desk.

Inciting Incident

• The CEO Miles Harkin aka “the Tyrant” turns from his window view and glances at the computer and then glances with scorn at a nervous Alastair.

• Alastair runs out of the door, “the Tyrant” signals Andreas, who follows Alastair in a fury.

• A beaten Alastair exits the ground floor elevator & attempts to re-enter the factory floor which will no longer accept his security card.

• “The Giant” Andreas appears and hands Alastair a piece of paper – his notice which declares that he is being fired.

• An irate Alastair throws the paper to the floor & begins yelling at Andreas.

• Andreas picks up Alastair with one hand & throws him outside like a Javelin.

ACT 2

First Main Reversal

• Alastair returns to the factory at night, he begins picking the lock of the exterior factory door.

• The door opens to Alastair’s surprise, he steps through the door & is met by a giant fist, Alastair is knocked away from the door.

The Increasing Conflict

• Alastair notices an open window on the third floor of the Controtech Factory; he throws a rappel hook & begins scaling the building.

• Alastair does not notice that Andreas is pulling him up to the window.

• Andreas cuts the rappel rope in front of Alastair.

• Alastair crashes toward the ground.

ACT 3

Pre-Climax Build

• Alastair returns dragging a massive contraption masked in assorted rags, he rummages under the rags to reveal a retractable viewfinder, he aims the viewfinder at the sixth floor window of the Controtech factory - CEO Harkins Office.

• Alastair removes the rags from the contraption to reveal a life sized catapult.

Climax/Anti Climax

• Alastair jumps on board the catapult and fires himself to the sixth floor of the Controtech factory.

• Alastair impacts the glass like a bug on a wind shield.

• The boss hears the impact on his window and turns noticing Alastair stuck.

• The boss smiles at Alastair before running back to his desk to finish writing his proposal for a revolutionary firewall which has now been entitled “Win-shield” - thanks to Alastair.

• The boss retrieves a camera and takes a picture of Alastair stuck on the window.

End

• Several months later the factory floor is working full force producing the new must have computer protection Software “Win-shield”.

• The image on the cover is of Alastair stuck to Harkins window with the caption reading:

“Hit the trespassers where it hurts”.

• Following his successful promotion idea Alastair is given a job back at the Controtech factory running public relations.

• His next promotion for the protection software has the tagline:

“Lose the Giant body guard - get Win-shield a true Tyrants defence”.