Most Common Mistakes Screenwriters Make In Act 1 – Naomi Beaty

Film Courage: What is the purpose of act one?

Naomi Beaty, Writer, Screenwriting Teacher and Consultant: Act one gives us all of the context that we need in order to understand the story that we’re about to watch and understand. It basically sets up the Who Wants What of your movie. If we look at each movie as being a story of someone wants something, wants it badly, goes after it against big conflict and great opposition, then act one sets up all of those pieces. It tells us:

 

–Who

–What they want

–Why they want it

–What they’re up against

 

All of those pieces that create the foundation of the story or that story enginethat we were talking about earlier, that’s what act one does. It sets up all of those things so that when we launch into act two or that act two adventure, you might have heard it called when we begin that we have all of the information that we need in order to understand who are we watching, what are they trying to do, what are they up against, why do they want it so badly. All of that’s been established so that we can just watch everything escalate in act two. Does that make sense?

Film Courage: It does. We talked earlier how a lot of writers have a great idea and act one is strong but then subsequent acts seem…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here). 

 

BIO:

Naomi Beaty is a writer, screenwriting teacher, consultant and owner of WRITE+CO., along with the author of LOGLINE SHORTCUTS: Unlock Your Story And Pitch Your Screenplay In One Simple Sentence and THE SCREENPLAY OUTLINE WORKBOOK: A step-by-step guide to brainstorm ideas, structure your story, and prepare to write your best screenplay.

 

BUY THE BOOK – LOGLINE SHORTCUTS: Unlock Your Story And Pitch Your Screenplay In One Simple Sentence by Naomi Beaty

 

BUY THE BOOK – THE SCREENPLAY OUTLINE WORKBOOK: A step-by-step guide to brainstorm ideas, structure your story, and prepare to write your best screenplay

   

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