Introduction
In order to effectively develop the storyline for my short film animation, I decided to use as a reference the ‘Three Act Screenplay Structure’ by Syd Field (2005). This enabled me to revise, expand and polish the narrative structure I had created for my previs animation during the past two terms.
Three Act Screenplay Structure
Act 1: Set-up
According to Field, S. (2005, p. 23) in the first act ‘the screenwriter sets up the story, establishes character, launches the dramatic premise (what the story is about), illustrates the situation (the circumstances surrounding the action), and creates the relationships between the main character and the other characters who inhabit the landscape of his or her world’.
For this reason, it can be argued that the first part of my animation consists of the establishing shot (which sets up the Halloween context and environment where the story will take place), the presentation of the main character (who is Mr. Bones, also known as Pumpkin Chaser) and what mission he has to fulfill (save the Golden Pumpkin to restore peace to Halloween Town).
Act 2: Confrontation
The second act can be defined as the moment in which ‘the main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that keeps him/her from achieving his/her dramatic need, which is defined as what the character wants to win, gain, get, or achieve during the course of the screenplay’ (Field, S., 2005, p. 25).
In this sense, the second act of my story consists of how Mr. Bones has to face some obstacles and enemies in order to find the Golden Pumpkin. This part involves several chasing and shooting scenes with bats which the protagonist has to overcome before finding the Golden Pumpkin in the forest.
Act 3: Resolution
Finally, the third act can be defined as the ‘unit of action that resolves the story’ that not necessarily needs an ending but a solution to the plot (Field, S., 2005, p. 26).
In the third part of my animation, I decided to present the climax of the story. After beating the obstacles and bats, Mr. Bones seems to have found and saved the Golden Pumpkin. However, I decided to create suspense by including a slight plot twist and revealing that he was actually tricked by the antagonist and trapped into a cage. The resolution of my story consists of how the protagonist frees himself by beating the villain and how he finally manages to restore peace into Halloween Town.
Furthermore, I created a circular storytelling structure as the narration ends in the same place where it began after the establishing shot (at Mr. Bones’ office). This highlights the protagonist’s journey and emphasizes how demanding his 24/7 workload is and how vital his presence is in Halloween Town.
Bibliography
Field, S. (2005) Screenplay : the foundations of screenwriting. 4th rev. edn. New York: Random House.