What this Course Covers

Chapter 1 — Introduction and Welcome [FREE]

Chapter 2 — A Bird’s Eye View of Structure [FREE]

• Beginning, Middle & End
• ACT I – The First Quarter
• The Inciting Incident
• Debate – why the debate matters
• The Major Dramatic Question (MDQ)
• ACT II – The Middle Half
• Peripeteia
• The Midpoint
• ACT III – The Final Quarter

Chapter 3 — ACT I

• Plot Points
• The Eight Sequence Approach – Act I
• Sequence 1 – “The Ordinary World”
• Sequence 2 – “What Now?”
• Ten Essential Requirements of Act I
• Movie Analysis – Act I
• Characters and Backstory (Exposition)
• The Ordinary World
• Tone
• Character Empathy
• Desires, Weaknesses and Flaws
• The Character Arc
• Theme
• Debate
• Indicating the Stakes
• Locking the Path into Act II
• Creating the Major Dramatic Question (MDQ)
• The Three-Part Act I – a special case
• Movie Analysis – Three-Part Act I

Chapter 4 — ACT IIA

• Pinch Points
• The Eight Sequence Approach – Act II
• Sequence 3 — First Steps
• Sequence 4 — First Attempts
• Movie Analysis — Act IIA
• Movie Analysis — The Midpoint

Chapter 5 — The Midpoint (Reversal)

• Character Growth
• The False Victory or False Defeat
• Setback
• Twist
• Reversal — the true function of the Midpoint

Chapter 6 — ACT IIB

• Sequence 5 — The Vice Tightens
• Movie Analysis — Act IIB
• Pinch Point Two
• Sequence 6 — Drive to the Finish
• Plot Point Two (The Crisis)

Chapter 7 — ACT III

• The Realisation
• The Sacrifice
• The Eight Sequence Approach — Act III
• Sequence 7 — The Final Battle
• Movie Analysis — Act III
• Setback and Improvisation
• Sequence 8 — Resolution

Chapter 8 — LOGLINE BONUS [FREE]

• What is a logline?
• The Hollywood formula
• Real World Examples