Narrative Treatment
Include the following:
Genre
Inciting Incident
Protagonist
Antagonist
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
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Act 1
25% of story
Audience must know the genre within the first few pages.
Set up - something starts to happen.
Usually introduce protagonist first.
Introduce other characters.
Create the world of the story (as well as your take on it)
-what are the rules?
-what is emphasized?
-doesn't have to be realistic. Has to be believable
Introduce antagonist.
Set up a conflict at the end of the first act.
Set up the stakes. Why is it worth it to go after the goal?
What is the decision that must be made in order for the protagonist to go
after his/her goal?
The Inciting Incident - takes the character in another direction.
Know what your character wants.
“Somewhere in the first five minutes of a well-structured screenplay,
someone (usually not the main character) will pose a question, or make a
statement (usually to the main character) that is the theme of the movie.
“Be careful what you wish for,” this person will say, or “Pride goeth
before a fall” or “Family is more important than money.” It won’t be this
obvious, it will be conversational, an off-hand remark that the main
character doesn’t quite get at the moment – but will have far-reaching
and meaningful impact later.
This is the movie’s thematic premise.”
Act 2
Two thirds of the story.
Confrontation.
Throw obstacles in the face of your character.
Protagonist must make choices to pursue goal
-these choices must escalate
At the end of the first act, the protagonist knows that they must confront
antagonist.
Act 3
Fulfill the promise of the set up while still maintaining the concept of
surprise. Inevitable but surprising.
Answers the central question.
Climax - final beat.
Audience must believe that the character has changed.
Denumont - aftermath.
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Additional notes:
Just when you think you know where your character is going, think of the
opposite thing that could happen. TURN IT
You must be able to tell your story in 3 sentences. Spoken out loud. Do
this before you can write.
How to reveal character: Think about what’s going on emotionally