Video: “The Act One Break”
Another in the terrific screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
Another in the terrific screenwriting series Raising the Stakes.
Jonathan W. Stokes is a screenwriter with a unique credit to his name: Five of his original screenplays have been named to the annual Black List. That alone should get your attention, but there’s also this: Over the last few years, he has produced an excellent video series called Raising the Stakes.
This week, Jonathan released Season 3, Episode 1: The Act One Break.
Like myself, Jonathan is a fan of the Hero’s Journey and in the video, Jonathan uses Joseph Campbell’s language to describe the Protagonist’s transition into Act Two: Crossing the First Threshold.
Generally speaking, Act One takes place in and establishes the Ordinary World. In departing that world and venturing onto their journey, the Protagonist passes through some sort of border or doorway into the Extraordinary World. That threshold can be physical, psychological, metaphorical, or all three. As screenwriters, we need to be cognizant of this transition and signify it in a way which is both entertaining and impactful.
The video references a bunch of movies which demonstrate both common ways in which movies visualize the Act One break as well as unique shifts from the Old to the New.
Like all of the videos in the Raising the Stakes series, Jonathan packs a lot of information and insights into a compressed period of time (here a mere 5 minutes). The entire series is well worth watch which you can do here. While you’re there, why not subscribe? There are more videos to come in S3 and by subscribing, you won’t miss them.
For more background on Jonathan W. Stokes, you can go here.
By the way, I recently interviewed Jonathan. Look for that chat later on this summer.