The classical 3-act play is alive and well in Hollywood. This system sets up the storyline perfectly by introducing the viewer into the story, presenting a conflict, and ultimately in the ending reaching a conclusion. This structure is apparent in many films like in The Wizard of Oz where the story utilizes the 3-act structure to effectively tell a story.
To start off in the 3-Act structure of film making there is act one. Here the story starts; it reveals the basics to the audience such as setting and who the characters are. For instance, in The Wizard of Oz the viewers are brought into a small Kansas farm where they meet Dorothy, Aunt Em, Uncle Henry, and the men who work on the farm. These people as they are introduced are foreshadowing for the characters in act two. This time is spent for the main character to converse with others where some issue is revealed. Then, there will be some event or point which moves the story forward. In the case of The Wizard of Oz it is when the Tornado hits the small farm. This is a plot point and it is important because it is the transition from the first to second act.
In the second act, the focus is on the main conflict that was indicated on in act one. The audience is made aware of the entire goings on and what tasks must be done to reach a resolution. In the case of The Wizard of Oz this is when Dorothy arrives in Oz and is met by the Glinda who delivers instructions on how to reach the wizard so, Dorothy can get back home. Also, this is when Dorothy meets her traveling companions, The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and The Cowardly Lion who facilitate Dorothy in achieving her quest. Many tasks arise that make up a large part of the story until another plot point is reached. For Dorothy it is when she has her encounter with the wizard and is left behind to only have Glinda tell her to click her heels and says "There's no place like home". The transition then finally begins to the conclusion.
In act three, the characters have finally reached the conclusion of their quest. The resolution to the conflict set up in the previous act is delivered upon. This is where Dorothy wakes up at home to her family watching over her lovingly and explaining all that had happened. The happily ever after moment is reached and all is well in act three.
The 3-Act structure is a long used and perfect system in delivering a complete story filled with an introduction, a conflict, and a conclusion. This format is used by many Hollywood films like The Wizard of Oz for its flow, where devices like plot points are used to transition from act to act and keep the story moving cohesively. This is the structure that everyone grew up with when they were being read a story, watching their favorite hero, and in this case watching a full-length film with a heartwarming ending.
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