How to prepare for act one using the script analysis worksheet.
Write a log line based on The actions of the protagonist in Act 1 is one of the best ways to make it compact and eye-catching. Use this script analysis worksheet to learn how.
It really helps to develop a great storyline before writing the script. If your storyline is vague and/or bland, your script is probably vague and bland too.
However, this script analysis worksheet will ensure that all plot points are at the correct location on the log line. This is the first act.
Script Analysis Worksheet Part 1: The First Half of Act One.
A script outline should cover what your story is about in one or two sentences. it should spell out main conflict (Often sarcastically.) It should illustrate the dangers the protagonist faces and how the antagonist might hinder them.
You can read more about how to write log lines. But for now, let’s divide our The script analysis worksheet is divided into two parts. This also means splitting the storyline and first act into two parts.
How the first act is divided into two acts.
• Part 1: Sequence A (End with call to action/approximately 12 minutes.) This sequence should introduce the protagonist and end with crisis some form of their lives. Some call it an inciting incident, but we prefer the term “call to action” as it better describes its nature.
• Part 2: Sequence B (Ends with Act 1 turning point/approximately 25 minutes.) This sequence should end with their or the antagonist’s decision regarding this crisis. This decision sets up the central conflict that the protagonist must resolve over the course of the film.
If you haven’t used sequences to approach screenplay structure, you should definitely check this method out. Sequence divides the script into seven or eight “mini-movies” instead of just three big acts.
How this comes together in the log.
To create a great storyline, you simply put two sequences together. Now you’re setting up the first act and creating a sense of intrigue as to where the story might go.
Sequence A forms the first part of the storyline. Sequence B constitutes the second part. then you will get Two major crises Storyline: The call to action at the end of the first act and the decision of the protagonist or antagonist.
Example script analysis worksheet.
Let’s look at some real-life examples of synopses from famous movies.
Stranger than fiction.
An IRS auditor realizes he’s a character in a novel that’s still being written. He must then stop the author from killing him.
Harold Crick’s realization that he is a character in the novel, the script’s call to action, occurs ten minutes into the film. This marks the end of Act One Sequence A.
The second part of the log line indicates Decide Harold makes this statement about the crisis: to prevent the author from killing him. This marks the end of Sequence B in Act 1, occurring approximately twenty-five minutes into the film.
It’s this turning point that thrusts him into the second act and piques our interest in the synopsis to see what happens next. Here are two more script analysis worksheet examples:
jaw.
When a giant great white shark begins threatening the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and a grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.
40 year old virgin.
A 40-year-old man accepted a challenge from a colleague to have sex with a woman for the first time after his virginity was revealed.
In both examples, we are faced with the protagonist’s crisis (the call to action at the end of sequence A) and decision (the first-act turning point at the end of sequence B).
Notice how The stakes are high for all these examples.
The two major plot points to add to the script analysis worksheet should put the protagonist’s life in danger, both literally and figuratively.
Drawing worksheet.
For Sequence A, write the name of your protagonist. Next, write down interesting places in your story world. Then add a major crisis – the power of confrontation – to change the protagonist’s life out of control.
Always remember that this plot point refers to the script’s call to action at around 12 minutes in. factor.
Brainstorm all worst thing This can happen to your protagonist during a call to action. Then add it to the Script Analysis worksheet.
Alternatively, you could add a beat here that seems like a perfect fit. best Something that could have happened to them, but turned out to be the worst.
For the second half of the first act, you need to ask yourself, what decision did the protagonist (or villain) make in response to this crisis? This is the turning point and signal for the first act of your screenplay this Target They hope to climax.
Only when you know the answers to these questions and add them to your screenplay analysis worksheet can you start writing a compelling movie plot.
Example script analysis worksheet.
You’ll end up with a table that looks like this:
my epic script Author: Writer Qiao.
Act One: Sequence A
[Fill out this section with the following details]
• What is the story world like?
• How are the protagonists, antagonists, and stakes characters introduced?
• What dangers do each of them face?
• What do they want?
• How do these goals conflict with each other?
• What is it about the 12-minute call to action that throws the protagonist’s world out of sync?
Act 1: Sequence B
[Fill out this section by brainstorming the following ideas]
• Now that the call to action hits, what dangers does the protagonist face?
• How does the protagonist react to trauma?
• How do the antagonists and the characters at stake react?
• What major decisions do the protagonists make in an attempt to restore order to their world?
• Or, at the end of Act 1/Sequence B, how does the antagonist actually force it into the protagonist’s hands to force him to do something?
Finally, extract your call to action and first act turning point from all of these notes and use them to develop your storyline.
in conclusion.
Make sure that whenever you write a log line, you apply this script analysis worksheet to that idea first. With a call to action and a first-act turning point, brainstorm ways to put the protagonist under as much stress as possible.
Next, take the two main plot points at the end of Sequence A and Sequence B to build a Summary of Swinging.
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How do you build log lines? What do you think of our script analysis worksheet? Let us know in the comments section below!
Like this article? Read more about screenplay structure and writing a screenplay…
How to Write a Script Outline That Saves Months of Rewrites
What is the inciting incident in the script? Ultimate Guide
High Concept: What it is and how to apply it to your story ideas
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