As I work on the step outline for my short horror Nick Murphy’s Last Broadcast, I’ve been thinking about structure. Structure is the fundamental core of all great stories. Whether it’s as simple as three acts (beginning, middle, and end) or as detailed as Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! beat sheet, almost every great film and TV show followed structure.
So why do so many people take issue with it?
There’s an argument that following three act structure too closely leads to formulaic, predictable narratives, and this is certainly true of those who stick religiously to formula; try and watch any mainstream romantic comedy after reading Save the Cat!, and you can predict the ending within twenty minutes . Similarly, Joseph Campbell’s popular ‘Hero’s Journey’ may have helped with some of the finest blockbusters of all time, but if every script sent its characters along the same three steps, you’d get pretty bored.
However, claiming structure makes a script predictable is like saying canvases make paintings dull. Truly great writers understand that structure provides the spine of the story. Even the most unique scripts have a beginning, middle, and end, because they recognise that audiences intuitively know when the beginning and middle of a film is working towards a satisfying ending. Charlie Kaufman, modern cinema’s most original screenwriter, may claim to reject structure, yet his films all follow three act structure. It’s almost impossible to tell a story without it.
As a writer, I have found that structure has often saved what seemed to be an impossible project. Struggling with an ending? Look to the beginning and see what needs to be paid off in the third act. Feel like events are happening for no reason? Make your character proactive and ensure their physical journey reflects their emotional journey. Is the story drifting and aimless? Go back to the outline and figure out what’s driving the story.
With Nick Murphy’s Last Broadcast, the first act involves Nick’s return to the radio station following his suspension, his interactions with producer Ameena, and his broadcast starting. Things seem normal until the inciting incident: a listener calling in claiming to be the ghost of a dead listeners. From there, Act 2 initially sees Nick spinning the situation in his favour, having fun and gaining more listeners. However, he loses control as the ghostly caller takes over and forces Nick to confront past mistakes. In Act 3, Nick must choose whether to learn from his mistakes or reject his lesson, live on air. A beginning, a middle, and an end that follow on naturally, taking Nick on an emotional reckoning whilst physically he becomes locked to his desk.
Isn’t structure useful?
–Harry Ford
Harry Ford - Comedian 