Three-Act Film Structures

In the film industry, there are many structures that directors and producers use which they feel best represents the movie they are trying to create. One of the film structure examples is the three act film structure. The first act usually comprises the first quarter of the film and is the part of the movie which introduces the characters, shows some of their interrelationships, and places them within a time and place. In the movie Tommy Boy, the first act of the film introduces the viewer to Tommy, his close friends, his family, and the company his family runs. Halfway through the first act invokes the “inciting incident”, which sets the plot of the film in motion. Following the first act, the second act comprises the main protagonist encountering numerous obstacles which prevent him from accomplishing their task. In Tommy Boy, Tommy travels all across the country encountering many brakes-pad salesmen and cannot seem to find the right pitch or momentum to sell his father’s products. The second act reaches the midpoint, which is the point where the main protagonist seems farthest away from achieving his goal. The final act comprises the final quarter of the film and includes the climax and the denouement. The climax in Tommy Boy, or the point at which the plot reaches it maximum, is where he sells half of a million brake pads to the company that is attempting to buy his company out. Following his sale of the half of a million brake pads is the denouement, which is the return of things to their original state. In the end of the film Tommy once again sits out on his boat speaking to his father like he was in the first act while asking for guidance and assistance.

Sitcoms

Sitcoms or situational television episodes are never near as much about the jokes as they are about the story. They are television episodes which portray people in everyday circumstances and how they live out those circumstances. Sitcoms are usually laid out in a three-act setting, beginning with a problem and ending (hopefully) with a solution to the problem. The first act includes putting the protagonist in a dilemma. The second act shows how the protagonist with the help of the other actors around him tries to find a way to solve the problem. The final act concludes the problem with the protagonist finding a way to ease or solve it and is sometimes known as “the lesson”. The three-act setting for sitcoms also functions within the sitcom genre. Regardless of the genre, there is always a problem, whether serious or benign, that the protagonist faces. With that problem comes an attempt to solve it and eventually a solution. The genre of the sitcom only affects the seriousness or goofiness of the problem rather and does not change the way these acts are laid out.

 In the sitcom Two and a Half Men, one of the three actors usually induces a problem that the episode helps to solve. For instance, in one episode Charlie’s ex-wife tries to get back with him, even though he knows it is not something he wants, laying out “the problem” in the first act. During the second act, the other actors try to convince him to break it off with her, although Charlie’s sexual and emotional ties with his ex-wife keep him coming back. In the end of the episode during the final act, Charlie realizes that the confusion of emotions is indeed too overwhelming and as a result he finally severs all ties with his ex-wife.

This shows how in all sitcoms a problem naturally arises which throughout the episode the protagonist struggles to find a solution which is found in the final act.

Camera Angles

Angle of Framing in cinematography can be used to indicate the relation between a character and the camera’s point of view. Cinematographers use many methods in order to imply meaning or evince the director’s meaning and purpose. Of these methods, the angles in which a specific segment is shot are powerful techniques in order to convey meaning or understanding. Three commonly used angles are Eye Level Shots, Low-Angle Shots, and High-Angle Shots.

The first are eye level shots, which are segments shot at an angle that is eye-level with the actor. This is used to put the audience on an equal footing with the actor, more commonly used in films where the audience feels comfortable with the actor. In the example below from Into the Wild, Emile Hirsch’s character is shot at eye-level so that the audience is directly involved with what he is trying to accomplish. This helps the audience see through his eyes and identify with his predicament.

The second angle is the low-angle shot, which is an example of a segment shot at a low-angle, making the actor or whatever is being filmed seem extremely large and powerful. In the example below from the movie Full Metal Jacket, the Drill Sergeant is often filmed at a low-angle in order to intimidate the audience according to his power and stature. The audience sympathizes with the soldiers training because this display of power helps the audience realize the overwhelming hardships of the soldiers.

The third angle is the high-angle shot, which is similar to the low-angle shot, only at a high-level. This type of shot emphasizes weakness and inferiority, making the images seem smaller and more powerless than it may naturally seem. Cinematographers use this to help the audience sympathize with the mediocrity of the scene or person(s). These angles are also commonly used in Film Noir films. In the example from The Color of Paradise below, the father assumes ultimate role over his blind son and elderly grandmother, which is why the father is usually shot at a low-angle. In the picture, the blind son and the grandmother are shot at a high-angle, emphasizing their dependence and smallness.

Studio System

A particularly important aspect of how the studio system works was their use of vertical integration. This vertical integration among the big film-making companies guaranteed additional sales of film through manipulative bookkeeping techniques. This affected the kinds of film produced because it saved the companies money because every step of the production technique was owned and operated by the company so they never lost money during the course of the production.

Universal Orlando rolls out new ticket-price strategy ahead of Harry Potter

January 11, 2010|By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel

Universal Orlando introduced a new ticket-pricing structure Monday designed to capitalize on an attendance surge expected this spring when the resort opens the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Universal's changes included eliminating a long-running promotional offer for weeklong passes and raising the price of standard two-day tickets. But it also introduced new three- and four-day ticket options.

Under the new structure, which Universal dubbed "U Select," the base price for a one-day, one-park ticket remains unchanged at $79.

(http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-01-11/travel/os-universal-ticket-prices-20100111_1_wizarding-world-single-day-ticket-adventure-and-universal-studios)

In this example one of the major film-making companies Universal Studios controls and adjusts the ticket prices of the film Harry Potter due to an anticipation of a large number of customers. Because Universal Studios is an example of vertical integration and owns all of the process of production, it can raise prices to increase revenue since all of the revenue will be earned only by the company.

All in the Family

When it comes to the modern family, “All in the Family” is most similar to the “Arrested Development”. “All in the Family”s comedy revolves around that of daily occurrences taken on by each of the interacting family members. “Arrested Development” is a comedy about a family and the problems the family is forced to deal with because of each individual family member’s personal issues. Both challenge conformity by introducing the family to specific controversial issues that are currently faced by the world such as homosexuality, abortion, women’s rights, and drug legalization.