The third act of a feature-length screenplay is the culmination of the story, the final destination that the audience has been eagerly waiting to reach. It is the grand finale where conflicts are resolved, character arcs find resolution, and the story reveals its ultimate meaning. As a screenwriter, mastering the art of constructing a satisfying third act is essential to crafting an overall memorable screenplay. In this article, Your Screenplay Guy will explore the primary principles that should guide you to the completion of a fulfilling third act that ensures audiences walk away happy.
Establish Clear Goals and Stakes from the Beginning
The third act needs to provide a clear sense of direction and purpose as you race toward the climax and resolution of your narrative. It is the final destination of the story that starts on page 1. Consequently, it is important that you clearly raise the stakes moving into act three and intensify the conflict that you’ve been building up over the first two acts. By maintaining clearly defined objectives and stakes established by your screenplay’s premise, the third act gains a sense of urgency and purpose. The last thing you want to happen in the final climactic act of your story is for audiences to still be questioning what is at stake or confused as to what the protagonist is hoping to accomplish.
Take Everything to the Next Level
The third act should amplify the conflict and tension until it peaks with the third act climax. This amplification of conflict can be accomplished by Introducing increasingly difficult obstacles and challenges for the protagonist(s). While you should make your characters struggle throughout your script, now is the time to force them to overcome their greatest fears and limitations. Remember, these fears and limitations do not have to be physical. They can be emotional, relational, or even internal. If you do focus on internal conflict, just be sure to give the character some sort of physical manifestation to represent this inner turmoil. As long as you raise the intensity of the conflict, you will keep the audience engaged and invested in the outcome.
Related: Create Interesting and Memorable Characters
Complete Character Arcs
The third act is the culmination of the character arcs set forth in the previous two acts. By the end of your screenplay each of your primary characters should experience some form of growth or transformation. This growth, theoretically, leads to self-discovery and/or redemption. However, know that this is not a hard and fast rule. Perhaps your story calls for your protagonist to stay the same or even regress. No matter what journey your hero is on, you have to ensure that their actions, from beginning to end, align with their established motivations and desires. Use the third act to allow characters to confront their inner demons and overcome their flaws. If you do, you will provide a satisfying resolution for both the audience and the characters themselves.
Avoid Deus Ex Machina
To refresh your knowledge of Latin, Deus Ex Machina, refers to a story device in which at the climactic moment of your story, an unexpected character or event arrives to conveniently resolve the conflict. Don’t do this… Unless it’s on purpose. A compelling third act should not rely on sudden and improbable solutions to resolve the conflicts you have been building up since act one. Oftentimes these out-of-the-blue resolutions will leave audiences dissatisfied or even annoyed. Audiences want to see the characters they have invested their time and emotion cross the finish line on their own. Consequently, you should focus on building a logical and organic progression of events that stem from the choices and actions of the primary characters in your story. This ensures that the resolution feels earned and satisfying.
Balance Closure and Open-Endedness
While the third act should bring closure to the main storylines, it can also be beneficial to find a balance between closure and open-endedness. Leave some room for interpretation and speculation, allowing the audience to imagine the characters' lives beyond the screenplay's conclusion. This can be achieved through subtle hints or even minor unresolved subplots. It adds depth to the narrative and invites the audience to engage with the story beyond its conclusion. Furthermore, you want to make sure the third act does deliver some emotional payoff from your main characters. Audiences just spent hours of their time getting to know the person you created and so they should be satisfied with how their story concludes. Emotional payoff can be achieved through reconciliations, heartfelt revelations, or bittersweet sacrifices. This is one of the keys to ensure your screenplay is remembered and discussed well after audiences finish.
In closing, the creation of a memorable and satisfying third act is a vital skill for screenwriters. After all, it determines the lasting impression of a screenplay on its audience. By following the principles outlined above, you can create a third act that is going to resonate with viewers and readers. Remember, a well-executed third act not only satisfies the audience's expectations but also leaves a lasting emotional impact. Need help crafting your third act or not sure if your story is ready to pitch? Let Your Screenplay Guy give it a read and receive practical feedback and analysis. You can find all of Your Screenplay Guy’s affordable coverage options, here.