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More Thoughts on Three Acts: Fifteen Years Later

Many of the questions that we have been asked since Alternative Scriptwriting was first published in 1990 center on three-act structure: Is three-act structure always as problematic as you say? Aren’t most films written in three acts? If not three acts, what else? Can there be more or less reliance on structure, depending on the film? Has the emphasis on three acts changed over time?

Since the first edition of this book, the gap between mainstream and alternative films has closed considerably. Today, major studios have branches for acquiring and distributing “smaller” films. Many more “smaller” films are recognized in major film festivals. At least on the surface, many stylistic devices first ...

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