Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 16 hours ago
Welcome to the fifth installment of my latest series entitled “The Craft Of”, a crash course on traditional 3 Act Structure which the vast majority of Hollywood films released over the last several decades have utilized.
Today's episode will take a detour from the five major plot points and discuss what I will refer to as “The Episodic Approach”, an alternative method to maintaining both the pacing and rising action of your 2nd Act, thus preventing your story from falling into "The Second Act Trap".
NOTE: This series is not meant to rag on any particular screenwriting guide you fancy. If it works for you, stick with it. If you DO need a recommendation, go with Syd Field's "Screenplay", which I'd say is the gold standard.
Main Channel: youtube.com/c/MacabreStorytelling/featured
Live-Stream/Gaming Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC-2V-NccTF3n9k-MFmQXm1A/featured
Patreon: patreon.com/macabrestorytelling
Twitter: twitter.com/macabstory
Twitch: twitch.tv/elpapamac
Reddit: reddit.com/user/El_Macab
[00:00] - Intro
[00:57] - The Episodic Approach
[12:37] - Outro
SPOILERS FOR:
Apocalypse Now [also Redux version] (1979)
Chinatown (1974)
Doubt (2008)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Finding Nemo (2004)
Into The Wild (2007)
Mean Girls (2004)
Oldboy (2003)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
The Social Network (2010)
MUSIC:
"Danse Macabre" by Kevin McLeod: youtube.com/watch?v=pRkhJt2Hug8&t=1s
"The End" by The Doors: youtube.com/watch?v=BXqPNlng6uI&ab_channel=TheDoors-Topic
"Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder: youtube.com/watch?v=tz927SK5gYM&ab_channel=slyguy47
Welcome to the fifth installment of my latest series entitled “The Craft Of”, a crash course on traditional 3 Act Structure which the vast majority of Hollywood films released over the last several decades have utilized.
Today's episode will take a detour from the five major plot points and discuss what I will refer to as “The Episodic Approach”, an alternative method to maintaining both the pacing and rising action of your 2nd Act, thus preventing your story from falling into "The Second Act Trap".
NOTE: This series is not meant to rag on any particular screenwriting guide you fancy. If it works for you, stick with it. If you DO need a recommendation, go with Syd Field's "Screenplay", which I'd say is the gold standard.
Main Channel: youtube.com/c/MacabreStorytelling/featured
Live-Stream/Gaming Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC-2V-NccTF3n9k-MFmQXm1A/featured
Patreon: patreon.com/macabrestorytelling
Twitter: twitter.com/macabstory
Twitch: twitch.tv/elpapamac
Reddit: reddit.com/user/El_Macab
[00:00] - Intro
[00:57] - The Episodic Approach
[12:37] - Outro
SPOILERS FOR:
Apocalypse Now [also Redux version] (1979)
Chinatown (1974)
Doubt (2008)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Finding Nemo (2004)
Into The Wild (2007)
Mean Girls (2004)
Oldboy (2003)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
The Social Network (2010)
MUSIC:
"Danse Macabre" by Kevin McLeod: youtube.com/watch?v=pRkhJt2Hug8&t=1s
"The End" by The Doors: youtube.com/watch?v=BXqPNlng6uI&ab_channel=TheDoors-Topic
"Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder: youtube.com/watch?v=tz927SK5gYM&ab_channel=slyguy47
