I'm trying to work out the order of events in my first act right now.
My thoughts are that Act 1 should involve three things:
1. Get the audience behind the protagonist
2. Give the audience just enough information so they understand the full impact of the inciting incident
3. Inciting Incident
Sometimes the inciting incident is so universally understandable that not much else is needed before.
Also, the inciting incident can be the same as the Act I climax, or the climax could come a bit later.
(of course any disagreements or thoughts about everything above are welcome too)
My problem is as follows:
To me, it seems like the best order is to get the audience familiar w/ the protagonist first (empathy, etc.)
Then, setup the inciting incident.
But I wonder if the reverse would ever work, if there are any good film examples?
Where the information needed to setup the effect of the inciting incident comes first, and then we get to know the protagonist second (followed by the inciting incident third).
The way I had written my script originally, the first sequence does familiarize the audience w/ the protagonist, but its main point is to set up the effect of the inciting incident. I then have another scene after that should really get the audience behind the protagonist even more, and later in that same scene the inciting incident happens.
I'm worried that the empathetic effect from that scene comes too late.
The other way to write it would be to rewrite that scene, without the inciting incident, and put it before the other sequence. That would allow the audience to connect w/ the protagonist sooner, but at least at this moment doesn't seem to flow as naturally and doesn't seem as economical (I'd have to write in another scene later for the inciting incident).
Any advice is appreciated.
My thoughts are that Act 1 should involve three things:
1. Get the audience behind the protagonist
2. Give the audience just enough information so they understand the full impact of the inciting incident
3. Inciting Incident
Sometimes the inciting incident is so universally understandable that not much else is needed before.
Also, the inciting incident can be the same as the Act I climax, or the climax could come a bit later.
(of course any disagreements or thoughts about everything above are welcome too)
My problem is as follows:
To me, it seems like the best order is to get the audience familiar w/ the protagonist first (empathy, etc.)
Then, setup the inciting incident.
But I wonder if the reverse would ever work, if there are any good film examples?
Where the information needed to setup the effect of the inciting incident comes first, and then we get to know the protagonist second (followed by the inciting incident third).
The way I had written my script originally, the first sequence does familiarize the audience w/ the protagonist, but its main point is to set up the effect of the inciting incident. I then have another scene after that should really get the audience behind the protagonist even more, and later in that same scene the inciting incident happens.
I'm worried that the empathetic effect from that scene comes too late.
The other way to write it would be to rewrite that scene, without the inciting incident, and put it before the other sequence. That would allow the audience to connect w/ the protagonist sooner, but at least at this moment doesn't seem to flow as naturally and doesn't seem as economical (I'd have to write in another scene later for the inciting incident).
Any advice is appreciated.
