Act 5

Act 5: The First Goal Is Wrong But Fun

• Accomplish: The hero goes after the obvious/wrong goal created in Act 2 (Something Bad Happens). The hero goes for the right goal for the wrong reasons or the wrong goal for the right reasons.
• Plot proceeds via three complication "whammo" scenes: complications, blunders, narrow escapes. Mysterious strangers, backstory reveals. The three whammos finish with
• a short, critical rest period with the hero battered into his/her lowest moment. The Hero is facing death and defeat. Basically the darkest hour before dawn is now.

a. Luke Skywalker battles his way out of Mos Eisley on his way to Alderaan with the Death Star's vulnerability, and then Alderaan is blown up. Oh shit moment. b. Frodo and Sam fight through Moria, then escape the Ring Wraiths with Aragorn, then run out of gas after entering Mordor, convinced they'll fail. Oh shit moment. In a TV show this is about 30 minutes, 8-12 minutes for each of the three complications/battles/sub-quests/

Sources

http://www.jordandane.com/writers_9.php http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue%2015/websitereview.htm https://gideonsway.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/the-nine-act-structure-of-screenwriting/ https://killzoneblog.com/2011/05/9-act-screenplay-structure-novel.html http://www.ibiblio.org/cdeemer/wright/9act.html The Nine Act and Three Act Screenplay Structure