screenplay note

Original Instruction: The Screenplay Notes assignment is a concise structural analysis of the feature screenplay Little Miss Sunshine by Michael Arndt. (The screenplay is available for download via your course website.) Read the screenplay for carefully. Much can be gained from reading it twice. Your analysis should be based on the screenplay. Prepare a one page, double-spaced report on how three-act structure is used to tell the story. Identify the events (turning points) that mark the ends of Acts One and Two and elaborate on how these events spin the story in a new direction. ----- My additional recommendation: As you see the instruction, It says read the screenplay of the movie. However, what I recommend is that you first watch the movie (Little Miss Sunshine. Remember when you find the movie: Arndt is the writer not the director, the director is Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris) then read the related parts of the screenplay to analyze it. Watching movie will help you to understand the context. I attached the pictures of three-act structure and the screenplay Related Terms for this assignment: Inciting Incident – The spark of your story; the catalyst. Happens near the beginning of the film (within first 10 pages); after setting up the normal world of the protagonist, this is the scene that starts the story’s chain of events. **End of Act One - The main character makes a decision that propels them into the second act of the film; The event that spins everything 180 degrees, raises the stakes, and provides no way out for the protagonist (happens around p. 20-30). Midpoint – A turning point in the film. Usually, the main character changes from being passive, to more active in pursuing his/her goal. (Sometimes, all may seem well for the protagonist. In other films, it may be a low point.) **End of Act Two - The end of act two is when the main character is farthest away from his/her goal. For this reason, it is often referred to as the low point. Climax and Resolution – Answers whether or not the protagonist will ultimately reach his/her goal.