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Course: Pixar in a Box > Unit 2
Lesson 3: Story structure | 3Activity 3: Act 1
Part A: Identify the First Act in your three favorite films.
- Who is/are the main characters, and why do we care about them?
- Where and when does the story take place?
- How do we learn what type of movie it is?
- What is the inciting incident? (how is the world disrupted?)
- What or who is the antagonist?
Part B: Now dream up what you want to present in the first act of your own film.
- Ask yourself Who/What/When/Where
- Try fitting it into the first three steps story spine, and flesh each step out with 3-4 sentences….
Want to join the conversation?
Ok. I have a world and a have a character but I don't have a plot.
What if there was a world where everyone has something obviously different about them. It could be anything from an extra toe to some sort of small power. What you have different about yourself is what lots of people judge you by and stuff like that.
My main character is a girl who's difference is that she can float. She also likes to spend time alone in the dark hovering off the ground, listening to some music.
If someone could give me a plot idea, that would be great! I was thinking someone who have a too strong difference and try to take over or something, but eh.:-/(36 votes)
I really like your idea with the villan! Maybe there's your girl and one day she meets a few people with cool differences and they all compliment each other, they don't think much about it at first. But then the villan is introduced and starts making attempts to take over. Everyone is freaking out and worried. The new group of friends (your main character has befriended the group of cool differences) is walking through town just hangin out really. But then there's an attack from the villan. The group of friends prevents him from causing any damage or injuies. ^w^(29 votes)
- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: The main character is Jacob. It is modern times, and we are mostly on an island called Cairnholm. We learn that it is a fantasy/adventure movie when Jacob is introduced to the idea of the peculiars. The inciting incident is when Jacob sees a hollow, and no significant antagonist is introduced.
The main character is Dewey. It is modern times, and we are mostly at a strict prep school. We learn that it is a comedy movie when Dewey, a hard rock fan, has the idea to teach the students of an uptight prep school to play rock. The inciting incident is when Dewey receives a phone call, meant for his father, to request that his father teach as a substitute. The main antagonist is the school, especially it's headmaster.
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone: The main character is Harry Potter. It is relatively modern times, and we are mostly in a school called Hogwarts. We learn that it is a fantasy/adventure movie when Harry arrives at Hogwarts. The inciting incident is when Harry is told that he is a wizard
B: The main character is Jeremy. It is modern times, and we are mostly in Florida, on the Disney company property. We learn that it is a murder mystery movie when Jeremy witnesses the death of the assistant of his main competitor, another magician. The inciting incident is when Jeremy sees this body, and the antagonist is the killer, but he is not yet identified on a personal level.(15 votes)- The REAL inciting incident is when he receives the first letter.(12 votes)
- Part A:
Lion King:
Simba, his role at the circle of life was stolen away from him
Circle of Life in Africa
It's a drama, from the storyline and first act
Mufasa was killed and Simba was banished
Scar
Titanic:
Jack and Rise; how their relationship unfold
1920s at the Pacific Ocean.
It's a drama.
Rose was saved by Jack when she attempted to jump off the Titanic
Rose's family and her fiance
Avatar:
Jake and Na'vi; Jake's transformation into a key member of another species.
Planet Pandora in the distant future of man kind.
It's fantasy from the world the story took place.
Colonel Miles Quaritch informs that Jake can get his leg back if he provided information about Hometree which stands above the richest deposit of a precious mineral in the area.
Colonel Miles Quaritch
Part B:
Who: the main character, a bit
What: the bit was restless, with his own idea of how things should work in the world he lives in, but he quickly realized that in order to understand his world, he needs help from other bits. He also needs to understand why he seems different from other bits.
When: in the distant future.
Where: on planet earth, where people are struggling to survive due to lack of economic and natural resources.
1. In the future, there is computer on our planet earth. Inside the computer are many bits that make the computer functional. Each bit has its own functionality to fulfill to keep the system running, but each bit also has its consciousness. The one with strongest consciousness always have flash back when he was a human in the physical world, except that at the time he was just a bit in a computer. He seems to be quite different from the rest of bits: more restive, full of ideas on his own, and knowlegable of the systems he live in.
2. Everyday, each bit wakes up and goes to fulfill its predefined functionalities. As long as everything goes according to the instruction, everything is ok. But there are two bad things that might happen to their digital world if they are not careful: a. the system will shutdown. b. they will be assimilated by virus and lost their consciousness forever. Our main character, due to his knowledge of the system and his cleverness, seems to know a way around these bad things. Because he thinks he is clever, he doesn't really talk much to his peers, who he thinks are just a bunch of bits that listen to instructions without their own thoughts.
3. Until one day, after fighting against a virus and examining its remains, he realized that he was a human who was digitalized in this computer world to save the earth from resource exhaustion. His father was the chief architect of the system but was murdered by the company's executive to keep the technology a secret so as to keep earth well-functioning (a quite short-sighted solution indeed). The main character realized that to help other souls trapped in this world, he really needs to unite with other bits in the system. He needs their help and they need his.(16 votes) 
Once upon a time. . . there was a girl who’s sister had recently died of terminal cancer. Her family was utterly devastated.
Every day. . . the girl's parents force themselves to work. But the girl knows they’re only doing it for her.
Until one day. . . when the girl falls off the roof, nearly dying herself. Her parents become much more protective. But the girl has discovered that since she was so close to death. . . she can now talk to ghosts.(11 votes)
In TMNT Leonardo is the main character and his purpose was to be reunited with his brothers.(10 votes)
Who: Hayton, an unsatisfied scarecrow go getter who wants to go out into the world get a life and maybe even find love. Also Willa, a homeless girl who has a hidden past and trouble trusting people
Where: Earth now(sort of)something weird happened in the town of Samsville, when an abandoned shampoo factory exploded I brought 20% of all inanimate objects to life in the town!
What: dog gets taken by farmers wife for emergency vet visit while kids are at school and farmer with farm hands are in the potato patch so Hayton escapes through open gate
Antagonist: Mayor Milc, a living inanimate object hater while also not wanting change. Later on Scrap, a person hating, creature made out of the scrap metal from the shampoo factory
Once apron a time... there was a scarecrow in the town of Samsville on a smallish farm. Now Samsville was not like every other town, a strange explosion in an abandoned shampoo factory brought 205 of all inanimate objects in the town to life. Everything did exactly what it was made to do except Hayton the scarecrow, he felt like he was meant for more than just standing in a field all day.
Every day: Hayton would attempt to escape in all sorts of wacky ways.but he would always get caught. So he would converse with the crows and the corn while also listening to the farmer and her wife and two children until he knew many things.
Until one day, the family dog had to be rushed to the vet by the farmers wife for eating a bag of chocolate chips while the kids were at school and the farmer and the farm hands were in the potato patch. In the farmers wife’s rush, she left the gate open giving Hayton the chance to leave the farm for the first time in his life. So He escapes and hitches a ride into town by stoning away in the back of a pickup truck.(9 votes)
Ya know, its great when the first problem in your story is that everything is blowing up.(9 votes)- Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind: Princess Nausicaa is a princess with no fear of anything. Her father's kingdom is a very happy place. Until a war breaks out. Her world might be destroyed. (I guess it's the future, but the way they build the castle is ancient. It's a fictional movie.-_-. no judge. just read.)
Inside Out: Riley was a happy girl, best friend up the street. It was all she ever asked for. One day, her parents decide to move, and Joy and Sadness have a huge fight. Sadness and Joy get sucked up into a tube, and Anger, Fear, and Disgust have to run Riley's mind on their own.
Up: How would you like it to be a grouchy old man, in a flying house? If you'd like it, take off into a high flying adventure! Run from crazy dogs, meet Doug, and meet Mr. Fredrickman's childhood hero!( Pls tel me if i spelled it wrong!)
Pt. B.
One cold evening, a young boy shrugged on a sweater, opened his window, and snuck outside. This was a part of Kyles' every night list. Sneaking outside while his parents were asleep, meeting up in the Hangers Misty Forest, and smoking with his friends. The sixteen year old wasn't expecting anything unusual to happen that oddly clear night. Then again, nobody expected anything to happen that evening. No one was aware of the girl in the woods. No one was aware of the feminine scream that night. Except for Kyle. That's why he decided to leave ten minutes early. To investigate the cry of the girl in the Woods.(8 votes) - Once upon a time: harry was in a playground and plays there
Every day: He would play at the play ground and do the same thing
Until one day: he discovers Magic(7 votes) - Act 1
Morristown, PA 1886
The sun rose, its brilliant rays showering the earth with tremendous light. The world groggily woke up; the flowers straightened, the birds began singing a merry tune, and the crickets flew about, chirping loudly.
Audrey woke up too, grumbling and groaning all the while.She fumbled around for her farm dress, and yanked it on, while messily braiding her long, uncombed hair.
"Oh, why, just why did Pa have to move us all onto some horrid farm?" Audrey thought irritably, buttoning up her dress." Why couldn't we continued living happily on the cozy house in town, on Main street? Whenever I finished helping Ma, I would simply walk over to Eliza's or Mary's house right across the street and spend the long weekends playing together. And we would walk to school right around the corner, hand in hand, humming joyful tunes. The teacher, Miss Oakley, would greet us warmly and start teaching, with such clarity and understanding.
Now? Audrey thought, fighting back tears. Now every day at dawn I must wake up, feed the horses, milk the cows and gather the eggs. But, that I don't really mind. But I walk a long and lonely three miles to school and have no friends whatsoever. All the girls my age are town girls, like I was, but they are rich and stuck up. They turn their noses up and mutter under their breath" Hmm, country girl" and turn away. And the teacher, Mr. Jameson, is harsh and strict and has no problem using the ruler, especially on me. When I come one minute tardy, huffing and puffing from my three mile walk, he punishes me with the ruler. And I don't get to see Mary and Eliza, except a brief hello on Sundays. Oh, why is life so horrid?"
Audrey couldn't hold herself back anymore and burst into tears, her whole body shaking. "Oh, I mustn't," Audrey thought, wiping her wet face quickly. "Ma will see I was crying. I really need to stop thinking about the past. And, those chores really need to be done. I don't want to be tardy again."
Audrey sullenly hurried to the barn, her braid swinging after her. She peers into the dark, dull barn, carrying the milk bucket along. Oh, there were so many cows that need to be milked! She ambled up to the inner door and opened it, groaning.
But suddenly, she gasped and jumped back, staring in disbelief. "Could this be real?" she thought wonderingly, her mind in a jumbled mess. Audrey blinked and pinched herself. "Yes, its not a dream," she whispered, still shocked and realization crossed her mind. Her life would be drastically changed, and it would be happening now!!
Continued in Activity 4: Act 2.....(5 votes)
Wow, This story is intriguing Nice job(3 votes)
