The 3-Act Paradigm at Work: Independence Day
written by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich
Independence Day is the kind of movie Hollywood
does well, a fast-moving action tale with superb special effects. Although
it has some weakness in protagonist focus, it is well worth studying for its
excellent scene design and economy.
Structural Analysis
- Hook (1 min.)
- A strange shadow crosses the lunar landscape, as an object heads for
Earth.
- Complication (2-3 min.)
- On Earth, radio signals from the object are picked up. There's
something from another world out there - and it's slowing down.
- Call to Action (16 min.)
- The President refuses to join the evacuation of government in D.C.
He's staying with the ship to see what this object is.
- Act One Plot Point (26-7 min.)
- "We're not alone," the President tells the nation - and panic
and chaos result. David, a techie, knows the aliens are poised to attack.
- Midpoint Plot Point (45-9 min.)
- The aliens attack, destroying major cities. Air Force One barely
escapes.
- Act Two Plot Point (89 min.)
- The end of the world appears at hand -- the U.S.'s best nuclear
device fails to penetrate the protective shield of the attacking space
ship.
- Climax and Resolution (97, 120-30 min.)
- David gets the idea of giving the space ship a virus, destroying
its protective shield. The President himself flies a jet and it is his
strike that first damages the space ship. The Earth is saved.
Notes
Independence Day has a tight scene structure -- scenes are short and
focused, each driving the story forward. Moments of high action are followed
by more reflective quiet scenes, a typical pattern in story pacing. The
stakes, especially on the ride through the last act, are always getting
raised -- the situation looks worse than it did, or a seeming victory is
quickly followed by a reversal and greater challenge. For example, just
when it appears the "earthlings" can "fire at will," they run out of missiles
-- until an alcoholic crop duster pilot shows up late, with all his missiles
ready to go.
There are four important character arcs in this story, and the failure of
the President or anyone else to become the clear protagonist is the weakness
here, although it is not a crippling one in a story so packed with
action and special effects.
MODULE 4:
SCREENWRIGHT: the craft of screenwriting
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