The other day I was in a discussion with the crew, (my idea of a discussion is, I talk and they listennot really but I must admitit does seem like that at times). SuddenlyI was rudely interrupted by a resounding, yeayeawe know! Telling a good story means telling it in athree-act structure. If it was good enough for Shakespeare,Francis Ford Coppola, South Park and every successful storyteller from cave carvings to Broadway itshould be good enough for us.
Their complainingat leastconfirmedthatour discussions actually had been of someenlighteningvalue!
Later that day one of Ferro's seniorstorytellers& DP, FrankS,confronted me with a fantasticobservationregarding mynever-endingpoundingofthe value of thethree-act structure. He commented, Did you ever consider thata perfect illustration of a 3-act story lays out in our normal production day?For those needing a quick and simple refresher of the 3 components necessary to tell a good story, here you go. (Remember, I said quick and simple. NOTE: theater purist standing at the ready to lynch me for the bastardization of your art,I apologize. All I am trying to do is illustrate the basics of great story telling.)
Act1
To establish the main character(s), their relationships to each other and the world around them;to introduce the challenge or conflict that the main character (the protagonist) will inevitably have to face. This call to action and attempt to solve the problem sets up Act 2. This moment is often identified as the initial turning point.
Act2
Here the conflict is exploredand developed.The protagonist attempts to resolve the problem usually with limited or no success.In part, because they havenot yet developed the skills needed to overcome said obstacles. This conflictusuallycomes by way of theantagonist. The antagonist can be presentedin the form of a person, life circumstances or aphysical obstacle.It is here you find the protagonistbegins tocome of age and seek the tools / skills necessary to triumph over the conflict. Thiscoming of age andself-recognitionis thesecondturning point, settingup Act 3.
Act 3
Three can be summed in a single word. Resolution. It is wheretheprotagonistbegins their conquestand believing they will succeed. It is usually where the conflict climaxes,whereeveryone's truecharacter is revealed, lessons are learned and resolution has taken hold.
Nowback to our story.Frank'sobservation.Itwas not takenfromwithin the workings of a project or concept being developed. Itwastaken from our daily lives and a perfect illustration of the Shakespearian line,Life is like a play we merelygo through the stages of our life acting it out.Heobserved that ineach and every production day, Ferro's crew lives and therebycreates a new3 actplay simply by the default act of being.
Act 1
The morning production meeting;eachteam member is called upon to interact with the executive producer, therebybeingintroducedas acharacter. Interaction between crew-members ensuesduring the meetingandcharacter development is exposed. The days assignments and mission is announced and discussed,the turning point is established
Act 2
As we all know, each day and each assignment comes with an array of problems and unexpected challenges, the conflict / antagonist arrives.There are usually several attempts to over come these conflicts.
Act 3
With no option other thantosucceed the Ferro team writes the final act,resolution and lessons learned.
Theresolution of this story is:we all know how to write and construct a successful story. It is the essence of our dailylives. Each of usisconstructinga new and exciting storyeveryday. All you need to do is write them into the simple,flawless,can't miss structure of THE THREE ACT PLAY.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
18/08/2026
SMT will provide race technology for FOX Sports' coverage of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. on August 23, when the NTT INDYCAR SERIES races ...
18/08/2026
The live, YouTube-native roundtables combine fan voices, credentialed reporters,...
18/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
18/08/2026
The industry legend sounds off on replacing the Heat's iconic Medusa score...
18/08/2026
William F. Rasmussen, the sports fan-turned broadcaster and entrepreneur whose out-of-the-box idea of a 24-hour cable sports network, ESPN, changed forever the ...
18/08/2026
DAZN Group has completed its acquisition of ViewLift, a provider of streaming and digital solutions for sports content owners. The acquisition was first announc...
18/08/2026
The American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) has added SI TV, Sports Illustrated's 24/7 streaming channel, as a broadcast partner for the remain...
18/08/2026
The Esports Foundation has announced that the inaugural Esports Nations Cup (ENC), originally scheduled for November 2026 in Riyadh, will be postponed to Novemb...
18/08/2026
Diversified has announced a new Global Managed Services Practice, consolidating the company's managed services capabilities into one organization. Rob Mello...
18/08/2026
Appear has completed a proof of concept with Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP), demonstrating multi-camera remote live production over bonded 5G cellular an...
The other day I was in a discussion with the crew, (my idea of a discussion is, I talk and they listennot really but I must admitit does seem like that at times). SuddenlyI was rudely interrupted by a resounding, yeayeawe know! Telling a good story means telling it in athree-act structure. If it was good enough for Shakespeare,Francis Ford Coppola, South Park and every successful storyteller from cave carvings to Broadway itshould be good enough for us.
