T-SBCON-002-004
A story structure is the way in which a story is presented to a reader or viewer. Seeing as the script is the first step to telling any visual story, it must reflect the structure of the format in which the story is being presented, otherwise the final product can seem badly paced and disjointed, or can run over or under the allotted time. Storyboarding can help tremendously in reducing errors in the story structure. We will be looking at the main story structures used in films, shorts and series.
The following explanations will help you choose a format that works best for your script-writing.
Outline Story Structure
Planning your story outline before writing the story is integral to writing a story that makes sense to the viewer. This is simply a plan and need not be the final version of the script. The script will be written out in full after the planning is done. This means that the planning need only have the most important plot points written out, without any flourishes or dialogue.
The plot points of a story are also known as 'beats', therefore an outline can also be referred to as a 'beat board' or 'beat sheet'. They are the major plot arcs of your story.
There are multiple ways to structure a story, but we will look at the most common one - The 3 Act structure:
| ACT | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Act 1: Beginning/Setup | We meet the characters and environment. Relationships are established and the protagonists and antagonists are introduced. We start to see the conflicts and challenges, setting up the next major plot point. |
| Act 2: Adventure | We can add to this step by giving Act 2 two parts - A and B. A is where the adventure begins, and B is where it complicates. The adventure, of course, need not be a physical or strenuous one, but rather the meat that drives the story forward - the thing that happens that creates conflict and throws our protagonist into challenging circumstances which forces character development. Remember that the most effective stories have some sort of conflict in them. |
| Act 3: Resolution | This step ties up the adventure, giving the audience their ending. |
When using this structure, you should only start with the major plot points, then build the story on those.
Narrative Story Structures
Narrative structures differ from outline structures in the way the story is told. Most stories follow a Linear narrative structure, but other structures can be adopted when a story needs a more creative approach. These structures can be applied to many different forms of entertainment. Below is a brief description of narrative structures that can be used to tell a story.
| STRUCTURE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Linear Narrative | This narrative is the most widely used in storytelling and follows a chronological series of events (with the exception of flashbacks if needed). |
| Nonlinear Narrative | This structure shows events in a non-chronological or disjointed order. It can be effective in creating uncertainty but can also be cleverly linked with visual and verbal cues. The storyteller must be careful in making sure the story still makes sense amongst the lack of order. |
| Interactive Narration | Not to be confused with Interactive Narrative, an Interactive Narration is a linear narration where the reader/viewer/player must do work to continue. In other words, the continued narration must be earned. This is seen mostly in games where the player needs to complete a certain task in order for the story to continue. It is rarely seen in formats outside of games. |
| Interactive Narrative | This is similar to the Interactive Narration, except in this case the story branches depending on the user's decision. This type of storytelling can be seen in choose-your-own-adventure books and digital games. Basically the reader or player must make a decision before the story can continue, but that decision also affects the outcome of the story. It has also been seen in online video series. |
Script-driven story vs Storyboard-driven story
Either of the following approaches can be used in the creation of a story. It is up to you to choose which one best suits your story process. These approaches can encompass any story structure.
A script-driven story is exactly that. A script is written and the storyboard artist will do their best to stick to the script while making creative decisions on camera angles, timing etc. The storyboard artist will work closely with the director to make sure their vision for the script is communicated. Any changes on the script will come from the writers or director and the storyboard artist will have to adjust accordingly.
A storyboard-driven story takes advantage of the storyboard artist's storytelling skills. The director in this case recognises this skill and will give the storyboard artist a loose script for an episode or movie. The storyboard artist then has some input in how these scenes play out, lending their creative vision to each scene. The director works closely with the storyboard artist to make sure that the narrative stays clear. This approach can result in some very creative interpretations of scenes and interesting outcomes.
Now that you have an idea about story structures, you can begin to write the script for your story.