Pre-production: Three Act Structure

Three Act Structure


Act one:
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Over a dark screen we see the caption (insert caption-to-be/ title name here). The opening begins with the camera swooping through the woods; it’s tall trees creating darkness, looming over the landscape. But there is a feeling of calmness about the forest, something profoundly Thai, dreamlike in its beauty. The camera dives deep inside to reveal the Kinnaree. She is sensuous and innocent. The Kinnaree is making passage into the forest and soon finds a shed of light. We see a vista of the forest chamber where the sun is seeping through the trees. Here she will perform her dance.

Act two:
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The kinnaree wheels round to the sound in the bushes and gets scared. Out comes the Hem (quadruped creature); clumsy, driven by excitement and energy. It starts to play. Startled, kinnaree is irked by the animal’s novel behavior. She shoos the hem away. The hem mimics her. Kinnaree is elegantly defensive. She gives up and throws her hands in the air, returning to her dancing. Hem continues to mimic her, much to Kinnaree’s annoyance. 

Act three:
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Anger and determination set in. Kinnaree begins to think, overlapping with the Hem’s amusements. She volts into the air and throws a stick into the distance. Hem runs to get it and kinnaree opens her wings to land softly, happy she's in peace. She prepares to resume her dance only to confront the (now onscreen) hem who has raced back, holding the stick. Kinnaree’s strained expression tells us she is struggling to keep her façade up. She lurches into a crouch, nostrils flaring. 

Hem studies Kinnaree's sad optimism. She is crestfallen. The flowers are wilting in the distance. A breeze only serves to emphasise their temporary discomfort. Concerned by its apathy, Hem tries to bridge the gap and starts to replicate Kinnaree’s solo dance. She looks up with a cursory look at first, confused by the concept, and then accepts the fact that Hem won’t leave unless they dance together. She focuses on the dance and joins in. Kinnaree starts to move and begins to enjoy it, feeling the Hem’s grace and strength. Together, the two characters jitter in the blaze of the suns harmony.









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