Development of Ideas and Structure in Moving Image

3 Act Structure:

The three act is a commonly used way of structuring plays and feature films, it is also important in visual communication to have this sense of narrative and story telling.

It is based on the simple thoughts of a good story having a beginning, middle and end. Or to expand on this, there is establishment, a crisis and then a resolution. A scenario is established, what is happening here and now, setting the scene and anchoring the viewer in the story. Something new is then introduced, a crisis throwing out the equilibrium previously. Finally order is restored, problems have been resolved or decisions have been made, a new equilibrium is created (not necessarily a happy ending).

I’ve look at Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland as an example,

The film starts with a short flash back to when Alice was a young girl and she goes to see her father after having a recurring nightmare, he takes her back to bed and she explains to him what the creatures were like. It then cuts to a scene of a horse and cart travelling down a track, with the type ‘Thirteen Years Later’. Which brings us to the here and now, Alice’s father has died and her mother takes her to a high society garden party where she receives a rather unwelcome proposal of marriage. She is unsure how to reply and chases a white rabbit in a waistcoat and accidently falls into a large rabbit hole where she is transported to a place called Underland.

Alice is greeted by the White Rabbit, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Doormouse and the Dodo. They argue over her identity as "the right Alice," who it is foretold will slay the Red Queen’s Jabberwock on the Frabjous Day and restore the White Queen to power. This is the main crisis, Alice must find the Vorpal sword in order to slay the Jabberwock, There are obstacles in the way, the red playing card army are sent to capture Alice, she escapes and makes her way to the Red Queens castle in a attempt to save the Mad Hatter and find the sword. She retrieves the sword and befriends the bandersnatch, she flees and takes the sword to the White Queen.

Alice is unsure about the prospect of being champion to the White Queen, she meets with Absolum who gives her the courage to fight. When Frabjous day arrives they prepare for battle, and the two armies come together, Alice manages to kill the Jabberwock and the White Queen gains control of the throne, the problem being resolved and restoring Underland as a good place. She gives Alice a vial of the Jabberwock’s blood, allowing her to go home. Where she has to face the issues from the beginning of the film and has to take charge of her life. She refuses the marriage proposal, becomes an apprentice in her father’s company, and sets of on a trading ship.

Character Design:

There are three main aspects to character design, appearance, action and interaction. Staying with the same film, I will focus on Alice as a character, she is the Protagonist, the one who we view the film through and who experiences the conflicts throughout.

     Her appearance is vaguely based on that of previous makings of Alice, but her blue dress no longer has the white pinafore and has more intricate detailing with black buttons and lace around the neckline. She has curly hair and has lost the headband and bow of her youth, also wearing white boots with a small heal.

     Alice is a 19 year old girl, who doesn’t quite fit into the high society Victorian lifestyle, she doesn’t behave how she is expected to. She is very curious and has crazy thoughts, she is also shown to be strong willed and brave.

     Interaction, conflict happens with every new character Alice meets and is confronted with strange behaviour, she is quite wary of the characters in Underland and isn’t sure if they are friends or enemies.