The 3rd Act: Writing a Great Ending to Your Screenplay

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review




A Film's Ending Is Crucial!, September 9, 2008
By Ken Lizotte (www.thoughtleading.com)
A film's ending is crucial. It is the last thing the audience sees and often the last thing they remember when they leave the theater. Indeed, it is no stretch to suggest that, more than any other part of the film, the ending determines whether the audience likes the film or not. By extension, the ending of a script is probably the last thing the reader will remember when they put it down. An otherwise great script will likely be passed on if it does not end well.

"The Third Act" by Drew Yanno is the first screenwriting instructional book to focus entirely on that most important part of the film/script - the ending. Much like the three act paradigm for the complete screenplay, this unique book offers a simple structural approach for writing the last act of a script. Drew not only offers suggestions as to which type of ending writers should consider for their particular story, but also provides examples of his technique through analyzing the endings of a number of memorable films, such as Rocky, Rain Man, and Good Will Hunting.

Drew has been writing for film since 1993 and is the author or co-author of more than a dozen screenplays. He has been a member of the Writers Guild of America since 1995. In 1994, his first script Banca's Raviolis was a finalist in the inaugural Massachusetts Film Office Screenwriting Competition. One year later he sold his action/adventure script No Safe Haven to Universal Studios. The screenplay was the subject of a bidding war and sold in less than eight hours.

As an adjunct associate professor at Boston College, Drew has taught screenwriting in the Film Studies department since 2000. He has also taught various workshops, most recently through Grub Street, a not-for-profit, independent writing center based in Boston. Many of his former students have optioned or sold their scripts, won screenwriting competitions, and work in television and film in Hollywood.

Drew has appeared on a number of television and radio shows to discuss films and screenwriting, and his work has also been featured in Daily Variety, the HollywoodReporter, Entertainment Weekly along with other magazines and newspapers. He has also appeared as a panelist at a number of film and screenwriting events in and around the Boston area.

In addition to writing and teaching, Drew is also a screenwriting consultant and has worked as an advisor on a number of films and scripts.

NOTE: This review also appears on my website www.thoughtleading.com



Different Way of Looking At the Three-Act Structure, August 3, 2008
By Movie Lover (Hawaii, USA)
What this book is about doesn't really need a description, it's right in the title. It doesn't provide any earth-shattering revelations (at least for me); it just puts into words what most of us knew, if only subconsciously. But it does provide the reader with a new way of looking at the three-act structure. This is well worth getting.



Great Edition!!, February 3, 2008
By AUBREY LAVIZZO III (Denver, CO)
I am a screenwriter and also an avid student of the form. This book is different than any other than I have encountered in that it discusses in depth things to look at when crafting the third act of you're script. Now, it may be that you don't follow the 3 act structure, however, what I believe any writer wants is a powerful ending. This book suggests those things that usually occur in such films. There is no formula for what to do, but explanations as to what works and why. The information provided is almost common sense, and that's why its such a great tool. When you're involved in your story, sometimes you overlook the common sense. It also really helps a writer to clarify the point he/she wants to make before writing. Too often people think about the beginning premise, and forget that the ending is where we answer that question.



The 3rd Act of your storycrafting effort..., January 31, 2008
By Architect of Skin (Philippines)
In the 3rd act of your storycrafting effort, you would want to know the keys to creating a great ending to your story, whether it be for the printed page, the silver screen, or the stage. And Mr. Yanno hands over those keys to you via this amazing book, aptly called The 3rd Act.

It could be that most storytellers instinctively know how to end a story. I'd like to think that it's wired into us. However, when a storyteller wants to create something rich and interesting, with all the external and internal goodies thrown in, there's the strong possibility that the narrative can stray, leaving the 3rd act raw and unsatisfying. What is the story really about? What should be part of the 3rd act? Yanno's book goes through the ropes, making your ending within closer reach.

Of course, the book cannot and will not tell you how to create a jaw-dropping sense-shattering ending--that's your job as a storyteller. What the book does is help you stay on track, to create an ending that makes sense, to wrap everything up neatly. (Whether your audience will like your ending is another story. There are endings we don't like, but these endings still make sense overall.) It can also, if you dig deep enough, allow you to work your way to an ending that's even better than what you had originally intended.

Oh, and there's a list of questions at the end of the book that's worth the cover price. This book's a winner!



hollywood endings, October 1, 2007
By Roger Rhynsburger (melbourne, australia)
By the time we reach the third act we expect a lot to happen. The final battle, the denouement and wrap up. This book is one of the few that give this part of storytelling (for screenplays) the attention it deserves.
Did you see 'road to perdition'? Did the ending leave you flat too? Drew Yanno explores several films and discusses why their endings worked (or not).
It's not an expensive book but deserves a place in any script writer's bookshelf. I know i'll be referring to it again and again.