Mamma Mia!: A Three Act Structure

The three act structure is a familiar narrative setup in Hollywood. It starts with an introduction of the characters and setting, has someone go through a conflict through most of the movie, and ends with a resolution to the conflict. The film I will be using as an example is "Mamma Mia!".

The film starts with 20 year old Sophie Sheridan who is about to get married when she finds her mother Donna's old diary which reveals three men who could possibly be her father. Wanting a father to give her away at the wedding, she decides to invite the men to the ceremony in hopes she can find out who her father is. This sets the storyline within the first five minutes of the movie with the question of which man is Sophie;s father.



Who's the father? Harry? Bill? Sam?



A problem arises after the men arrive. Sophie doesn't really resemble any of them, and after a lot of questioning and musical numbers, it is revealed that Sophie's mother never told her who her father is because neither she nor any of the men are sure who her father is. Without answers, Sophie is unsure of what to do since she knows her mother isn't pleased with having three ex-boyfriends secretly invited to the wedding behind her back. With each man thinking he's her father and planning to give her away at her wedding, Sophie becomes distraught with the problem she has caused, and wonders what to do next.

The resolution comes in the last 30 minutes of the film. The wedding finally happens and everyone gathers in the church. Sophie's plan is revealed to everyone, with her mother finally telling Sophie why she never told her about her father. Sophie forgives her, while Harry, Bill, and Sam tell Sophie that they all consider her their daughter despite the circumstances of not knowing for sure. A twist comes when Sophie decides to postpone getting married, Sam proposes to Donna, and Bill and Harry find new partners. Everyone finds a happy ending and the film ends.

Episodic Conflicts in "I Love Lucy"

Sitcoms (a shortened way of saying a "situation comedy"), as opposed to sketch and stand up comedy, are usually centered around a specific set of characters in an on-going storyline. The comedy comes from the characters' actions in certain situations. Often, each episode of a sitcom will have something happen to the characters that gets resolved by the end of the show. This post will deal with episodic conflicts in sitcoms, using "I Love Lucy" as an example.

"I Love Lucy" is a sitcom about a Cuban singer/bandleader (Ricky) and his American wife (Lucy) who often goes out of her way to get into show business. Fans of the series know that most episodes are about Ricky doing something and Lucy wanting to be a part of it (but not being allowed to by Ricky). Lucy then tries to think of a way to sneak in to whatever Ricky's doing, but the plan manages to fall apart along the way, with humorous consequences. By the end of the episode the conflict is resolved (but often not how Lucy wanted).

One famous episode was titled "Job Switching". The story goes that Ricky and his friend Fred think that housework is easier than actually having a job. Lucy and Ethel (Fred's wife and Lucy's friend) think otherwise. Each group trades places for the day and it is then that we find Lucy and Ethel in an iconic scene at a candy factory. The women wrap candies, thinking the work was relatively simple, until the coveyer belt the candies are on starts to speed up, leaving them overwhelmed. Not wanting to far behind, Lucy and Ethel eat and hide candies in order not to have them pass unwrapped. Meanwhile, the men try to cook dinner, but end up making a huge mess in the kitchen. In the end both groups have changed their minds about work after going through some embarassing mishaps, and the status quo returns to normal.



Lucy (left) and Ethel (right) are having some trouble...

 The formula for these conflicts is as such: conflict affects character(s), character attempts to resolve conflict, conflict ends before credits roll, with "I Love Lucy" as a fine example of sitcom antics.

Shots in Filmmaking as used in RENT

The size of a subject in a frame can have an effect on the audience as far as how the scene is interpreted or setting the emotional background of a scene. Through the use of long shots, medium shots, and close ups, a story can have more impact on the viewers. Using the musical film "RENT", I'll be giving an example of the impacts of certain shots.

As Christmas comes closer, residents of these apartment complexes have come to find that they are threatened with eviction unless they pay all of last year's rent, which they were previously promised they wouldn't have to pay. In outrage, they begin to protest. This long shot gives the viewer a view of the whole neighborhood. Details include decorations that are hung in preparation for the holiday season that give clues to the date, along with the chaos of fires being started by angry tenants.

Benny (left) turns out to be the one behind the eviction notices. Mark (middle) and Roger (right) confront him about it. A medium shot can provide insight on characters' relationships with one another. While Benny explains the situation, he does not look directly at them while talking, giving off an air of superiority. Mark and Roger, who are farther back in the frame, are merely spectators in the conversation.

Roger reflects on his frustration on not being able to write a good song and the death of his girlfriend. Close ups like this are often used as reaction shots. They provide a glance at a character's emotional state. Even though Christmas draws near, Roger can't do anything but sit in grief for his current situation.

Those are examples of the three basic shots used in cinema. Images are taken from "RENT" which was written by Johnathon Larson and produced by Chris Columbus for Columbia Pictures.

The Studio System and Its Effect on Hollywood

The studio system, through its use of vertical integration, has managed to flood Hollywood with films from many of the top production studios. These films often featured stars that that perticular studio has under contract, usually long-term. It was often these stars that led to the decision to make certain kinds of films, based on their personal strengths in acting.

For example, actors who could sing would often star in musicals, dancers often got a dance number in the middle of a film, comedians would often have a chance to crack a joke, and so on. Some actors had certain personality traits, which would be reoccuring in the characters they play (although nowadays we would call that "typecasting"). Films were made around the actors, rather than just having an actor be part of the film.

Lon Chaney, Sr. had the ability to change his character using make-up techniques that he invented, giving him the nickname "the man of a thousand faces". This led to him starring in silent horror films such as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "The Phantom of the Opera". These films were notable in that Chaney was able to pose as seriously deformed characters who still managed to be sympathetic considering their circumstances. Though Chaney's talents went beyond horror and stage makeup, he made his greatest impact in horror films made by Universal Studios.

Lon Chaney, Sr. "The man of a thousand faces"