Thursday 27 May 2010

TV character development

With Lost having come to a close early this week, let's talk television. So stories are all about characters and their development. In a film, the big question is - what can the character do at the end that they were unable to do at the beginning? In other words - how have they changed?

In TV, however, this doesn't apply. Rather, the non-development of a character is what the show depends on.Let's say your character is someone who fights aliens for a living. If, after season 1, they no longer want or need to fight aliens, then they have developed, yes, but there is no story left to tell.

Or, perhaps a character's defining trait is the need to unravel the mystery behind a world-wide blackout that leaps to a particular date. If that date comes and goes, then there's nothing left for him to do. FlashForward got axed a bit ago btw.....

Movies tell us about a small, defining part of a person's life (the moment they realise they are The One, the moment a cyborg comes back in time to kill them, the moment a Roman General is thrown into slavery etc). But in TV, we get several years (hopefully) of a character's experience - what we care about is their day-to-day activities in whatever field they belong.

As a wise man once said:
In the end, we are all who we are, no matter
how much we may appear to have changed.

- Rupert Giles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
So with TV depending on characters not changing, how can they be developed without becoming boring?

A character doesn't have to change the fundamental traits of themselves in order to develop. We all change as people throughout our lives, but I don't ever stop wanting to be a writer. Likewise, the doctor may leave her husband, rob a bank and win the lottery, but they never stop being a doctor.

One character that changed dramatically in Buffy/Angel is Wesley. He joined Buffy season 3 as a jittery, comical uber-embarrassing version of Giles. But by the finale of Angel season 5 (6 years later) he'd become a Rogue Demon Hunter, betrayed everyone's trust, kidnapped his best friend's son, been exiled by the group, led the group, had his throat slit, shot and killed his father (kind of) and held the love of his life in his arms while she died, not to mention battle all manner of grizzly demons, including a particularly nasty warlock.

Upon being faced with a tough decision, Buffy season 1 Wesley would have run to help. Whereas Angel season 5 Wesley would have made the call, regardless of the consequences.

Supernatural's Dean Winchester hasn't changed that much over 4 and a half seasons in personality; his key trait (the way he mouths off at absolutely every demon around with a devil-may-care persona) remains, but I can't be the only person noticing differences in his 'I'll have sex whenever possible' attitude and the way he treats the sacred Chevy Impala. It's almost as if something happened to him to put everything into perspective. Can't for the life of me think what it is.......

Angel (in his self-titled show) needs to do what he does in order to repent for his sins. Along the way, he hopes to earn that redemption and (possibly) turn human - that's part of the drive from season 2 onwards. So if we suddenly realise that Angel will never find redemption or he signs away any chance of regaining his "once precious humanity", then there is no drive and, therefore, no show.

Dexter's hero has a need to kill - if that ever goes away, there will be no fuel for the show. He's changed over the years, taking new approaches to his "Dark Passenger" but his primary desire remains the same.

So obviously characters do change over the course of a TV show, but what is key is their continued development. You can change a character as much as you like, but what you have to do is make the audience keep watching in order to see:
a) how that change affects not only themselves, but also the other characters. And...
b) what change comes next.

Comments? How do you change a character enough to be interesting, but avoid resolving the key conflict that makes the show function?

Monday 24 May 2010

Great Screen Moments - 30 Days of Night

There is no escape. No hope. Only hunger and pain.



Written by: Steve Niles and Stuart Beattie and Brian Nelson (based on the graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith)

Saturday 22 May 2010

Great Screen Moments - Beauty and the Beast

"I warned you never to come here!"
"I didn't mean any harm."
"Do you realise what you could have done?!"



Written by: Linda Woolverton

Thursday 20 May 2010

It's going to be quiet

Yeah, there's not going to be that much activity on here for the next few weeks, while I cram in revision for an exam, desperately write and submit a late application for a Writing Masters (in the hopes that someone drops out before September), critique a few scripts, earn some more cash at work, celebrate leaving uni, possibly get paid in vouchers by doing some writing for uni and make a trip to do a commentary and interview for Three. In short, I'm stressed!

There'll be a few regular posts on Great Screen Moments and the odd musing, and of course I'll keep you up to date on what's happening with the film - which now has its own, very snazzy-looking website; go look! - www.threefilm.co.uk.

But fear not - there'll be more writing-related posts going out in a few weeks. And if in doubt, quote Oscar Wilde:

Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.

At twilight, nature is not without loveliness, though perhaps its chief use is to illustrate quotations from the poets.

Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.

I always like to know everything about my new friends, and nothing about my old ones.

I am not young enough to know everything.

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.

And who doesn't love Nick Cave?!


Monday 17 May 2010

Strip your characters #2

A while ago I wrote a post on stripping your characters, using Supernatural's Dean Winchester as an example:
Strip your characters down and take them to a place they'd do anything to stay away from. Expose their dark side. Make them overflow with emotion. That might result in buckets of tears, a psychological breakdown, a suicide or a blast in the chest from a sawn-off shotgun. Expose their fears and see what happens.
This time, why not take a look at this scene from Frasier. In this episode, Frasier is receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for his broadcasting services over the years, but encounters his old mentor and delves into some serious self-analysis.

Examine how Frasier is stripped bare, at first by his mentor and then by himself:

(after the first segment, you'll have to skip through the awards ceremony to the self-analysis)


Now obviously this is slightly easier in a show all about analysis and psychiatry, but maybe it's worth entering into this sort of debate with your own characters at some point? Just to get to know them better? The key to this technique, as I said last time, is to force the character into this situation. If it takes no effort to get them there, then they have no internal conflict and nothing for us to care about.

Have fun!

Wednesday 12 May 2010

'Three' teaser online

Most of you will know about Three - the short script I wrote about 2 years ago:
'Three' is a short comedy about a trio of hitmen who discover they have been sent to kill one another. Finding themselves in a stalemate, they have no choice but to talk out their differences.
Starring: Mike Sani, Tony C, Dean Rees
Director of Photography: Neill Phillips
Sound: Carl Homer
Produced by: Gene Fallaize
Written by: Neil Baker
Directed by: Darren S. Cook
I haven't talked about it in a while, but last weekend, the entire thing was shot in one long night. I couldn't make it to filming, but it went really well and everyone got along swimmingly. There are a bunch of pics from the shoot in this post and more on the facebook group.

Darren (director) has been editing ever since and yesterday put together a teaser trailer. You can take a look here.

I'm rather excited about this being my first credit and really looking forward to seeing the whole thing in its entirety. I'd also appreciate any support on the facebook group :)

That's all for now!

Saturday 8 May 2010

Great Screen Moments - The Fifth Element

Sir, are you classified as human?



Written by: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen

Wednesday 5 May 2010

Act-out analysis - Buffy season 3

In my last post, I outlined every single act-out from Buffy season 3. To catch up on what an act-out is and how they work, what their purpose is etc, see the last post. Today I thought we'd take a look at some of the best (and worst) act-outs of the season. Why are they good? How do they make the viewer stay watching through the adverts? What about the crappy ones - would you turn off? Could they do more to keep you hooked?

THE BEST:

3.02 - "Dead Man's Party" (Marti Noxon)
Buffy returns home, only to find that Principal Snyder won't let her back in school, Willow seems to be ignoring her, and her mother is thinking of sending her to a private girls' school. It isn't until Buffy saves them all from an invasion of zombies that things get back to "normal."
Act-out 1 - The gang see Buffy back in Sunnydale after the Slayer had spent the whole summer MIA.
Act-out 2 - A scary mask brings a dead cat back to life.
Act-out 3 - Dozens of zombies make their way to Buffy's house party.

The first act-out gives us and the characters an emotional cliffhanger - Buffy has returned from her exile in LA and while we, as viewers, aren't so much concerned with what she's been up to, we are anxious to see how her friends react.

The second act-out focuses more on the episodic nature of the show. With the mask bringing a dead cat back to life, the audience spends all of the adverts thinking "ooooh...what else can it do?!"

The final act-out bumps things up a lot, showing zombies inbound. So naturally we're going to stick around to see how our characters fight their way out of the situation.

The key to why this works so well is that a) we're given a balance between the emotional heart of the show - Buffy and her friends - and b) there is a clear tension jump from a dead cat walking around compared to an army of zombies!

3.09 - "The Wish" (Marti Noxon)
Cordelia finds out you must be careful what you wish for. When she tells her new friend that Buffy is to blame for all her problems, Cordelia unleashes a demon that only Buffy can save her from.
Act-out 1 - Cordelia's wish is granted by Anya, who is revealed to be a demon.
Act-out 2 - Giles watches on helplessly as Cordelia is killed by Vamp Xander & Willow.
Act-out 3 - Buffy saves Giles - she's arrived in Sunnydale looking all badass.

The first act-out sets up the episode perfectly - it's the "trigger". Cordy's wish of Buffy never coming to Sunnydale has been approved, so the audience sticks around to see how things have changed.

Act-out 2 has Cordelia (a long-standing character) die! Yes, this is in alternate world, but she's still dead. And with Giles watching on, no less! And with no Buffy around, how ever will things possibly go back to normal? This is probably the most effective act-out in all of season 3 (brought to you by the awesome Marti Noxon). Note the emotional impact this has when you watch it.

The final act-out isn't so much a "OMG how will we survive" (as was the case with episode 2), but rather a "Whoa - Buffy's here and sporting a badass scar on her face!" So knowing Buffy as we do, we want to see how she's changed in this new world. We've already established that anything is possible, so what else has changed? On a side-note, this episode throws another curve ball by having the Master actually kill Buffy (he snaps her little neck) in the finale. A brave move.

3.18 - "Earshot" (Jane Espenson)
After a vicious fight with a couple of demons, glowing demon ooze seeps into Buffy's skin. At first she is not pleased to learn what has happened, until she starts to have fun with her new-found powers.
Act-out 1 - Buffy discovers she can read minds?!
Act-out 2 - Buffy hears someone thinking they are going to kill everyone in the school.
Act-out 3 - Jonathan readies his rifle to unleash hell.

Act-out 1 has the focus on the possibilities of the second act. We are going to stay tuned to see how Buffy reacts to being able to read minds. Fun will ensue!

The second cliffhanger makes things very serious and the episode goes from funny and comical to dark and deadly. Who is going to kill everyone? This shift in drama and mood is enough to keep the episode fresh and interesting, because eventually, everyone gets bored with watching Buffy hear what teenage boys think about all day. *cough* sex *cough*

The final act-out reveals who is going to go postal. This switches our expectations to little Jonathan (all previous suspicion lied with another character). Will Buffy stop Jonathan in time? Again, things become even more serious, keeping the audience on their toes.

Btw - to save poor Jonathan's reputation, he wasn't planning on killing everyone, only himself. It was in fact the dinner lady, in the kitchen, with the rat poison! Psych!

So, having looked at the best act-outs season 3 has to offer, what can we tell? Well, the most important thing is that they all make us want to tune in again. We're not budging one inch after those tension-filled cliffhangers! Also, each act-out raises the bar. The first one sets things up, making us want to see how things develop. The second almost always takes a more serious turn, shifting the mood and tone to keep us on our toes. And the third changes up yet another gear to even more anticipation, promising a massive clash.

So from this we can see the importance of making things better and better as we go. While you might save your best fight scene or best jokes for the end, save your best act-out for the last act.

THE NOT SO GREAT:

3.04 - "Beauty and the Beasts" (Marti Noxon)
When Willow lets Xander watch Oz, who is in full werewolf form and locked in the library, things get a little hairy... Xander falls asleep on duty and a friend of Oz's is found mauled. Did Oz do it... or did Angel, who's back and in a feral state?
Act-out 1 - Buffy sees Angel - now a feral beast after returning from Hell.
Act-out 2 - The psychiatrist is dead. Possible killers: Oz, Boyfriend Demon, Angel.
Act-out 3 - Oz squares off against the Boyfriend Demon.

Ok, so Angel coming back is huge, but we already knew that. Buffy, on the other hand, did not. So while we're interested so see how she responds, the tension isn't quite all there. That said, however, there is a huge emotional cliffhanger - how will they react to each other?

Next we are given a death and act 2 has presented us with a world of possible culprits. So in fairness, we will spend the adverts trying to work things out.

The final act-out doesn't really boost things up a gear. It also doesn't focus on our main character. Instead, we are given a fight for Oz. Yes, the episode might be about him, but we really care more about Buffy and her battles. So this episode might have been better had the focus been more on Buffy's story for the act-outs. Again, though, all Buffy and no Oz make Neil happy but a little bored.

3.08 - "Lover's Walk" (Dan Vebber)
Love casts its magic spell and leaves a trails of broken hearts in Sunnydale. Spike blames Angel when Drusilla breaks up with him. Cordelia and Oz catch Xander and Willow kissing, and Buffy decides it's time she stops seeing Angel.
Act-out 1 - Spike kills shop assistant - he is going to do a spell.
Act-out 2 - Spike turns up at Buffy's house and confronts Joyce.
Act-out 3 - Buffy, Angel & Spike surrounded by vampires.

It's no surprise that Spike kills someone. Also, the thought of Spike being even remotely dangerous with magic is laughable. So there's no real threat. However, maybe the 'get em to tune back in' ploy here is that it could be really funny when Spike fucks up?

Again, Spike isn't really a threat to Joyce. Yes, he's a killer, but season 2 saw them bond on a strange level. As Spike notes in season 5 - "she was a nice lady." So do we ever think Spike will harm Buffy's mum? Again, this could be there for comical promises.

So Spike, Angel and Buffy are surrounded by vampires. These are our three toughest characters and it's going to take a shitload of vampires to cause them any trouble! So do we ever doubt they won't make light work of their foes? Now, had the vampires surrounded Xander, Willow and Cordelia, then we'd have worried!


So there we have it. It's pretty self-explanatory really. t seems harsh that I slagged off those two episodes - they are actually very good, but their act-outs aren't the best out of season 3.

So take from all this what you will. I'll revisit act-outs in a few months when I've re-watched Buffy season 4 and Angel season 1. If you have any comments or questions you think I can help with, don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me (contact details on the right at the top).

Stay shiny!

Monday 3 May 2010

Act-outs - Buffy season 3

For those who don't know, an "act-out" or "act-break" is simply that moment before the adverts in an episode of television. It has to make you want to keep watching while all those shiny products are advertised. Writers of TV are aware of the adverts and consequently adapt their writing to the time constraints. So they're very important. As Alex Epstein says in his book Crafty TV Writing:
One-hour dramas have four acts. The last thing that happens before the commercial - whatever the act "goes out on" - is called the act out. It is supposed to be an event so compelling that you absolutely must stay tuned to find out what happens next.

An act out is typically a cliffhanger, a situation where the outcome is up in the air. The jeopardy or stakes can be physical, emotional, or moral. Will he pull the trigger? Will the rope break? Will she kiss him? Will he betray her to the police? If the audience wants to find out how the situation turned out, they're going to have to leave the remote alone. (pp 67-68)
Epstein, 2006
I've recently re-watched season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and made note of every single act-out. This is for my own use really, so I can get a better look at what makes a great act-break and just how to nail them. Every time I watch an episode written by Joss himself, I find myself saying "Now that's an act-out!!!" He simply does them better than anyone else I'm aware of.

This season is scribed by a team of 7 writers: Joss Whedon (5 episodes), Marti Noxon (5 episodes), Jane Espenson (3 episodes), Doug Petrie (3 episodes), David Fury (2 episodes), David Greenwalt (2 episodes) and Dan Vebber (2 episodes).

Each episode is roughly 40 minutes long, which equates to 1hr of TV time. Here's a basic layout of a Buffy episode:

Teaser - 1-5 minutes before the credits (sets the tone for the episode)
Act 1 - from the end of the opening credits to the first set of adverts at about 8-12 minutes in.
Act 2 - from rejoining after the first set of ads to about 18-22 minutes.
Act 3 - from the end of ad break 3 to roughly 28-32 minutes.
Act 4 - from rejoining after the adverts to the end of the episode (note: this act also contains what's known as a "tag." The tag - in the same way the teaser sets up the episode - closes the episode and resolves things.

So there are 3 sets of adverts, meaning 3 act-outs per episode (not counting the ending of the ep to make people tune in next week). Look how each one makes you stay put for the next act. It also might be interesting to see how each writer does their own act-outs.

So take from this what you will.

3.01 - "Anne" (written by Joss Whedon)
Still not knowing where Buffy is, the rest of the gang returns to school. When Buffy, who is living under an assumed identity, is recognised in a diner, she begins her fight to return home from the Netherworld she has fallen into.
Act-out 1 - Buffy is hit by a car (hard!)
Act-out 2 - 20-something Ricky is found dead. We know it is him (because of a tattoo) but he looks at least 70 now even though only a few days have passed.
Act-out 3 - Buffy is trapped in a demon-run factory where humans are kept as slaves.

3.02 - "Dead Man's Party" (Marti Noxon)
Buffy returns home, only to find that Principal Snyder won't let her back in school, Willow seems to be ignoring her, and her mother is thinking of sending her to a private girls' school. It isn't until Buffy saves them all from an invasion of zombies that things get back to "normal."
Act-out 1 - The gang see Buffy back in Sunnydale after the Slayer had spent the whole summer MIA.
Act-out 2 - A scary mask brings a dead cat back to life.
Act-out 3 - Dozens of zombies make their way to Buffy's house party.

3.03 - "Faith, Hope & Trick" (David Greenwalt)
There's a new Slayer in town, named Faith, and she's moving in on Buffy's territory. But Faith and Buffy soon join forces when they are threatened by Kakistos, Mr Trick and a bunch of vampires.
Act-out 1 - A scary-voiced vampire wants to rip out the Slayer's innards
Act-out 2 - There's a new Slayer in town - Faith.
Act-out 3 - Terrifying vampire Kakistos confronts Buffy and Faith.

3.04 - "Beauty and the Beasts" (Marti Noxon)
When Willow lets Xander watch Oz, who is in full werewolf form and locked in the library, things get a little hairy... Xander falls asleep on duty and a friend of Oz's is found mauled. Did Oz do it... or did Angel, who's back and in a feral state?
Act-out 1 - Buffy sees Angel - now a feral beast after returning from Hell.
Act-out 2 - The psychiatrist is dead. Possible killers: Oz, Boyfriend Demon, Angel.
Act-out 3 - Oz squares off against the Boyfriend Demon.

3.05 - "Homecoming" (David Greenwalt)
School's ending and everyone's under pressure. Buffy misses getting her yearbook picture taken, then challenges Cordelia in the run for homecoming Queen. Scott breaks up with Buffy, Willow and Xander share a passionate kiss and Mr Trick kicks off "Slayerfest '98."
Act-out 1 - "The target is the Slayer!"
Act-out 2 - Slayerfest '98 - multiple demons/hunters preparing to kill Buffy.
Act-out 3 - Everything kicks off as the demons go after Buffy & Cordelia.

3.06 - "Band Candy" (Jane Espenson)
As Buffy stresses over her SATs, Principal Snyder enlists the students to sell candy. Everyone knows kids love candy, but what these chocolate bars do to the adults is anything but sweet.
Act-out 1 - Master of Chaos Ethan Rayne is back in town.
Act-out 2 - A gun is pointed at Giles and Buffy et al are in a car crash.
Act-out 3 - A gang of vampires walk into the hospital and steal babies.

3.07 - "Revelations" (Douglas Petrie)
Faith's new Watcher arrives and brings distressing news: she's been sent to report on Giles' performance, and a demon named Lagos is coming to Sunnydale in search of the Glove of Myhnegon. Things get worse when Giles finds out that Angel is back... and he has the Glove.
Act-out 1 - Xander sees Angel - realisation that he is back from the dead.
Act-out 2 - Gwendolyn Post knocks out Giles - she's evil.
Act-out 3 - Post has taken out Angel and is about to raise a demon.

3.08 - "Lover's Walk" (Dan Vebber)
Love casts its magic spell and leaves a trails of broken hearts in Sunnydale. Spike blames Angel when Drusilla breaks up with him. Cordelia and Oz catch Xander and Willow kissing, and Buffy decides it's time she stops seeing Angel.
Act-out 1 - Spike kills shop assistant - he is going to do a spell.
Act-out 2 - Spike turns up at Buffy's house and confronts Joyce.
Act-out 3 - Buffy, Angel & Spike surrounded by vampires.

3.09 - "The Wish" (Marti Noxon)
Cordelia finds out you must be careful what you wish for. When she tells her new friend tht Buffy is to blame for all her problems, Cordelia unleashes a demon that only Buffy can save her from.
Act-out 1 - Cordelia's wish is granted by Anya, who is revealed to be a demon.
Act-out 2 - Giles watches on helplessly as Cordelia is killed by Vamp Xander & Willow.
Act-out 3 - Buffy saves Giles - she's arrived in Sunnydale looking all badass.

3.10 - "Amends" (Joss Whedon)
The Christmas spirit is dead in Sunnydale. Buffy, Giles and the gang's research into why Angel is back leads to "The First Evil" and the first snow Sunnydale has ever seen. Meanwhile, Willow and Oz decide to give their relationship another shot.
Act-out 1 - After a dreamwalk, we realise Buffy was actually in Angel's flashback.
Act-out 2 - The First tells Angel to kill Buffy - will he?
Act-out 3 - Angel decides to kill himself - not the First's plan, but "it'll do."

3.11 - "Gingerbread" (Jane Espenson)
When two young children are found dead, the whole town rallies together and blames witchcraft. When witch paraphernalia is found in Willow's locker, no-one believes it was for a special birthday present she was preparing for Buffy.
Act-out 1 - Willow, Amy et al are possibly responsible for child murders.
Act-out 2 - The dead children are actually still alive.
Act-out 3 - 'Mothers Opposed to the Occult' are going to kill Buffy, Willow & Amy.

3.12 - "Helpless" (David Fury)
As Buffy's 18th birthday approaches, she begins losing her powers. When she finds out from Giles that it is a test she must pass, she feels betrayed by him. As she struggles to regain her powers, Giles is fired for not being an impartial Watcher.
Act-out 1 - Giles is drugging Buffy to make her weak.
Act-out 2 - Kralik (badass vampire) is free and turning other vampires.
Act-out 3 - Kralik arrives at Buffy's house with Joyce.

3.13 - "The Zeppo" (Dan Vebber)
Is Xander losing his cool? When a series of incidents lead Cordelia to remark that he is useless compared to his friends, Xander sets out to prove her wrong. But joining a gang and fooling around with Faith might get him in more trouble than ever.
Act-out 1 - Xander crashes into Psycho's car, who squares off on him.
Act-out 2 - Psycho to 'initiate' Xander - kill him.
Act-out 3 - There is a bomb in the school (where everyone is)

3.14 - "Bad Girls" (Douglas Petrie)
Mr Trick brings swords of El Eliminati vampires to the Mayor, who doesn't want anything getting in the way of the upcoming "dedication." But Buffy and Faith are determined to eliminate the Eliminati and nothing will stop them.
Act-out 1 - Buffy & Faith launch a suicide mission against over a dozen vampires.
Act-out 2 - Buffy & Faith are confronted by cops, guns raised.
Act-out 3 - Faith kills a Alan (a human) - Buffy stares on horrified.

3.15 - "Consequences" (Marti Noxon)
Even though Giels thinks it's a waste of time, new watcher Wesley orders Faith and Buffy to investigate the murder of Alan. With everyone, including the police, questioning them, Buffy and faith soon find themselves arguing over whether to tell the truth about their involvement.
Act-out 1 - The Mayor knows the Slayer killed Alan.
Act-out 2 - Wesley hears Buffy & Giles talking about Faith murdering Alan.
Act-out 3 - The Watcher's Council KO Angel and arrest Faith.

3.16 - "Doppelgangland" (Joss Whedon)
Doomed to live life as a mortal after her amulet was destroyed, Anya approaches Willow for help. Willow agrees, hoping to shred her reputation as "Old Reliable."
Act-out 1 - Anya & Willow's spell has summoned Vampire Willow (from "The Wish")
Act-out 2 - Vampire Willow squares off on Regular Willow.
Act-out 3 - Vampire Willow attacks Cordelia. At the Bronze, Regular Willow's cover is blown (she was pretending to be Vampire Willow)

3.17 - "Enemies" (Douglas Petrie)
A demon offers to sell the Slayers the Books of Ascension, but Faith, acting on behalf of the Mayor, kills the demon and steals the books. When Angel refuses to help Faith, the Mayor enlists a shrouded demon to rob Angel of his soul.
Act-out 1 - The Mayor & Faith's plan deepens - they will get to Angel and take his soul.
Act-out 2 - Angel's soul is taken and Angelus arrives. He kisses Faith.
Act-out 3 - Angelus and Faith take down Buffy - 2 vs 1.

3.18 - "Earshot" (Jane Espenson)
After a vicious fight with a couple of demons, glowing demon ooze seeps into Buffy's skin. At first she is not pleased to learn what has happened, until she starts to have fun with her new-found powers.
Act-out 1 - Buffy discovers she can read minds?!
Act-out 2 - Buffy hears someone thinking they are going to kill everyone in the school.
Act-out 3 - Jonathan readies his rifle to unleash hell.

3.19 - "Choices" (David Fury)
Even though Buffy's been accepted into university, it is obvious to everyone but her and her mother that she cannot leave Sunnydale. When Wesley tells her she can't leave, Buffy decides to launch an offensive against the Mayor.
Act-out 1 - Faith cuts demon's hands off and obtains the Mayor's evil box.
Act-out 2 - Faith and the Mayor kidnap Willow.
Act-out 3 - An army of bugs are loosed from the box.

3.20 - "The Prom" (Marti Noxon)
The only thing more worrisome than finding a date for the prom is whether or not the students are safe from the Hell Hounds, who have been unleashed. Even though Angel breaks up with Buffy, he shows up at the dance to share her big night with her.
Act-out 1 - In Angel's dream, Buffy burns up and turns to dust.
Act-out 2 - Buffy is determined to kill the Hell Hounds before Prom.
Act-out 3 - Three Hell Hounds are on their way to the Prom.

3.21 - "Graduation: Part One" (Joss Whedon)
As the gang prepares for graduation they continue to search for a way to stop the Mayor's Ascension. As they did for answers, Angels gets shot by Faith with a poison arrow, and the only cure for him is draining Faith's blood, which would kill her.
Act-out 1 - The Mayor establishes his badass plans for the Ascension.
Act-out 2 - Faith hits Angel with a poison arrow.
Act-out 3 - Buffy sets out to kill Faith in order to save Angel.

3.22 - "Graduation: Part Two" (Joss Whedon)
When the Mayor finds out about Faith, he sends his henchmen after Buffy, who runs to get Angel and offers him some of her own blood to save him. Then Buffy, armed with Faith's knife, joins the rest of the students for graduation, which turns into a ceremony that no one will ever forget.
Act-out 1 - Angel drains Buffy's blood and the Slayer falls unconscious.
Act-out 2 - Buffy is ready for war.
Act-out 3 - The Mayor Ascends into a giant snake demon.


So there we have it - all of season 3 broken down into episode act-outs. I'll be using this as an appendix for my next blog post where I discuss what we can learn from the above; I'll also be taking a close look at some of the best (and worse) act-outs in season 3. That'll be going out this Wednesday 5th.

On another note, I've now started re-watching Buffy season 4 and Angel season 1 (they run along side each other and occasionally cross over), so expect a similar post to this in the next few months.

Feel free to leave comments or criticism below!