K.M. Weiland Interview - Breaking Down the Jurassic Park Screenplay

K.M. Weiland Interview - writer and story expert K.M. Weiland breaks down Jurassic Park and how it masterfully executes the three-act structure.
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K.M. WEILAND INTERVIEW - JURASSIC PARK & THREE-ACT STRUCTURE
Jurassic Park is a beloved film, but what if the appeal wasn’t just the awe-inspiring dinosaurs or that stirring John Williams score? One of the unsung heroes of Spielberg’s masterpiece can be found in the structure of the film itself. According to K.M. Weiland, David Koepp’s screenplay adaptation of Michael Crichton’s book is brilliantly structured and has an ideal balance between plot and character. In this full-length interview, K.M. Weiland lays out the form and function of the three-act structure and how Jurassic Park checks all the boxes.
EIGHT PARTS OF THE THREE-ACT STRUCTURE
As Weiland explains, the three-act structure can be subdivided into eight major story beats. The first is the hook, designed to grab the audience’s attention, giving them sufficient reason to remain invested in the story. In Jurassic Park, this is the opening scene where the mysterious cargo is delivered to the park…with deadly consequences.
Then comes the inciting event, the call to adventure that will carry the remainder of the story. For Allen and Ellie, this is when John Hammond interrupts their archeological dig with a request to visit and assess his park.
Next is the first plot point, the point of no return, when the character finally sets off on their quest. When they arrive on Isla Nublar, our protagonists behold a sight they could have never imagined - dinosaurs in the flesh.
The first pinch point is the first of many obstacles along the way, usually dedicated to establishing the antagonistic force. In Jurassic Park, this occurs as the incoming storm interrupts the tour, separating Allan and Ellie.
The second plot point, otherwise known as the midpoint, comes halfway through the story and usually resets the entire story in some way. The storm has cut the power, the jeeps are stranded, and a T-Rex breaks out. Jurassic Park’s midpoint is a fantastic example of how to shift a story completely.
Following this is the second pinch point, where stakes are raised, and the third act is foreshadowed. Dennis Nedry, a minor antagonist, has crippled Hammond’s ability to make the park secure. And Nedry’s death significantly diminishes their chances of success.
As K.M. Weiland explains, the third plot point is a false victory followed by a major low point. Ellie is able to restore power to Jurassic Park, but Muldoon and Arnold are killed, and the raptors now enter the fray.
Lastly is the climax, the culmination of the entire story. This might be an extended sequence filled with action or emotional conflict, but it all leads to what Weiland describes as the climactic moment - when success or failure brings the story to its conclusion.
When you lay out the three-act structure of Jurassic Park like this, it is clear that there is a constant progression of events; the stakes are established and then raised, all building to what ends as a thrilling cinematic experience.
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[@solertia33]

I appreciate Jurassic Park so much more now.

[@runarvollan]

1st act thesis: Alan's strength: Dinosaurs, which are dead, ancient animals. 2nd act anti-thesis: Alan's weakness: Children, which are living, new humans. (Weakness is always just the opposite of strenght). 3rd act synthesis: Having strengthened his weak side, Alan can finally combine both sides to save the day.

[@ballybunion9]

From the end of the opening sequence (trying to get the raptor into her pen) to the beginning of Newman-stealing-the-embryos scene we get 53 consecutive minutes of exposition -- and none of it is boring!

[@thesunman108]

I can't help but feel at how much this can mirror one's own personal journey through life and navigate various cycles.

[@robertobuatti7226]

Jurassic Park has the best story beats of any movie, a lot of movies today no matter how good the VFX are just can't top it, the way it's framed and shot with being with the characters on this journey through the ups and downs of it really immerses the viewer and you feel everything on an emotional level that the characters go through and the how story unfolds, many movies today seem to miss this and simply rely of VFX instead of telling a compelling story that audiences can connect with. This video gave me insight to why I can't connect with some movies with it's storytelling and with it's characters and why I consider Jurassic Park a stone cold classic which always makes me feel awe, it's movie magic at it's finest when story, characters, acting performances, direction, cinematography, music all blend in one amazing movie to give a top notch product into the world.

[@TheThinkersBible]

This is a GREAT explanation of 3 Act Structure, the most understandable and educational I've personally ever seen. I took lots of notes and will use them in my first documentary that I'm working on right at this moment. Thanks very much.

[@dansegovia0402]

Completely agree. The interview-style walk through was helpful. Then, using the example of a good movie, really knocked it out of the park.

[@TheThinkersBible]

@@dansegovia0402 absolutely!

[@runarvollan]

Inciting event at 15 mins is Nedry meeting Dodgson, not the call to adventure. 1st plotpoint at 30 mins is Alan's first encounter with a living velociraptor, not their arrival at the park.

[@wowzers94]

Great interview! KMW did a great job breaking down story structure!

[@DiegoSepulveda09]

I think I'm in love with this woman

[@ryanh8764]

Yeah she’s gorgeous and brilliant

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

I think they decided to to t-rex ex machina because she'd become a major character that the audience wanted to see again.

[@seanmiller8701]

Spielberg has said he knew audiences would be mad if Rexy didn't make another appearance at the end of the movie. Though, it was foreshadowed she was coming from the roar after Grant's little shock prank at the fence.

[@runarvollan]

Respect to anyone loving this movie, but really good analysis too!

[@ericgrimm312]

This was fun and informative. Thanks! Note on the T-rex deux ex machina: the monster may have saved them, but it's still a threat afterwards. The characters could be next, so the suspense continues.

[@erickpas]

I got here from her podcast. Great stuff!

[@vinitnikamvinitnikam8206]

Plz make more like this ❤❤

[@MBAinternetmktg]

Very helpful analysis, but the action starts from the opening scene in the movie when a raptor (?) is delivered to an area in the Park & one of the guys coordinating the transfer into the Park area is grabbed and killed by the animal. The opening scene action foretells what people will be up against in the Park. It's a brilliant opening scene.

[@TheSAINTWARRIOR]

Sometimes, (not always) I find the hook of the film to be the title of the film, meaning that the title has enough resonance and rep that the audience is already familiar with it and knows what's coming and will probably keep on watching anyway, even if the hook or inciting event is dull or unexciting.

[@warmflash]

Weiland is brilliant

[@seanmiller8701]

The channel "Writer Brandon McNulty" has a vid of "The 5 worst plot devices in story telling" and for Deus Ex Machina he uses Jurassic Park and the Rex saving the day as his example. He explains D.E.M. as the characters not saving themselves and not earning for themselves to be miraculously saved. So I suppose yea, the JP characters didn't earn for themselves to be saved, but how could they when they were up against animals? There was no God like entity to pity them or decide they had changed or learned enough. There was no antagonist that was affected by their actions to stop antagonizing them by their actions directly or indirectly. There were just dinosaurs, and the human characters trying to survive, and then an animal did what an animal does, and it hunted them (possibly), and showed up at the last second in grand fashion. Which was foreshadowed by the roar when Grant played his little prank on the kids at the fence. It is technically as Ms. Weiland says a Deus Ex Machina, but sometimes these "bad plot devices" just work when done right.

[@wasthataflute]

I went looking to see if there was a better word, but no other word would do. The interviewer's tone is immaculate.

[@kenyleon]

wow !!! GREAT !!!

[@vinitnikamvinitnikam8206]

Km.weilend is great 🎉

[@kentjensen4504]

ET CETERA has no 'X' in it. It's ET cetera, not "ex cetera".

[@TheZetaKai]

To anyone who says that story structure is too limiting, I would ask them to imagine the most beautiful person in their mind. Picture this perfect person, and then I ask: how many legs do they have? How many arms? How many eyes? Where are their eyes, if any? The structure of a story is no more limiting than the structure of a human, and likely far less so. The human form has myriad variations, as does a story's form, and each is valid. Nobody ever complains that their child wasn't born with an arm growing out of their five-eyed head.

[@madhusudankhandare6302]

Thanks

[@runarvollan]

Inciting event at 15 mins is Nedry meeting Dodgson, not the call to adventure. 1st plotpoint at 30 mins is Alan's first encounter with a living velociraptor, not their arrival at the park.