xhonzi said:

Heaven knows I've started several. Try this: http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Original-Trilogy-Times-Chart/post/412779/#TopicPost412779 and this: http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Act-Breaks/topic/11489/page/1/ though it feels like I'm missing one or two.

Ah, here's this one: http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/A-New-Hope-Trading-on-Promises-or-Trailer-for-the-SW-Universe/topic/11379/ though I think I followed up on that one more somewhere else... perhaps it's in one of the other threads I just posted.

And I guess it's altogether possible I've never posted my extensive thoughts on trilogies as macro-three act structure and how then a trilogy of trilogies would really fascinate me as mega-three-act-structure.

Thanks xhonzi. My take on the three act structure, at least as it relates to A New Hope, is character driven. The first act establishes the world, and demands a decision from Luke. Will he choose to become a Jedi? So Act 1 ends when Luke decides to go to Alderaan and become a Jedi. Act 2 makes the hero's task seem impossible. Alderaan is destroyed, they are trapped on the Death Star, and finally Obi-wan is killed. When Luke sits on the Falcon in sorrow, dreams of becoming a Jedi shattered, goal seemingly lost, this signals the end of Act 2. Act 3 is the resolution to this seemingly impossible goal: Obi-wan can communicate with him through the Force. He begins to believe in Obi-wan's voice, and in himself.

There can be more acts in a movie or series of movies than just 3. Often, characters have many more important character decisions and developments than just these, so you could divide a movie into many smaller acts, but 3 is a good starting point.

Thanks for the links!