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Storytelling Story structure, screenwriting craft and the devices that drive a plot.

Rising Action: Meaning & Definition in Film

Rising action is the series of escalating events and conflicts that build tension and suspense on the way to a story's climax.

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Building the Tension

Rising action is the narrative substance of a film, comprising the bulk of the second act. It is the sequence of events that begins after the protagonist commits to their journey at the first act turning point and ends just before the story’s climax. The primary function of the rising action is to progressively build tension, develop the characters, and complicate the central conflict.

During the rising action, the protagonist actively pursues the goal that was established in Act One, but their path is not easy. This phase of the story is defined by a series of trials, obstacles, and confrontations. Each event in the rising action should be more challenging or significant than the last, forcing the protagonist to adapt, learn, and grow. The stakes of the story—what the protagonist stands to win or lose—should be continually raised throughout this section.

Components of Rising Action

The rising action is not just a random series of events; it should feel like a logical progression of cause and effect, with each scene building on the last. Key components include:

  • New Obstacles: The protagonist encounters new and increasingly difficult challenges that test their resolve and skills.
  • Introduction of Allies and Enemies: The protagonist meets other characters who will either help or hinder their progress.
  • Key Revelations: New information is revealed that changes the protagonist’s understanding of the conflict or their goal.
  • Successes and Failures: The journey is a mix of victories that build the protagonist’s confidence and setbacks that increase the story’s tension and make the final goal seem harder to achieve.
  • Escalating Stakes: The consequences of failure become more and more severe as the story progresses.

Example: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

After the inciting incident (being hired to find the Ark of the Covenant), the rising action constitutes Indiana Jones’s entire global adventure. Each step of the way presents a new, more dangerous conflict: surviving a bar fight in Nepal to get the headpiece, escaping a snake-filled tomb in Egypt, engaging in a thrilling truck chase to recapture the Ark from the Nazis, and finally being captured by his rival, Belloq. Each event raises the stakes and brings him closer to the climactic confrontation.

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