We’ve all watched a video essay that just felt a bit stale in the middle. Maybe it lost the plot a little bit. Maybe it got lost in explaining some research a bit too long. Maybe you even clicked off.
If you’re seeing a retention dip in the middle of your video, know that you’re not alone because this isn’t just a YouTube problem, it’s also a Hollywood problem. Difference is they found a methodology that is built to keep audiences engaged.
You’ve probably heard of three-act-structure, but what does it actually mean and how can it be applied to YouTube video essays to tell better stories that keep your audience engaged for longer?
What is three act structure?
Kind of what it says on the tin. Three act structure is a widely popular way of structuring any form of story. It’s the basic beginning, middle, end progression and is somewhat akin to the point, evidence, explain structure you might have learnt in school when writing essays. Keep that in mind.
The core principle here is that there is a set-up, there is a build with tactical revelation of information, and then there is a payoff.
Act One – Hook and Introduction
There is an adage in screenwriting that says you have to hook readers in the first half of the first page, because the agents and producers reading your work could be doing a million other things instead.
YouTube is kind of the same. With short attention spans and dopamine dependencies, viewers could easily click off your video within seconds.
That’s why a strong hook is so important. Focus on teasing what the video is going to be about. Lead with something interesting and tease the payoff at the end.
Then you can go into your “introduction” which will likely be your first section. This has two core jobs: keep the momentum going and set the tone.
This is where you start building your argument and the direction of the video. Start with the basic things your viewers need to understand before really getting into the meat of the topic.
If you’re talking about misogyny in cozy games, you will have to explain a bit about cozy games before diving in. But don’t let this turn into simply laying out information. Your audience is watching to get your insights and analysis on a certain topic even if they’re already knowledgeable about it.
Honour that by inviting them to engage with the content using rhetorical questions and curiosity gaps. Moments where you go but wait, there’s more.
Act 2, Tests, Allies, and Analysis.
The second act of a script, as of a YouTube video, is largely uncharted territory because everyone’s approach will change depending on their topic.
That being said, there are a few core pillars we can keep in mind. K.M. Weiland’s book called “creating character arcs” breaks down structure through character change, and we can do the same for YouTube by changing “character” with “argument”.
Something she really emphasizes is the idea of change and progression. After all, no one wants to watch a movie where a character is just sitting in a room. Same for a YouTube argument.
Let’s go back to that cozy game idea. You introduce cozy games as an inherently misogynistic genre because “cuteness” is almost always associated with women and traditionally female characteristics. Fantastic. But now that argument has to evolve.
What’s the next stepping stone?
Act 2 is all about rinsing and repeating a core loop:
This loop keeps viewers watching because they don’t know what’s coming next. For example, they might agree that something is up with cozy games, but your perspective that the very way they are designed is part of the issue might be new to them, and if you can link this new aha moment to the larger argument, then you’ve got a really solid structure that hooks through value instead of clickbait.
Act 3: Putting it All Together
In fiction, the third act is what we have been building to. It’s the big battle, the heartbreaking confession, the resolution of the heist.
The “climactic” moment in creative writing is more about character fulfillment. Well here it’s about that big payoff we teased back in act 1.
This is where you bring everything together to drive the point home. You’ve established that cozy games are misogynistic by design, maybe you’ve looked into how this affects female players and now it’s the big finale.
Maybe you go into how this is an issue not because cozy games exist, but because they are the only space in the gaming world that is made for women, and that space is defined by patriarchal narratives.
But there’s a catch.
Act 3.5: Resolution (wrap it up fast)
Once you deliver the big payoff, you have to end the video quickly. If you have a CTA, now is the time to use it because the audience now has what they’ve come for.
That being said, much like an open ended movie, you can take advantage of this aha moment to add one final hook.
Oh you liked this video? Well here’s another thing you might be interested in and why it might not be what you expect.
If you want to see what a script written with this structure looks like you can check out my own sample about misogyny in cozy game design and if you want to learn a bit more about retention and how you can edit your scripts to be even stronger, you can also check out this post about retention-led hooks.