Minutes structure Five plot points system

A
1
2
SEQUENCE 1
ordinary world of hero shakes up CALL
3 TO THE ACTION A screenplay starts
4 (often, but not always) with an Inciting
Incident to get it rolling -- either a

C
5 major change in the protagonist’s life,
such as just getting out of prison, or
arriving in a new town, or an event
unknown to them, such as a murder
the detective is yet to hear about.
Then, characters and world are

T
introduced followed by a crisis around
pages ten to fifteen.
This is the hero’s Call to Action which
sets into motion the main conflict for
the overall screenplay and ends the
sequence.
7 Copyright © 2013 ScriptReaderPro
(In Romancing the Stone, Joan hears
that her sister has been kidnapped. In
Manhattan, Isaac meets Mary).

6
1
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

PLOT POINT 1 / INCITING INCIDENT

17 Point of attack
18 SEQUENCE 2 BIG EVENT DECISION
The protagonist struggles to get to
19 grips with the Call to Action crisis
20 established at the end of Sequence A.
21 But soon after there’s another shock in
store -- a Big Event which signifies
22 what they’re up against. This is what
23 the film’s really about. The main
conflict they’ll have to tackle.
24 From this they must make a Big
Decision to embark on a new and
25 potentially lifechanging adventure.
26 When they make this Decision we
know they’re committed to solving the
27 crisis established at the Call to Action
28 and then Big Event, and this signals the
29 end of Act One.
(Neo takes the blue pill in The Matrix
and enters “the real world.” In
American Pie, the guys make a pact to
lose their virginity).
 When they make this Decision we
know they’re committed to solving the
crisis established at the Call to Action
and then Big Event, and this signals the
end of Act One.
(Neo takes the blue pill in The Matrix
and enters “the real world.” In
American Pie, the guys make a pact to
lose their virginity).

30
31
32

LOCK IN
point of no return, no choice but to
33 move forward, stakes are higher,

A
34
35
SEQUENCE 3
36 Decision Success /
37
Failure

C
38
39 The start of the strange and often scary
40 new world in which the protagonist is
often a “fish out of water.”
This sequence contains, what Blake Snyder
41 calls, The Promise of the Premise -- the
trailer moments in which the hero

T
42 struggles to adapt to the new world.
43 Note that the end of this sequence doesn’t
determine the end of an act, but is still a
44 definite step forward or backwards in the
45 protagonist’s main goal established at the
end of Act One.
46 (Truman gets stuck on the bus and fails to
47 leave the
PLOT island
POINT 2 in The Truman Show. Tor
is humiliated by rival cheerleaders, The
48
49
SEQUENCE 4-
Clovers, in Bring It On).

50 midpoint Having failed or

51 succeeded at the end of the last sequence,

2
the protagonist pushes on, invariably
52 trying a different tack in order to achieve
their overall goal.
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The end of this sequence ends on either
an “up” or a “down” and signals the
script’s Midpoint -- usually a surprising
twist of some kind.
 midpoint Having failed or
succeeded at the end of the last sequence,

2
the protagonist pushes on, invariably
trying a different tack in order to achieve
53 their overall goal.
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54 The end of this sequence ends on either
55 an “up” or a “down” and signals the
script’s Midpoint -- usually a surprising
56 twist of some kind.
Here, the protagonist feels the full power
of the antagonist but, conversely, is now
57 fully committed to the goal, or a new
58 variation of the goal.
The stakes are raised as the protagonist
59 turns a corner and a “new self” is born.
60 (In Jaws, Chief Brody realizes they've
caught the wrong shark. Charles returns
61 home to find killer, LaRoche, in his house
62 chatting to his wife and kids in Derailed).
63
64

INTERVAL / PLOT POINT 3 / FIRST

CULMINATION
wins in end then hero victorys in mid
point also, faliure or tragedy if trageic
65 end.
66 SEQUENCE 5 Midpoint Success /
Failure
67 This sequence marks the beginning of
68 the “changed hero.”
69 They begin to understand what they
really want, but also to further realize
70 the power of their adversary.
 the power of their adversary.
71 The stakes are raised as they react to
72 whatever new crisis occurred at the
Midpoint.
This is sometimes known as the “Gain”
73 section of the script in which
74 everything seems to be going well for
the protagonist, but in reality it’s not.
75 For example, in Romantic Comedies
76 this is often where the protagonist falls
77 in love; but there is a sting in the tail at
the end of the sequence in which love
78 is hindered and the protagonist faces
79 an unexpected setback.
80 (In Boogie Nights, Dirk rises to the top,
but becomes too cocky and gets fired.
81 In Sideways, Miles finally gets his act
82 PLOT POINT 4
83
84
SEQUENCE 6 All is
85 Lost / All is Joy The end
86 of this sequence also corresponds to the
end of Act Two; again either an “up” or
87 “down” ending depending on the climax to
88 the overall film.
The end of Sequence F can be viewed as
either a “false victory” or “false defeat.”
Either the hero seemingly wins the day --
All is Joy -- but it’s a temporary victory, or
they wind up in a worst place than at the
start of the film -- All is Lost -- but it’s a
fleeting defeat.
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However, often in Horror, things reach a
low point at the end of this sequence and
then get even worse at the Climax.
(A high point is reached in the film In
Search of a Midnight Kiss, when Wilson
and Vivian kiss at midnight. A low point
occurs in The Blair Witch Project, when
Heather makes a direct-to-camera apology
to her parents, realizing she’s going to
die).

89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
 MAIN CUMLINATION
Climax point, highest or lowest
moment point of hero yet another
98 obstacles, new third act tension,

A
99
SEQUENCE 7
Climax OR All is
Lost / All is Joy

C
100 Success / Failure This is
often the shortest sequence of the screenplay
101 as it’s all about urgency and motion -- the Race
102 for the Prize, as The Flaming Lips once sang.
The protagonist has finally realized what needs
103 to be done to crack the mystery / get the girl /

T
catch the killer etc.
104 The climax to Sequence G corresponds directly
105 to the Climax to the whole film, wrapping up
the A story on either an “up” or “down” beat,
and tying up any loose ends.
106 In Drama and Comedy the protagonist has
usually learned a great lesson. They are not the
107 same person they were at the beginning of the
film.
108 In fact, they have performed a complete u-turn
109 and now want the exact opposite thing from
what they wanted at the start.
110 In Action / Adventure the transformation is
sometimes great, (Wanted) and sometimes
111 insignificant (James Bond.)
 insignificant (James Bond.)
112 In Thrillers, the arc is usually minimal, and

3
likewise, Horror, where the protagonist's
113 primary concern is escape and survival.
114 (In The Godfather, Michael becomes head of
the family. Benjamin dies at the end of The
115 Curious Case of Benjamin Button).
Alternatively, this sequence can be an All is Lost
116 PLOT POINT 5 / THIRD ACT TWIST
final show down,
117
118
SEQUENCE 8
119 Denouement OR
120
121
Climax The composition of this
sequence depends on how the previous one
122 ended.
Obviously, if Sequence G ended with the
Screenplay Climax, the movie’s over, but if it
123 ended with an All is Lost / All is Joy success /
failure, then this sequence becomes in effect
124 Sequence G -- the protagonist’s sprint to solve
the screenplay’s main goal before it’s too late.
125 (In The Heartbreak Kid remake (2007), there are
126 eight sequences ending on Sequence H.
Sequence G ends with an All is Lost failure when
127 Eddie fails to win back Miranda. An eighth
Sequence H then begins with him packing up
128 and leaving town, before we jump a year and a
129 half in time when Miranda turns up to provide
the film's neat ending).
 eight sequences ending on Sequence H.
Sequence G ends with an All is Lost failure when
Eddie fails to win back Miranda. An eighth
Sequence H then begins with him packing up
and leaving town, before we jump a year and a
half in time when Miranda turns up to provide
the film's neat ending).

130
save the cat
Opening Image The very first impression of what a movie is — its
tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film — are all found in
the opening image

Theme stated Somewhere in the first five minutes of a well-

structured screenplay , someone (usually not the main
character) will pose a question or make a statement (usually to
the main character) that is the theme of the movie. "Be careful
what you wish for,"

• It won't be this obvious, it will be conversational, an offhand

remark that the main character doesn't quite get at the moment
— but which will have far-reaching and meaningful impact later.

• This statement is the movie's thematic premise. The rest of

the screenplay is the argument laid out, either proving or
disproving this statement, and looking at it, pro and con, from
every angle.

• Be certain that the subject is raised right up front — page 5 is

where I always put it. Declare: I can prove it. Then set out to do
so.
catalystCatalyst moments: telegrams, getting fired, catching the
wife in bed with another man, news that you have three days to
live, the knock at the door, the messenger. In the set-up you, the
screenwriter, have told us what the world is like and now in the
catalyst moment you knock it all down. Boom!

• Life-changing events often come disguised as bad news. Like

many of the beats in the BS2, the catalyst is not what it seems.
It's the opposite of good news, and yet, by the time the
adventure is over, it's what leads the hero to happiness.
Break in to two • Page 25 is the place where I always go to first
in a screenplay someone has handed me (we all have our
reading quirks) to see "what happens on 25." I want to know 1)
if anything happens and 2) if this screenwriter knows that
something should happen. And I mean something big.

• The act break is the moment where we leave the old world,
the thesis statement, behind and proceed into a world that is
the upside down version of that, its antithesis. But because
these two worlds are so distinct, the act of actually stepping into
Act Two must be definite.

• The hero cannot be lured, tricked, or drift into Act Two. The
hero must make the decision himself. That's what makes him a
hero anyway — being proactive.

B story The B story of most screenplays is "the love story." It is

also the story that carries the theme of the movie. I also think
that the start of the B story, what takes place around page 30, is
a little booster rocket that helps smooth over the shockingly
obvious A story act break.

• The B story is also very often a brand new bunch of characters.

We have not always met the B story players in the first IO pages
of the screenplay.
Mid PointA movie's midpoint is either an "up" where the hero
seemingly peaks (though it is a false peak) or a "down" when the
world collapses all around the hero (though it is a false collapse),
and it can only get better from here on out.

• The stakes are raised at the midpoint.

• It's the point where the fun and games are over. It's back to
the story! It's also the point where if you have a "false victory"

14

• The rule is: It's never as good as it seems to be at the midpoint

and it's never as bad as it seems at the All Is Lost point. Or vice
versa!
All is Lost At the All Is Lost moment, stick in something, anything
that involves a death. It works every time. Whether it's integral
to the story or just something symbolic, hint at something dead
here.

• It could be anything. A flower in a flower pot. A goldfish. News

that a beloved aunt has passed away. It's all the same.

• The reason is that the All Is Lost beat is the "Christ on the
cross" moment. It's where the old world, the old character, the
old way of thinking dies.

• the thing you show dying, even a goldfish, will resonate and
make that All Is Lost moment all the more poignant
Break in to three Both in the external story (the A story) and the
internal story (the B story), which now meet and intertwine, the
hero has prevailed, passed every test, and dug deep to find the
solution. Now all he has to do is apply it.
FINAL IMAGE As stated earlier, the final image in a movie is the
opposite of the opening image. It is your proof that change has
occurred and that it's real.
save the cat
SET UP • The first 10 pages of the script, or first dozen
pages at most, is called the "set-up." If you're like me, and
like most readers in Hollywood, this is the make-or-break
section where you have to grab me or risk losing my
interest.

• Make sure you have introduced or hinted at introducing

every character in the A story.

• The first IO pages is also where we start to plant every

character tic, exhibit every behavior that needs to be
addressed later on, and show how and why the hero will
need to change in order to win.

• And when there's something that our hero wants or is

lacking, this is the place to stick the Six Things That Need
Fixing.

• Like little time bombs, these Six Things That Need Fixing,
these character tics and flaws, will be exploded later in the
script, turned on their heads and cured. They will become
running gags and call-backs. We, the audience, must know
why they're being called back!

• It's where we see the world as it is before the adventure

starts. It is a full-fledged documentation of the hero's world
labeled "before."
DEBATE• It's the last chance for the hero to say: This
is crazy. And we need him or her to realize that.
Should I go? Dare I go? Sure, it's dangerous out there,
but what's my choice? Stay here

• The debate section must ask a question of some

kind. In Legally Blonde the catalyst of the fiancé
dumping Elle Woods quickly segues to her solution:
Go to Harvard Law. "But can she
13

get in?" That is the question posed in the debate

section of that movie. The debate section thus
becomes showing how Elle answers that question.
 FUN AND GAMES• The promise of the premise. It is the
core and essence of the movie's poster. It is where most of
the trailer moments of a movie are found. And it's where
we aren't as concerned with the forward progress of the
story — the stakes won't be raised until the midpoint — as
we are concerned with having "fun."
• We take a break from the stakes of the story and see
what the ide a is about; we see the promise of the premise
and need not see anything else.
BAD GUYS CLOSE IN • This is the point where the bad
guys decide to regroup and send in the heavy artillery.
It's the point where internal dissent, doubt, and
jealousy begin to disintegrate the hero's team

• The forces that are aligned against the hero, internal

and external, tighten their grip. Evil is not giving up,
and there is nowhere for the hero to go for help. He is
on his own and must endure.
 It's the point where internal dissent, doubt, and
jealousy begin to disintegrate the hero's team

• The forces that are aligned against the hero, internal

and external, tighten their grip. Evil is not giving up,
and there is nowhere for the hero to go for help. He is
on his own and must endure.

DARK NIGHT OF SOUL • So now you're in the middle

of a death moment at the All Is Lost point, but how
does your character experiencing this moment feel
about it?

• This question is answered in a section of the

screenplay I call Dark Night of the Soul. It can last five
seconds or five minutes. But it's in there. And it's vital.
It's the point, as the name suggests, that is the
darkness right before the dawn.

• It is the point just before the hero reaches way,

deep down and pulls out that last, best idea that will
save himself and everyone around him. But at the
moment, that idea is nowhere in sight.

• We must be beaten and know it to get the lesson.

The Dark Night of the Soul is that point.
screenplay I call Dark Night of the Soul. It can last five
seconds or five minutes. But it's in there. And it's vital.
It's the point, as the name suggests, that is the
darkness right before the dawn.

• It is the point just before the hero reaches way,

deep down and pulls out that last, best idea that will
save himself and everyone around him. But at the
moment, that idea is nowhere in sight.

• We must be beaten and know it to get the lesson.

The Dark Night of the Soul is that point.

FINALE • The finale is Act Three. This is where we wrap it

up. It's where the lessons learned are applied. It's where
the character tics are mastered.
• It's where A story and B story end in triumph for our hero.
It's the turning over of the old world and a creation of a
new world order — all thanks to the hero, who leads the
way based on what he experienced in the upside-down,
antithetical world of Act Two.
• The chief source of "the problem" — a person or thing —
must be dispatched completely for the new world order to
exist
exist
Michael Hauge Six stage
Act One: First 25%
STAGE I: 0-10% - Stage One: The Setup:
The opening 10% of your screenplay must draw the reader, and the audience, into
the initial setting of the story, must reveal the everyday life your hero has been
living, and must establish identification with your hero by making her sympathetic,
threatened, likable, funny and/or powerful. This is where you introduce your hero,
drawing the reader in to the setting of his or her everyday life.
The protagonist is fully in his identity. He isn't trying to change his life yet, even if
he feels something is wrong. Often he doesn't yet realize something is wrong.
Then along comes an...
Notice that the desire created by the opportunity is not the specific goal that
defines your story concept, but rather a desire to move into…
Here’s where you introduce the protagonists and show them in their normal life.
You’ll want to establish an emotional connection with readers. Create empathy
with the main character and connect the reader to her before you introduce any
flaws. How do you do this? For the sake of expediency, we’ll use the term
“heroine” but these principles apply to the hero as well.
1. Create sympathy by making her the victim of undeserved injustice or
misfortune.
2. Put your character in jeopardy, but it doesn’t have to be physical. It can be the
threat of loss for something vitally important to the character.
3. Make your heroine likeable by showing her kindness or generosity. Show that
she is well liked by others.
4. Make the character funny. She can be funny by saying things that are unfiltered
and not politically correct.
5. Give her a skill set that we admire. For example, we admire people who can get
things done. They have the power to accomplish things.
Next show the protagonist as being stuck or in a state of inertia. They’re tolerating
a situation or lying to themselves, and something is missing from this person’s life.
Another character in the story tells them what they need to learn in order to
progress.
In a romance, do we meet the hero and heroine separately before they come
together, or do they come together at the outset? Determine if you’re using one
or two viewpoints for these characters. If we meet the heroine first and encounter
the hero when she does, you can use the singular viewpoint.
10% Mark - Turning Point One: TURNING POINT #1: The
Opportunity (10%)
Erin Brockovich: Erin forces Ed Masry to give her a job.
Gladiator: Maximus is offered a reward by Emperor Marcus
Aurelius, and he says he wants to go home.
Ten percent of the way into your screenplay, your hero must be
presented with an opportunity, which will create a new, visible
desire, and will start the character on her journey. This is the point
where Neo is taken to meet Morpheus and wants to learn about
The Matrix, or where Ike gets fired and wants to go meet the
Runaway Bride.
Opportunity: Something happens that provides an opportunity for
the protagonist to act, and this will lead him to what will ultimately
make him happy and complete. This opportunity leads to a...
Opportunity (Turning Point 1)
Something happens that has never occurred to the main character
before. It jolts the heroine out of a normal life and she must react.
This can be a good or bad event, but either way, it will result in the
heroine’s preliminary goal, a desire to move to a …
Ten percent of the way into your screenplay, your hero must be
presented with an opportunity, which will create a new, visible
desire, and will start the character on her journey.

This is the point where Neo is taken to meet Morpheus and wants
to learn about The Matrix, or where Ike gets fired and wants to go
meet the Runaway Bride.

Notice that the desire created by the opportunity is not the specific
goal that defines your story concept, or the finish line your hero
must cross at the end of the film. It is rather a desire to move
into...
Something happens that provides an opportunity for the
protagonist to act, and this will lead him to what will ultimately
make him happy and complete. This opportunity leads to a...
Between stage 1 and 2, your hero should be presented with an
opportunity which creates in him or her a visible desire. This is not
the overall goal which governs your story, but rather something
STAGE 2: The New Situation 10-25% - Stage Two: New Situation
For the next 15% of the story, your hero will react to the new
situation that resulted from the opportunity. He gets acclimated to
the new surroundings, tries to figure out what’s going on, or
formulates a specific plan for accomplishing his overall goal: Very
often story structure follows geography, as the opportunity takes
your hero to a new location: boarding the cruise ships in Titanic
and The Talented Mr. Ripley; going to Cincinnati to bury his father
in Rain Man; the President taking off on Air Force One.
In most movies, the hero enters this new situation willingly, often
with a feeling of excitement and anticipation, or at least believing
that the new problem he faces can be easily solved. But as the
conflict starts to build, he begins to realize he’s up against far
greater obstacles than he realized, until finally he comes to…
The protagonist gets a glimpse of what life would be life if he took
the opportunity and acted. Things are changing for him, and it's all
very new and exciting, yet also scary. This leads to...
Now the protagonist must figure out what’s going on and how to
react, and in response will formulate a specific, visible outer
motivation.
For the next 15% of the story, your hero will react to the new
situation that resulted from the opportunity. During this stage, the
hero gets acclimated to the new surroundings, tries to figure out
what's going on, or formulates a specific plan for accomplishing his
overall goal: Fletcher has to figure out that he's been cursed to tell
overall goal: Fletcher has to figure out that he's been cursed to tell
the truth in Liar, Liar; and Mrs. Doubtfire devises the plan for
seeing his children.

Very often story structure follows geography, as the opportunity

takes your hero to a new location: boarding the cruise ships in
Titanic and The Talented Mr. Ripley; going to Cincinnati to bury his
father in Rain Man; the President taking off on Air Force One.

In most movies, the hero enters this new situation willingly, often
with a feeling of excitement and anticipation, or at least believing
that the new problem he faces can be easily solved. But as the
conflict starts to build, he begins to realize he's up against far
greater obstacles than he realized, until finally he comes to...
The protagonist gets a glimpse of what life would be life if he took
the opportunity and acted. Things are changing for him, and it's all
very new and exciting, yet also scary. This leads to...
The hero is now getting used to the new environment, he or she is
perhaps feeling excited about this situation, may feel optimistic
that any challenges faced here will be easily overcome, and is
unaware of what really awaits.
For the next 15% of the story, your hero will react to the new
situation that resulted from the opportunity. She gets acclimated
to the new surroundings, tries to figure out what’s going on, or
formulates a specific plan for accomplishing her overall goal.
Very often story structure follows geography as the opportunity
TURNING POINT #2: The Change of Plans (25%)
Something must happen to your hero one-fourth of the way
through your screenplay that will transform the original desire into
a specific, visible goal with a clearly defined end point.
This is the scene where your story concept is defined, and your
hero’s outer motivation is revealed. That’s the visible finish line the
audience is rooting for your hero to achieve by the end of the
story.
Outer
STAGEmotivation
III: Progressis my term for the visible finish line the audience
is rooting
Erin Brockovich: for your hero
Erin getstosome
achieve by theresidents
Hinkley end of the film.Ed
to hire It istohere
that Tess discovers that Katherine has
represent them, and gets romantically involved with George.stolen her idea in Working
Girl, and now
Gladiator: wants istotaken
Maximus close tothebedeal herself
killed, by posing
escapes to findashis a broker.
family
This
murdered, and is captured and sold to Proximo, who makeswhen
is what we’re rooting for Tess to do, and we know that him a
she’s
powerful accomplished
gladiator. this goal (or failed to), the movie will be over.
Please
For thedon’t confuse
next 25% outer
of your motivation
story, your hero’swith plan
the inner
seemsjourney
to be your
hero takes. Because much of what we respond
working as he takes action to achieve his goal: Ethan Hunt begins to emotionally
grows
closingout in onof the
the villain
hero’sin longings,
Mission:wounds,
Impossible fears, courage
2; Pat and
gets involved
growth,
with the woman of his dreams in There’s Something Aboutour
we often focus on these elements as we develop Mary.
stories.
This is not Buttothese invisible
say that character
this stage components
is without conflict.canButemerge
whatever
effectively
obstacles your onlyhero
if they growheout
faces, of a simple,
is able to avoidvisible desire. them as
or overcome
The protagonist
he approaches… changes what he's been doing and acts. This
launches
Act Two: 25-75% act two.
The heroine will begin pursuing the outer motivation.
Most
In act Hollywood movies involve
two, the protagonist worksaon heroine pursuing
changing his lifeone
andorsolving
more of
five visible goals:
the problems of the plot. He isn't sure how to do that and has both
1. To winand
victories the setbacks.
love of another
Act two person
breaksorout a competition
like this:
2. To stop something bad from happening
3. To escape
Progress (Stagea bad situation
Three)
4.
The heroine’s plan seems an
To deliver or transport to item of valueShe’s moving closer to her
be working.
5. To retrieve something of value
goal but still has conflict. She must bypass and bringorit overcome
to safety or possess
obstacles
it.
until the midpoint or Point of No Return (Turning Point 3).
Emotion
Something should
happensgrowthatoutforces
of conflict and not outtoofmake
the protagonist desire. In a
a full
romance, you have to delay pursuit of the love
commitment to her goal. In a romance, it might be the first kiss, interest. Or, haveor
them meet but then go back and show their
the first time your couple goes to bed together. Now they are not normal lives
beforehand.
able to returnOr, toforce
the lifethem
theytogether
once had. but give them different goals.
The heroine should have another goal than pursuing the guy. For
example, “You two have to work on this project together. The
outcome
25-50% - Stage will determine which one
Three: Progress: Theofprotagonist
you gets the promotion.”
tries to
Hold
accomplish things to fix the problems and become thebyperson
back her admission that she’s falling for the guy giving he her
awants
different goal to pursue.
to be, eventually reaching the...
until the midpoint or Point of No Return (Turning Point 3).
Something happens that forces the protagonist to make a full
commitment to her goal. In a romance, it might be the first kiss, or
the first time your couple goes to bed together. Now they are not
able to return to the life they once had.

25-50% - Stage Three: Progress: The protagonist tries to

accomplish things to fix the problems and become the person he
wants to be, eventually reaching the...

Stage 3 – Progress
The hero appears to be succeeding in his or her plan, there are
obstacles and conflict, but he or she is managing these and
overcoming them. Things seem to be working.
STAGE III: Progress
For the next 25% of your story, your hero’s plan seems to be
working as she takes action to achieve her goal. This is not to say
that this stage is without conflict. But whatever obstacles your
hero faces, she is able to avoid or overcome them as she
approaches…

TURNING POINT #3: The Point of No Return (50%)

Erin Brockovich: Erin and Ed file the lawsuit, risking dismissal by the
judge, which would destroy any hope of a settlement.
Gladiator: Maximus arrives in Rome, determined to win the crowd
as a Gladiator so he can destroy Commodus.
At the exact midpoint of your screenplay, your hero must fully
commit to her goal. Up to this point, she had the option of turning
back, giving up on her plan, and returning to the life she was living
at the beginning of the film. But now your hero must burn her
bridges behind her and put both feet in. (And never let it be said
that I can’t work two hackneyed metaphors into the same
sentence).
It is at precisely this moment that Truman crosses the bridge in The
Truman Show, and that Rose makes love with Jack in Titanic. They
are taking a much bigger risk than at any previous time in these
films. And as a result of passing this point of no return, they must
now face…

50% Mark - Turning Point Three: Point of No Return: This is the no

going back point. Whatever happens, the protagonist fully commits
to his course of action. He knows what he wants and is going for it
full tilt. Which leads to...

It is at precisely this moment that Thelma and Louise rob the

grocery store, that Truman crosses the bridge in The Truman Show,
and that Rose makes love with Jack in Titanic. These heroes are
taking a much bigger risk, and exposing themselves to much
greater jeopardy, than at any previous time in those films.

As a result of passing this point of no return, your hero must now

face…
Turning Point 3 – The Point of No Return
Roughly halfway through your plot, things become much tougher
than your hero anticipated and he or she is confronted with
significant obstacles to achieving the visible goal. At this point your
hero must cross the point of no return and commit 100% to
 STAGE IV: Complications and Higher Stakes
Erin Brockovich: Erin sees less of George and her kids, while Ed
brings in a big firm that alienates the Hinkley plaintiffs.
Gladiator: Maximus becomes a hero to the Roman people and
reveals his true identity to Commodus.
For the next 25% of your story, achieving the visible goal becomes
far more difficult, and your hero has much more to lose if he fails.
After Mitch McDeere begins collecting evidence against The Firm
at that movie’s midpoint, he now must hide what he’s doing from
both the mob and the FBI (complications), and failure will result in
either prison or death (higher stakes).
This conflict continues to build until, just as it seems that success is
within your hero’s grasp, he suffers…

50-75% - Stage Four: Complications and Higher Stakes: The

protagonist moves further into becoming the person he's going to
be and the resolution to his problem. But things are getting harder
and the consequences are getting higher. Which leads to a...
Complications (Stage Four)
It becomes more difficult but more important to reach the goal. If
the heroine loses the hero now, she risks losing her destiny. But
the outside world is closing in and the conflict becomes greater
and greater, until the main character suffers a Major Setback
(Turning

Stage 4 – Complications and Higher Stakes

Your hero is struggling with difficult challenges and the conflict
continues to magnify, he doesn’t give up though, because the
stakes are higher and he can’t go back, remember. It seems that
success is within his grasp.
STAGE IV: Complications and Higher Stakes
For the next 25% of your story, achieving the visible goal becomes
far more difficult, and your hero has much more to lose if she fails.
This conflict continues to build until, just as it seems that success is
within your hero’s grasp, she suffers…
TURNING POINT #4: The Major Setback (75%)
Erin Brockovich: Most of the plaintiffs withdraw due to the bungled
efforts of the new lawyers, and George leaves Erin.
Gladiator: Maximus refuses to help the leader of the Senate, and
Commodus plots to destroy both Maximus and the Senate.
Around page 90 of your screenplay, something must happen to
your hero that makes it seem to the audience that all is lost: Carol
dumps Melvin in As Good As It Gets; Morpheus is captured in The
Matrix. If you’re writing a romantic comedy like Working Girl or
What Women Want, this is the point where your hero’s deception
is revealed and the lovers break up.
These disastrous events leave your hero with only one option: he
must make one, last, all-or-nothing, do-or-die effort as he enters…

75% Mark - Turning Point Four: Major Setback: The protagonist

screws up, often by getting overwhelmed with the new life and
problem and retreated to the person her used to be. He
falls/descends into...

Point 4). All appears lost. In romance jargon, we call this the Big
Black Moment. This is when the two lovers break apart.
Turning Point 4 – The Major Setback
Now something terrible happens and it seems that all is lost. But
your hero is fully committed and he or she really has no choice,
things are critical, so he has to make one, last, desperate effort to
win, escape, stop something or retrieve something (remember
Michael’s basic categories of visible goals).
TURNING POINT #4: The Major Setback (75%)
Something must happen to your hero that makes it seem to the
audience that all is lost: These disastrous events leave your hero
with only one option: she must make one, last, all-or-nothing, do-
or-die effort as she enters …

STAGE V: The Final Push

Erin Brockovich: Erin must rally the Hinkley families to agree to
binding arbitration, and find evidence incriminating the PG&E
corporate office.
Gladiator: Maximus conspires to escape from Proximo and lead his
former troops against Commodus.
Beaten and battered, your hero must now risk everything she has,
and give every ounce of strength and courage she possesses, to
achieve her ultimate goal: Thelma & Louise must outrun the FBI to
reach the border; and the Kennedy’s must attempt one final
negotiation with the Soviets in 13 Days.
During this stage of your script, the conflict is overwhelming, the
pace has accelerated, and everything works against your hero,
until she reaches…
75-100% - Act Three

In act three, the protagonist starts off in a bad spot, retreating to

who he was and shunning who he wants to be. But he pulls it all
together and faces whatever he was afraid to face. He's ready to
move on. This starts with a...

75-90% - Stage Five: Final Push: The protagonist finally sheds his
old self and becomes the new person, and this enables him to
old self and becomes the new person, and this enables him to
face...
Retreat and Final Push (Stage Five)
Each character will try to return to the way they were in the Set
Up. They go back to the original situation, but it’s no longer
satisfying. So the protagonist makes a final push to achieve her
goal.
TURNING POINT #5: The Climax (90-99%)
Erin Brockovich: Erin and Ed win a $330 million dollar settlement,
and George returns.
Gladiator: Maximus has his final battle with Commodus in the
arena.
Several things must occur at the climax of the film: the hero must
face the biggest obstacle of the entire story; she must determine
her own fate; and the outer motivation must be resolved once and
for all. This is the big moment where our heroes go into the Twister
and the Jewish factory workers make their escape in Schindler’s
List.
Notice that the climax can occur anywhere from the 90% point to
the last couple minutes of the movie. The exact placement will be
determined by the amount of time you need for…
The Climax (Turning Point 5) is where the heroine faces her biggest
obstacle. She either achieves her goal or she doesn’t.
90-99% - Turning Point Five: The Climax: The final fight with the
antagonist and the resolution of the story's problem. The
protagonist realizes if he fully embraces the new him, he will win.
This ends with...

Turning Point 5 – The Climax

STAGE VI: The Aftermath
Erin Brockovich: Erin gets a $2 million bonus, and continues
working with Ed.
Gladiator: Maximus is united with his family in death, and his body
carried away in honor by the new leaders of the Roman republic.
No movie ends precisely with the resolution of the hero’s
objective. You have to reveal the new life your hero is living now
that he’s completed his journey.
In movies like Rocky, Thelma & Louise and The Truman Show,
there is little to show or explain, and the writer’s goal is to leave
the audience stunned or elated. So the climax occurs near the very
end of the film. But in most romantic comedies, mysteries and
dramas, the aftermath will include the final five or ten pages of the
script.
Understanding these stages and turning points provides you with a
powerful tool for developing and writing your screenplay. Is your
story concept defined at the one-quarter mark? Is your hero’s goal
truly visible, with a clearly implied outcome and not just an inner
desire for success, acceptance or self worth? Have you fully
introduced your hero before presenting her with an opportunity
around page 10? Does she suffer a major setback 75% of the way
into your script?
But a word of caution: don’t let all these percentages block your
creativity. Structure is an effective template for rewriting and
strengthening the emotional impact of your story. But you don’t
want to be imprisoned by it. Come up with characters you love and
a story that ignites your passion. Then apply these structural
principles, to ensure that your screenplay will powerfully touch the
widest possible audience.

100% - Stage Six: Aftermath: The protagonist has survived his

ordeal and journey and is now the person he wanted to be, and
has resolved the problems he was facing. He's shed the old and