We all know that movies can be mostly divided into 3 acts. In this post, we will show how movie scripts can be actually divided into 5 major plot points.
When learning the basics of screenplay structure, writers generally talk about stories having 3 acts. That is a beginning, middle and end with a turning point at the end of act 1 and act 2.
Although it’s important to understand how these two turning points work to drive your story forward, there are really five major plot points that dictate the full structure of your story:
The 5 act structure:
The inciting incident
The lock-in
The first culmination (or midpoint)
The main culmination
The third act twist
These five points are moments that change the momentum of your story.
This narrative structure helps screenplay writers turn the events in the script in a dynamic way. Often by setting the protagonists of the story down a new path or changing their objective.
There are exceptions to every rule but understanding how to use these five moments in your screenplay to help you build the necessary turning points can be key!
1. The Inciting Incident
The inciting incident occurs in the middle of the first act and at the end of your first sequence. It is the first moment that shakes up the status quo.
Before this moment, your protagonist has existed in their own world. But at this point in the story, conflict or big decision presents itself.
The character would not have to decide on what to do next or figure out how to solve the problem. But the audience would start suspecting that there is a big decision coming along the way.
To make this clear consider the movie: The Graduate
Mrs. Robinson asks Ben (a recent college graduate) to give her a ride home where she convinces him to come inside her house and then attempts to seduce him. She then stands in front of him naked and makes it clear that she is sexually available for him. Here, Ben did not give a clear decision about what he wants or what he is about to do… he just nervously tries to escape the room.
At this point, Ben has not entered into a relationship with Mrs. Robinson. However, the door has been open to that very opportunity.
We still have more to come in the first act, but we won’t be surprised when he later makes the call and begins the affair.
2. The Lock-in
The lock-in is the moment at which your protagonist can no longer return to the status quo. Backing out is impossible.
Often the character is literally locked up with handcuffs, stranded, or abducted.
The door which was open to the protagonist earlier at the inciting incident now slams closed behind your character.
This would not only establish your protagonist’s objective but also will drive them forward into the second act.
For example, In the Matrix, Neo meets Morpheus who explains The Matrix is a false reality. Morpheus then holds out two pills: if Neo takes the blue pill he’ll wake up in his bed and believe whatever he wants. But, if he takes the red pill, then he’ll stay in Wonderland and Morpheus will show him how deep the rabbit-hole goes.
Here is the inciting incident.
As we move to the lock-in, Neo takes the red pill.
Clearly, Neo is now locked in. There is no going back. He has liberated himself from the false reality of the matrix.
3. The First Culmination / Midpoint
About halfway through every screenplay, your protagonist achieves their first major success or failure.
This is the midpoint of the 5 major plot point structure.
When the midpoint is a success, then it’s an achievement of a smaller goal on the road to the main objective.
Alternatively, when this culmination (or midpoint) is a failure, it moves your protagonists even farther from their objective.
In Forrest Gump, Forrest accidentally ends up on the stage as part of an anti-war rally and is asked to speak to thousands of people filling the National Mall. Even though the microphone cuts out during a speech, Jenny hears his name and yells out from the crowd. Forrest and Jenny run to each other reuniting in the reflecting pool to the cheers of thousands.
Despite all of his other accomplishments, this is the high point in forest life because, in the end, all he really ever wants is Jenny. She was lost but now she’s found.
4. The Main Culmination
The main culmination can be thought of as the climax of the film.
It is the highest or lowest point for your protagonist so far.
The Climax is usually represented through a major success or failure that brings your character’s second act objective to a close and propels them towards a new goal in the third act.
for example, in The Shawshank Redemption: Andy Dufresne asks the warden to help him get another trial and promised that he won’t reveal the money laundering schemes that he set up for him. The warden reacts by throwing Andy in solitary confinement. Now not only is Andy refused the opportunity to prove his innocence but in the immediate aftermath of this scene, the warden sends the only inmate who can testify in Andy’s behalf to his death sentence.
This is the lowest low for Andy Dufresne. He really is an innocent man and now he has no hope to ever breathe the air beyond Shawshank Prison.
5. The Third-act Twist
The third-act twist occurs approximately halfway between the main culmination at the end of your story.
It is the bone thrown in front of the protagonist to help him achieve his third act objective. This is the moment that changes the trajectory of the character in the final act.
This third act twist is different from the other 5 major plot points because it actually changes the plot.
In Scorsese’s Goodfellows, Henry meets his best friend Jimmy in a diner only to realize that Jimmy plans on having him killed. This unexpected turn of events then forces Henry to cut a deal with the authorities where he rats on his friends and enters the witness protection program.
Importance of the 5 plot points
These 5 major plot points are the building blocks behind three-act structure and sequence construction. Mapping out these points early in your screenplay development process will go a long way to help navigate the writing of your script.
You can check out the article about the 13 beats of the script that expands on these 5 plot points in more detail.
Mainly, the script can be divided into 15 beats or turning points.
We will list and explain them in this article.
What is a “Save The Cat” Script Beat?
A script beat is an event that changes the character or the story.
Blake Snyder studied many successful movies and noticed that almost all have the same narrative structure.
So, he devised an outline from 15 specific beats or story points that every good screenplay should have.
Snyder even numbers the pages in a script that each beat should land on.
Save The Cat Beat Sheet Template
The Blake Snyder (Save The Cat) Beat Sheet
Keep in mind that this is not a rule or a formula!
This structure helps screenplay writers organize the script and helps the audience understand the movie and stay engaged.
The 15 Beats Explained
1. Opening Image
The movie starts with the opening image.
It is a visual that starts the movie and explains its tone.
In your script, this is usually on the first page.
For example, Home Alone is a Christmas movie that starts with bright lights, a tinkly soundtrack, and many decorations.
The Matrix starts with a computer screen and a blinking green line.
From the beginning, we already know that the movie is about tech and computer programming.
Opening Image: The Matrix
2. The Theme Stated
Next, the audience should discover what the moral of the movie is.
In your screenplay, the movie’s theme should be stated early on.
Usually, the hero speaks it out loud.
This can happen through dialogue.
The hero can state the theme: I will save my family, I will get revenge, I want to marry this girl…
The Theme is Stated by Liam Neeson in Taken
In the Avengers, the theme is stated after the arrival of Loki and the destruction of the secret NASA base.
Agent Nick Fury calls Agent Phil Coulson and tells him they are now at war.
This is what the film will revolve around; the idea of conflict and the threat from outside our world.
Remember:Here, we know the theme or tone of the movie and not the central conflict.
3. The Setup
The setup is one of the most critical sections of your script.
It provides the essential context for the audience to become immediately engaged or lose interest within the first ten minutes.
Around page 10, your viewer should learn what the hero’s life is like before the inciting incident that will happen and change the course of events.
The Inciting Incident It is the first moment that shakes up the status quo. Before this moment, your protagonist has existed in their own world. But at this point in the story, conflict or a big decision presents itself.
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At this third beat, we also find out the needs of our hero.
Here, show what the life of the hero looks like before the conflict happens.
Also, introduce the character that will play the leading role in the story and hint at the upcoming adventure.
4. The Catalyst
Here is the event that sets the hero on their journey.
According to the Save The Cat beat sheet, the catalyst should be around page 12 in your screenplay.
The catalyst or the inciting incident is the event that shakes the harmony and everyday life of the protagonist and shifts it upside down.
This is the main event that will get your audience hooked on the movie.
In Avatar, the catalyst is when Jake gets into his avatar’s body and discovers he can control it and use his legs again.
The Catalyst in Avatar
In The Matrix, the inciting incident is when Neo discovers he is not safe in this computer-generated reality.
5. The Debate
Here the hero hesitates.
He debates internally or externally about whether to make the journey or not.
It’s the chance to bail out before the point of no return.
In The Avengers: The debate is when we are left to wonder if the heroes will come together to help stop Loki.
And here is when Act 1 of the movie is over.
Act 2
6. Break into 2
Breaking into 2 because, at this point, the second act of a three-act structure begins.
Here is where the hero decides to head on the journey.
This will put the plot in motion.
Blake Snyder believes this should happen around page 25 of the script.
The clearest example of this script beat is in The Matrix when Neo decides to take the blue pill over the red pill.
Break into 2: Neo making his choice in The Matrix
In The Avengers, this beat is when the heroes decide to step into the upside-down world where they will have to work together.
7. The B story
Also known as a subplot.
This is a secondary story that holds the audience’s interest while the details of the main plot unfold.
It’s commonly a love story.
Whether between a man and a woman, a father and a son, or two characters destined to become best friends.
Typically, this is around page 30 of your script.
The B story in Thor
8. Fun and Games
At this beat, your audience should explore the world of the movie.
Here scriptwriters can take a short break from building tension and concentrate on showing the fun and exciting stuff about the world and characters they created.
The Invisible Man gets to see what listening to private conversations is like.
The kung-fu kid uses his new mad skills to win some tournaments.
Bank robbers can now swim in a pile of money.
Fun and Games: Money Heist
Usually, these are the scenes that the audience is waiting to see in the movie.
From a marketing perspective you can think of it this way:
Fun and Games are the moments that make the audience decide to watch the movie. But the hero journey and conflict make them continue till the end, and they later recommend the movie to their friends.
9. The Midpoint
This is where things are either at their greatest up or down point.
In the Save The Cat beat sheet, this beat is where the fun and games end, and we return to the high stakes of the main story.
The corrupt investment broker is doing more business than ever and seems untouchable by the authorities. [Greatest up point]
Or
The kung-fu kid is incapable of learning the secret ninja move and has his worst beating to date by the high school star quarterback. [Greatest low point]
10. The Bad Guys Close in
Few beats remaining till the end of the movie. Scriptwriters here should bring their A-game.
The fun ends, and things will start to escalate quickly from this point.
At this beat, the evil forces re-emerge.
Your audience may think the villain is defeated in the fun and games beat… But not yet.
These forces will close in on the protagonist and throw them off balance.
The antagonists can be either people, forces of nature, aliens, or the protagonist’s internal fears and conflicts.
11. All is Lost
At this point in the script, the bad guys deal such an utter defeat to the hero.
This defeat makes it seem impossible for a happy ending to come out of it.
“All is lost” is an essential beat. It will make the audience wonder how they will get out of it.
It raises the stakes, and the more the characters lose, the more pressure for the screenplay writer to deliver the expected ending.
Back to our examples:
The broker can here is caught for making a major illegal trade.
The prehistoric shark breaks through the electric barrier and is now free to pick off the remaining cast one by one.
The Invisible Man is sprayed with ink and loses his exceptional strength.
Usually, the movie’s leading and most devastating character death happens here.
The character that helped the hero of the story and gave him the tools to survive might be killed off, heavily injured, or put in extreme danger.
For example, In The Matrix, this is where Morpheus is kidnapped.
12. Dark Night of the Soul
This is the beat at which the hero recognizes their defeat and loses hope.
This moment sets everything up for the greatest sacrifice the hero will require to correct all the wrongs.
Act 3
13. Break into 3
The end of Act Two and the beginning of the climax.
In this narrative structure, this is the moment where the heroes find a possible solution to the impossible situation they are in.
This solution wasn’t there a moment ago. The heroes will find it by chance, through a sudden event, or thanks to the love interest from the B story.
But this solution they found won’t be easy to execute! It may cost their lives. It may be a long shot. But there’s still a chance that it could work.
14. Finale
This is where it all comes to an end.
The bad guys get killed or defeated from least significant to most important.
The Invisible Man finds the courage to defeat his enemies while covered with ink.
In the best stories, the whole world of the hero changes at this beat.
Things will never go back to the way they were. It’s a new day and a new dawn.
15. Final Image
This is a closing image that shows the audience that the hero’s world has really changed.
Maybe it’s a shot of the cubical office worker finally living his dream of being a ski instructor.
Or
The superhero going to a different universe, leaving the world a better place.
The opening image and the final image have to show contrast and change.
The hero’s journey throughout the movie should have taken them from point A to point B.
Look how the first and final frame of these movies could tell the whole theme of the movie:
First and Final Frame of Black SwanFirst and Final Frame of Bird Man
Should you follow the “Save The Cat Beat Sheet”?
You don’t have to follow these beats by word. And surely you don’t need to abide by the suggested page numbers of each beat.
When you are writing a script, it will be very helpful to organize your thoughts using the Save The Cat beat sheet template.
These beats will ensure that your script is on point and that the audience will be engaged in the movie because there are many turning points and it ensures that a lot is happening.
If you did not follow this Blake Snyder beat sheet, there is a possibility that you will be taking too long to reach the interesting story points of your script. Or there may be a lot of pages where nothing is happening.
You might think that you are building up and preparing for a certain turning point, but the audience may lose interest if you lagged too long.
Finally, although almost all commercially successful movies follow the save the cat beat sheet, there are still good films that completely disregard it.
The three act structure in movie screenplays is a model the helps scriptwriters organize the film.
Basically, this structure is the beginning, middle, and end.
So, Act 1 is the set up of the story. Act 2 is the confrontation. Act 3 is the Resolution.
Of course, not all movies follow this structure completely.
In this post, we will explain the 3 act structure film and give examples from movies to help better understand and apply this structure in your own scripts.
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that the movie acts should not be separated in the film. But rather the events should seem to flow seamlessly. One event should lead to the other in order to reach the resolution in the end.
This is the basic diagram that explains the three act structure.
So let’s dive in to every act while keeping in mind that this is NOT a rule that all films follow.
There are other narrative structures (such as the non-linear narrative of the french New Wave) that are completely opposite to these movie acts. And there are other detailed narrative structures such as the Save The Cat beat sheet template and the 5 point structure.
For now, we will go over the acts in the 3 act structure:
Act 1: Setup
The setup involves the introduction of characters and their story world. And some kind of inciting incident, which is typically a conflict that leads into the second act.
It’s usually the first 20-30 pages of your script. In these first 20-30 mins of the film, the audience should know who the main characters are, their personality, where the story is taking place (location and time).
In Fantasy or Science Fiction films, this first movie act should introduce the rules of the world we are in. For example, time travel, how magic works, what can technology do, what are the powers of the character….
Act I must also present a powerful hook. This exciting scene early in the script that captures the audience’s interest and hooks them up this is called the inciting incident.
This inciting incident takes place at some point at the beginning of Act I and often provokes a change in the routine of the protagonist. Something new they experience that could challenge or encourage them. T
This act ends with a plot point. It changes the course of the whole story and that presents a problem for the characters.
for example, In the movie Children of Men:
Act 1 presented the main character, Theo who is living a defeated life in a dystopian London.
Inciting incident: is when he is contacted by his ex-wife, and asked to help get travel papers for some refugees.
The plot point happens when the main characters are ambushed by an armed gang, and Julian is killed, and when Theo learns that his ex-wife is dead.
In Dead Man Walking
Act 1: Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon), a nun who spends her days helping poor children, receives a letter from convicted felon Matthew Poncelet (Sean Pen). Ths felon who is serving a death sentence asks her for help with legal problems.
Act 2: The Confrontation
In the second act, the stakes in the movie events are raised. The problem escalates, and new challenges for the main characters surface.
If we were to time each act of the 3 act structure, the second act will be the longest part.
Briefly, in this act, the characters will try to solve the main problem or work on reaching their goal but they will fail in doing so.
Usually, its towards the end of the second act. At this point, it would seem that the characters have reached a dead end and their goal would seem very far and hard to accomplish.
In many movies, the screenplay writers would choose to introduce a subplot in the second act. The sub-plot is an additional storyline under the main narrative of the movie.
In many cases, this subplot adds a new dimension to the characters. But the subplot can also be considered as a tool for the scriptwriters to spend some time from the movie in order to delay the third act.
Dead Man Walking Act 2 The Federal Court of Appeals denies Matthew’s last chance for an execution stay. All of Sister Helen’s and Hilton’s efforts to extend Matthew’s life have failed. The clock time reads 10:33 p.m. In an hour, Matthew Poncelet will be a dead man walking.
Act 3: Resolution
The three act structure usually ends with the resolution. It is a conclusion or closure for the main conflict in the movie. Whether it was a happy or sad ending.
Some call this third act as the confrontation because usually at the end of the film the main character must face the villain (or the good must face the bad).
The confrontation might be between 2 characters. Like in superhero movies almost all the time the hero faces and fights the villain in the end.
Or the confrontation can be between the main character and his/her internal conflict. For example, they could face a situation where they have to overcome their fear of something or to make a great sacrifice.
The third act is usually the shortest movie act among the three structures.
Most importantly, the third act must give the audience a sort of resolution.
Almost all movies that follow the three act structure end with an answer to the question asked or the conflict raised in the movie.
For example, in the end of Citizen Kane, the characters in the movie did not learn the real meaning of the word “Rosebud” which was raised in the first act, but the audience were able to learn the answer in the final shot. In the ending shot, the camera travels from the house to reveal a slid with the word “Rosebud”. This explains the meaning of this word that we were trying to figure out throughout the whole movie.
Many critics praise Citizen Kane for this reason, they say the movie has 2 endings.
Conclusion
The three act structure is a very good tool for screenplay writers to organize their thoughts and it is a good tool to make a movie easier to understand and follow.
But in some cases, this structure could limit the creativity of the screenplay writers and may make the movie predictable. This is because the audience who know about this structure would be able to predict the conflict and that the events will keep on lagging until the end of the movie.
So, the three act structure should not be considered as a rule or a formula in scriptwriting. Many successful movies did not follow these three acts clearly. For example movies that did not follow the three act structure are:
Pulp Fiction, Memento, 21 Grams, Tree of Life, Vantage Point, Reservoir Dogs…
