
They’ve been tasked to take the ring to Rivendell where they think the ring will be safe. In Fellowship of the Ring, the Hobbits are well into their journey with Ring Wraiths close behind. The characters are off on their physical or emotional journey (preferably both) and come across additional conflicts that are in the way of their main goals. If you subscribe to the three-act structure, this is where the second act unfolds. MidpointĪfter the First Act Break, the protagonists venture well into the meat of the story. These moments catapult the characters into the main conflict or journey that is the second act. He’s lead into this world and is terrified to discover that reality as he knew it is questioned.īut it’s not until he goes to finally meet Morpheus where the First Act Break presents itself in the form of a choice - blue pill or red pill. Anderson), a computer hacker that is told to follow the rabbit to find the hackers he knows as Trinity and Morpheus. Then the true protagonist of the film wakes up in front of a computer screen. The film opens with a mysterious reveal of a woman who can seemingly bend the laws of physics to escape from strange agents dressed in black. In Stand By Me, it’s the moment the boys first step on the railroad tracks and set off on their adventure.īut the best one featured within the video is the First Act Break for The Matrix. In The Fellowship of the Ring, it’s when Frodo and Sam set off with Gandalf to leave The Shire. The First Act Break is where the major conflict fully takes hold and leads us into the second act (or any variation thereof, depending on what structure you align with for your story). Within minutes, Vern appears and they are soon committed to the journey ahead to find that dead body. In Stand By Me, we’re introduced to the characters and their world as we segue from the narrator in his jeep in present time to him and his friends in the 1950s. When the wolf runs towards them and the mysterious Norwegians chase after it, leading to violence, the inhabitants of that arctic camp are thrust into the story. All of this takes up nearly twenty or so minutes before the Inciting Incident is introduced.īut with The Thing, we only get a very brief introduction of the protagonists and their world. With The Fellowship of the Ring, the script introduces the history of Middle Earth in relation to the ring and then segues into the introduction of The Shire, including the likes of Frodo and Gandalf, the two lead protagonists of the story. You briefly set up the world of your characters and then you present an event that thrusts them into the major conflict of the story.

In Stand By Me, it’s when Vern enters the treehouse and tells the other boys the tale of him overhearing his brother talk about finding the dead body of a missing boy. In John Carpenter’s The Thing, it happens at the very beginning of the film when the wolf runs into the camp.
#Finding cplot points in a story for free
In Lords of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this occurs when Bilbo disappears and a ring is left behind.ĭownload the screenplays for THE LORD OF THE RINGS here for free The video refers to the Inciting Incident as an invitation, a doorway that opens, a kick in the ass, or a last straw.

This is what thrusts the protagonist into the main action or conflict of the story. But the one most common and consistent plot point in the opening act is the Inciting Incident. When you look at every genre, these elements are present in various forms.
#Finding cplot points in a story series
The Inciting IncidentĮvery great screenplay tells a strong story within a journey, a challenge, an obstacle to overcome, or an intriguing series of events. Here we feature Cinefix’s Top 5 Plot Points of All Time to find words of wisdom and inspiration for screenwriters and filmmakers. Welcome to our ongoing Learning from the Masters and Industry Insiders series where we seek out and feature excellent videos, interviews, and discussions of the art, craft, and business of screenwriting and pull the best words of wisdom, writing tips, and screenwriting advice. What are the most successful plot points that screenwriters can use in their screenplays?
