THE IDEA

1. Title:
2. Theme(s)/Controlling Idea:

3. Genre(s):
a. [ ] Action/Disaster - generally involves a moral interplay between "good"
and "bad" played out through violence or physical force. Stories whose central
struggle plays out mainly through a clash of physical forces.
b. [ ] Adult film intended to be viewed only by an adult audience, content
may include violence, disturbing themes, obscene language, or explicit sexual
behavior. Adult film may also be used as a synonym for pornographic film.
i. [ ] Children's film films for young children; as opposed to a family
film, no special effort is made to make the film attractive for other
audiences.
ii. [ ] Family film intended to be attractive for people of all ages and
suitable for viewing by a young audience. Examples of this are Disney
films.
c. [ ] Adventure - involving danger, risk, and/or chance, often with a high
degree of fantasy. Stories whose central struggle plays out mainly through
encounters with new "worlds".
d. [ ] Animation - the rapid display of a sequence of 2-D artwork or model
positions in order to create an illusion of movement.
e. [ ] Buddy Movie Technically not a distinctive genre per se. Really
describes a vehicle for two stars of relatively equal importance, although one
of them is usually the main character. Redford and Newman are the most well
known pairing from the recent past.
f. [ ] Comedy - intended to provoke laughter. Stories whose central struggle
causes hilarious results.
i. [ ] Black Comedy - A comedy that uses death and morbid doings as
the root of its humor. Surfaces regularly. Most recent incarnations,
Very Bad Things and Pulp Fiction.
g. [ ] Crime - places its character within realm of criminal activity. Stories
whose central struggle is about catching a criminal.
h. [ ] Detective Story/Courtroom Drama - Stories whose central struggle is to
find out what really happened and thus to expose the truth.
i. [ ] Documentary - the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document"
reality.
j. [ ] Drama/Coming-of-Age - mainly focuses on character development.
Stories whose central struggle is about the hero finding his or her place in the
world.
k. [ ] Epic/Myth - Stories whose central struggle plays out in the midst of a
clash of great forces or in the sweep of great historical change.
l. [ ] Fantasy - speculative fiction outside reality (i.e. myth, legend). Stories
which are animated, or whose central struggle plays out in two worlds: the
"real" world and an imaginary world.
m. [ ] Film noir - portrays its principal characters in a nihilistic and
existentialist realm or manner.
n. [ ] Gangster - Stories whose central struggle is between a criminal and
society. A cautionary tale, rooted in a main character who commits crimes
(This genre is often blended with Film Noir).
o. [ ] Heist/Caper - Sort of a "cross-categorization." An intricately planned
theft by a group of people. Examples: Ocean's Eleven, The Great Train
Robbery, and more recently, one of the genres in The Usual Suspects.
p. [ ] Historical - taking place in the past amidst notable historical
circumstances.
q. [ ] Horror - intended to provoke fear in audience. Stories whose central
struggle focuses on escaping from and eventually defeating a Monster (either
human or non-human).
r. [ ] Musical - songs are sung by the characters and interwoven into the
narrative.
s. [ ] Mystery - the progression from the unknown to the known by
discovering and solving a series of clues.
t. [ ] Romance - dwelling on the elements of romantic love. Stories whose
central struggle is between two people who each want to win or keep the love
of the other.
u. [ ] Science fiction - a setting or plot defined by the effects of speculative
(not yet existing) technology (i.e. future space travel, cyberpunk, time
travel). Stories whose central struggle is generated from the technology and
tools of a scientifically imaginable world.
v. [ ] Social Drama - Stories whose central struggle is between a Champion
and a problem or injustice in society. Usually the Champion has a personal
stake in the outcome of the struggle.
w. [ ] Sports - sporting events and locations pertaining to a given sport.
x. [ ] Thriller/Suspense - intended to provoke excitement and/or nervous
tension into audience. Stories whose central struggle pits an innocent hero
against a lethal enemy who is out to kill him or her.
y. [ ] War - battlefields and locations pertaining to a time of war.
z. [ ] Western - wilderness on the verge of civilization, usually in the American
West.
4. Protagonist(s):
5. Antagonist(s):
6. Central Character(s):
7. Plot Structure:
a. [ ] Coming of Age Plot - The young character matures to understand
something about the world he lives in, and his role in it.
b. [ ] Redemption Plot - The character is saved, or saves someone else.
c. [ ] Punitive Plot - The character is punished for his wrongdoings.
d. [ ] Testing Plot - The character is tempted or challenged, but retains his
values.
e. [ ] Education Plot - The character makes a deep change in his view of life,
almost (but not) always from the negative to the positive.
f. [ ] Fulfillment Plot - The character achieves his heart's desire.
g. [ ] Moral Plot - The character learns a moral lesson.


THE CORE

1. The Catalyst, a.k.a. the Inciting Incident or New Opportunity (~pg. 12) - This is what
sets the story in motion, when the Protagonist encounters the problem that will
change his life, when the detective is assigned the case, when the Comic Hero gets
fired from his cushy job, forcing him into comic circumstances.

2. The Big Event, a.k.a. Plot Point 1, the Change of Plans or Turning Point 1 (~pg. 30) -
The last scene in Act I, this is a surprising development that radically changes the
Protagonist's life, and forces him to confront the Opponent. The reasons may be
moral (the enemy has violated the main characters code of conduct), intellectual
(the main character is now convinced he must act because he believes inaction will
be worse), or physical (if the main character doesnt motivate, he will suffer or die).
The more reasons, the higher the stakes will be, thus the greater the drama.
Example: In Star Wars, this is when Luke's family is killed by the Empire. He has no
home to go back to, so he joins the Rebels in opposing Darth Vader.

3. The Pinch, a.k.a. the Midpoint or the Point of No Return (~pg. 60) - An important
scene in the middle of the scriptoften a reversal of fortune or revelation that
changes the direction of the storythat keeps the second act from sagging.
Something happens so that the hero, pushing forward and committing to his goal
against all odds, cannot return to where he was in the setup.

4. The Crisis, a.k.a. Plot Point 2, All Hope is Lost, the Major Setback, the Giving Up
Point or Turning Point 2 (~pg. 90) - A dramatic reversal that ends Act II and begins
Act III, which is about confrontation and resolution. Sometimes Turning Point 2 is
the moment when the Hero has had enough and is finally going to face the
Opponent. Sometimes, like in Toy Story, it's the low-point for the Hero, and he must
bounce back to overcome the odds in Act III. At this point it appears that the hero
may not achieve his goal, that the hero is about to give up until something happens
that changes everything. It is at this Moment of Truth that the main character must
face down his own inner demons in order to confront the actual demons waiting for
him in the third act. This Moment is structurally crucial, because it sets up the
consequences that lead to the final conflict and climax.

5. The Showdown, a.k.a. the Climax (~pg. 108-114) - About midway through Act III,
the Protagonist will confront the Main Problem of the story and either overcome it, or
come to a tragic end. It is an all-or-nothing moment. The Demon is Confronted - The
"Demon" in question is not necessarily literal, but represents a problem that the
character has wrestled with during the course of the story. In a layered story, this
Demon typically has two components - outer and inner. The outer component, or
external conflict is represented by the physical obstacles to the character's goal. The
inner component, or internal conflict is the emotional or psychological obstacle that
could not only prevent the character from reaching the goal, but also often hinders
him from achieving any real satisfaction. If you always think of the main character as
having both outer and inner conflicts, you will never be short of material. This lesson
is especially important to remember in the second act, where the inner conflict is
given time to grow. First and third acts are usually so packed with information, it can
be difficult to spend time on developing character.

6. The Realization, a.k.a. the Resolution or Denouement (~pg. 114-120) - The issues of
the story are resolved. Lessons are learned, growth is recognized, and the audience
is given closure.

7. The Hero Myth - The hero is introduced in his ordinary world, where he receives the
call to adventure. He is reluctant at first but is encouraged by the wise old man or
woman to cross the first threshold, where he encounters tests and helpers. He
reaches the innermost cave, where he endures the supreme ordeal. He seizes the
sword or the treasure and is pursued on the road back to his world. He is resurrected
and transformed by his experience. He returns to his ordinary world with a treasure,
boon, or elixir to benefit his world.
! Use the Hero Myth as a frame for your story:


THE CENTRAL CHARACTER

1. Goal(s) What tangible, external, dramatic, measurable, specific thing does the
central character want? The harder the goal is to attain, the more dramatic the story
will be.

2. Opposition Who/what does not want the central character to attain his goal? Note:
the opposition should be manifest as one individual character. If the opposition is an
organization, then let one character represent the organization. If the opposition is a
creature or force of nature, be sure to include a human character as secondary
opposition.

3. Need(s) What internal and/or emotional need does the central character have?

4. Flaw(s) What flaw does the central character have that prevents attaining his
need?

5. Motivation Why does the central character want what he wants? Note: the more
personal the reason, the more an audience will relate to and sympathize with the
central character on an emotional level.

6. Back-story What significant event happened to the central character just prior to
the start of the story?

7. Dominant Trait What is the most distinguishing feature of the central characters
personality?

8. Other Traits What other actions have defined the central characters personality?

9. Occupation What does the central character do for a living? Does he like it? Why or
why not? How long has he been doing it?

10. Skills Does the central character have any skills outside of his occupation?

11. Likes What does the central character like and enjoy? Why?

12. Dislikes What does the central character not like or enjoy? Why not?

13. Voice What does the central character sound like? What is his tone, accent,
volume, speed of voice? Does he talk a lot? What kind of vocabulary does he have?

14. Physiology What does the central character look like? Why?

15. Sociology What kind of people does the central character associate with? Is he a
loner?

16. Other Notes Feel free to list any other things about the central character not
already mentioned.


THE STORY

Act I
A. Setup (~pg. 1-12, ~4 scenes)
1. Opening Image - The first image in the screenplay should summarize the
entire film, especially its tone. Often, writers go back and redo this as the last
thing before submitting the script.

2. Who are the characters?

3. What is the place, time, mood, size/scope/feeling, point of view?

4. What's the story about?

5. Whose story is it?

6. What does the hero want, and what's stopping the hero from getting it?

7. Do we like the hero and care if he gets what he wants? Why?

8. What sort of internal problems/character flaws does the hero have?

9. What happens next?

B. Central Question Point (~pg. 3, IDEA #2)
1. What is the central question, the theme, the main issue the movie is going to
answer?

C. The Catalyst, a.k.a. the Inciting Incident or New Opportunity (~pg. 12, CORE #1)
1. What external event happens to steer events in a particular direction?

D. Choice of Path (~pg. 12-30, ~6 scenes) - The Call To Action - Following the inciting
incident, there will be a period of time during which the characters, especially the
main character, need to orient themselves in light of the information presented to
them by the inciting event. Here they will question and explore. Their world and their
place in it are shown, and often, a reason is given as to why the main character
doesnt quite fit into that world. Dramatically, it is often better to either have the
character refuse to join the action (due to internal conflict), or be prevented from
joining (due to external conflict). Following the Call, a period of reflection takes
place, in which the characters absorb the implications of the Call, and/or of their
refusal or inability to act upon it. During this brief moment, events transpire to drag
the character into the thick of the conflict. Often it happens that the enemy (who
already know what they want!) have regrouped and make their move. Example: Star
Wars. Call: Luke sees Leias holographic cry for help. Response: When asked by Ben
Kenobi to join a rescue attempt, Luke refuses.
1. Based on the new opportunity, what steps does the hero take toward a
general goal?

E. The Big Event, a.k.a. Plot Point 1, the Change of Plans or Turning Point 1 (~pg. 30,
CORE #2)
1. What event throws the hero a curve, forces a response or reaction, sets the
hero's plan/goal, defines the hero's new pathway for Act II?

2. What general goal(s) become specific?

3. What internal fear is the hero avoiding while attempting to solve the external
problem?

Act I I
A. Progress (~pg. 30-60, ~10 scenes) - Plans to achieve goals are working. There are
conflicts but things are going pretty well. Remember: Subplots Create Depth. The
main function of subplots is to reveal character. To do this, subplots flesh out
characters' emotional lives, dimensionalize characters by showing how they interact
with others, and give characters a chance to reveal their thoughts and philosophies.
1. What conflicts is the hero facing?

2. How is the hero changing?

3. What circumstances are changing?

4. What stakes are getting higher?

5. Moving Forward Metaphor, a.k.a. Pinch 1 (~pg. 45) - A small scene with
symbolic overtones, showing the character's growth, and giving us a clue to
the resolution. A reminder scene at about 3/8 the way through the script
(halfway through Act IIa) that brings up the central conflict of the drama,
reminding us of the overall conflict.
a. What symbolic overtones are used?

b. How has the character grown?

c. What symbol or act alludes to the resolution?

B. The Pinch, a.k.a. the Midpoint or the Point of No Return (~pg. 60, CORE #3)
1. What is the hero's point of no return?

2. How has the hero changed?

3. What has changed the hero?

4. Has the external goal become internal/personal? If so, how?

5. Will pursuing the goal change the hero further? How?

C. Post-Point Moment (~pg. 60-65, ~1 scene) - A lighter moment, which typically
follows the Point of No Return.
1. This moment does not further the action, but how does it show how the hero
is changing?

2. What obstacles are about to escalate?

D. Complications and Higher Stakes (~pg. 60-90, ~10 scenes) - It looks like it will take
everything to do this, harder than thought, but the hero wants it more because it's
harder.
1. How has the goal become even harder to achieve?

2. Pinch 2 (~pg. 75) - Another reminder scene about 5/8 through the script
(halfway through Act IIb) that is somehow linked to Pinch 1 in reminding the
audience about the central conflict. For example, in Star Wars, Pinch 1 is the
Stormtroopers attacking the Millennium Falcon in Mos Eisley, reminding us
that the Empire is after the stolen plans to the Death Star that R2-D2 is
carrying and that Luke and Ben Kenobi are trying to get to the Rebel Alliance
(the main conflict). Pinch 2 is the Stormtroopers attacking them as they
rescue the Princess in the Death Star. Both scenes remind us of the Empire's
opposition, and using the Stormtrooper attack motif unifies both Pinches.

E. The Crisis, a.k.a. Plot Point 2, All Hope is Lost, the Major Setback, the Giving Up
Point or Turning Point 2 (~pg. 90, CORE#4) Example: Clockwork Orange. The
Moment: Alex, out of prison, has been rejected by his parents and beaten by his old
friends, who are now ironically police. Consequence: Alex seeks aid at the very
house owned by a writer who he and his friends previously assaulted, and whose
wife they raped. The Moment is about Alex receiving the moral consequences of his
actions.
1. What happens that changes everything, that gives the hero new strength?

2. What event gives a chance at a goal the hero didn't know he had?

3. How has the hero confronted internal fear to solve external problems?

Act I I I
A. Final Push (~pg. 90-108, ~6 scenes) - Final intensification of the hero's pursuit of
the goal, which usually becomes focused here into achieving one specific action. A
New Tactic. In Act III, the main character's entire methodology changes. He
struggled and battled his way through Act II, and all he got for his troubles was
either pain, unhappiness, or the realization that what he did get, he now doesn't
want. This not just a new understanding, but a radical re-evaluation of his entire
approach, philosophy, or goal. The character has come to believe that his old
approach is ineffective, and he now sees the necessity to try new methods. It often
happens that the new approach is worse than the old! This can often occur because
the character is driven to extremes by the events of the story, and he reacts in an
extreme way. This perspective of acting from necessity is exactly what a main
character should face at the end of the third act. His experiences lead him to decide
on a course of action that he must do, because no other choice seems available.
Example: Clockwork Orange. Realization: Alex sees that his old way of life is gone.
New Tactic: Unable to commit violent acts because of the Ludovico Treatment, he
must now adopt the role of the victim, rather than the aggressor.
1. What event occurs that educates the hero and starts the resolution?

2. Has the hero gotten something more or different from what he set out to get?

3. Has the hero learned something? If so, is the hero changed by it?

4. Have any new complications set in?

B. The Showdown, a.k.a. the Climax (~pg. 108-114, ~2 scenes, CORE #5) Example:
Clockwork Orange. The Outer Demon: All those who Alex previously wronged -
notably the Writer. The Inner Demon: Society's attempt to make Alex realize the
moral consequences of his actions - literally embodied by the Ludovico Treatment.
The Confrontation: Alex has been conditioned not only against violence, but
inadvertently against the music of Beethoven. The Writer subjects Alex to
Beethoven's music, greatly amplified, and the effects of the Treatment force Alex to
attempt suicide rather than hear it.
1. How does the hero confront his "nemesis"?

C. The Realization, a.k.a. the Resolution or Denouement (~pg. 114-120, ~2 scenes,
CORE #6) Example: Clockwork Orange. Result: In the hospital, Alex discovers that
his injuries have removed the treatment's conditioning. His parents apologize, and a
government representative offers him financial restitution for his ordeal. Thus, not
only does he beat the attempt to impose morality upon him, but he is rewarded for
it! The story here is that of the morality play turned on its head. Instead of a sinner
getting his comeuppance at the end, here it is society who is in the wrong.
1. What is the outcome of the confrontation?

2. What resolution is realized?

3. Describe the hero's new life. How has he changed and/or grown?