In
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
and
film
A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...
, a plot point is any incident, episode, or event that "hooks" into the action and spins it around into another direction.
Three-act structure
Noted
screenwriting
Screenwriting or scriptwriting is the art and craft of writing scripts for mass media such as feature films, television productions or video games. It is often a freelance profession.
Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, dev ...
teacher
Syd Field discusses plot points in his
paradigm
In science and philosophy, a paradigm ( ) is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field. The word ''paradigm'' is Ancient ...
, popularized in his book ''
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting'' (1979)''.'' He proposes that a well-structured movie has two main plot points within a
three-act structure
The three-act structure is a model used in narrative fiction that divides a story into three parts ( acts), often called the Setup, the Confrontation, and the Resolution. Syd Field described it in his 1979 book ''Screenplay: The Foundations of ...
.
The first major plot point occurs 20–30 minutes into the film (assuming a standard 120-minute running time), and the second major one occurs 80–90 minutes into the film. The first plot point ends Act I and propels the story into Act II; similarly, the second plot point ends Act II and propels the story into the final act, Act III.
Description
Plot points serve an essential purpose in the
screenplay
A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...
. They are a major
story progression and keep the story line anchored in place. Plot points do not have to be big dynamic scenes or sequences. They can be quiet scenes in which a decision is made.
A plot point is whatever the screenwriter chooses it to be. It could be a long scene or a short one, a moment of silence or of action. It simply depends upon the script being written. It is the choice of the screenwriter, but it is always an incident, episode, or event dictated by the needs of the story. There are many plot points in a screenplay, but the ones that anchor the story line in place are plot points I and II.
When the screenplay is completed, it may contain as many as 10–15 plot points, most of which will be in Act II. How many the screenplay has depends upon the story. The purpose of a plot point is to move the story forward, toward the resolution.
See also
*
Screenwriting theories
Notes
References
*
*
* {{ cite book , last = Field , first = Syd , title = The Screenwriter's Workbook , edition = revised , location = New York , publisher =
Dell Publishing
Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...
, year = 2006 , isbn = 0-385-33904-6
External links
Plot Points and the Inciting Incident
Narratology
Plot (narrative)