television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, a plot point is any incident, episode, or event that "hooks" into the action and spins it around into another direction. 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, devel ...

teacher

Syd Field Sydney Alvin Field (December 19, 1935November 17, 2013) was an American author and speaker who wrote several books on screenwriting, the first being '' Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting'' (Dell Publishing, 1979). He led workshops and s ...

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. Etymology ''Paradigm'' comes f ...

, popularized in his book '' Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting.'' He proposes that a well-structured movie has two main plot points within a three-act structure. The first major plot point occurs 20 to 30 minutes into the film (assuming a standard 120-minute running time), and the second major one occurs 80 to 90 minutes into the film. Plot point I ends Act I and propels the story into Act II; likewise, plot point II ends Act II and propels the story into Act III.

Discussion

Plot points serve an essential purpose in the screenplay. 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 that is 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 ten to fifteen plot points, most of which will be in Act II. How many the screenplay has depends upon the story. The purpose of the plot point is to move the story forward, toward the resolution.

Discussion

See also

Notes

References

External links