STORY STRUCTURE

Stage 1 Turning Point 1 Stage 2 Turning Point 2 Stage 3 Turning Point 3 Stage 4 Turning Point 4 Stage 5 Turning Point 5 Stage 6

The Set Up The Opportunity The New Situation The Change of Plans Progress The Point of No Return Complications & Higher The Major Setback The Final Push The Climax The Aftermath
Stakes
00-10% 10% 11-25% 25% 25-50% 50% 50-75% 75% 75-90% 90-99% 99-100%

Hero reacts to new

situation, opportunity.
No movie ends precisely
Gets acclimatized to new 3/4ths into the story and with the resolution of the
surroundings, figure The hero must face the
Intro to setting, hero, what’s going on, form a Something happens that something must happen biggest obstacle of the hero’s objective. You have
tone, is he likeable, funny, Hero presented with an transforms the original At the midpoint, hero to the hero that makes it Beaten and battered, the to reveal the new life your
plan. [Fletcher has to entire story, he must
powerful, making him opportunity which will figure out he’s been desire into a specific, Hero’s plan seems to be must fully commit to his seem to the audience that hero must risk everything determine his own fate hero is living now that
sympathetic, threatened. create a new visible visible goal with a clearly goal. Up until now there Achieving the visible goal all is lost. [Carol dumps he has, give every ounce he’s completed his
[Castaway with FedEx desire and start the cursed to tell the truth in defined end point. Hero’s working. He takes action was an option of giving becomes far more difficult, Melvin in As Good As It of strength and courage and the outer motivation journey. [Rocky, Truman
Liar Liar/ Mrs. Doubtfire to achieve his goal. [Ethan must be resolved once
exec, good at his job, character on his journey. devises a plan for seeing outer motivation Hunt begins closing in on up, rebooting to life as it hero has much more to Gets/ Morpheus is to achieve his ultimate and for all. [Heroes go Show, Thelma & Louise,
worry when he has to [Neo taken to meet revealed. Visible finish was. Now he must burn lose if he fails. captured in The Matrix/ goal. [Thelma & Louise there’s little to show/
leave woman he loves at Morpheus and wants to his kids.] Could be new line. When this goal is the villain in mi2.] bridges. [Rose makes love or in a romcom, the must outrun the FBI to into the Twister/ Jewish explain, so the goal is to
location/ setting. factory workers make
Xmas in dangerous learn about The Matrix.] [Boarding cruise ship in accomplished, the story is to Jack in Titanic.] hero’s deception is reach the border.] their escape in Schindler’s leave the audience
weather.] over. revealed and the lovers stunned/ elated. So the
Titanic/ President taking break up.] List.] climax occurs near the
off on Air Force One,
very end of the film.]
going to Cincinnati to bury
father in Rain Man.]

Erin Brokovich: Erin is Erin begins working for Ed Erin gets some Hinkley Erin and Ed file the Erin sees less of George Most of the plaintiffs Erin must rally the Hinkley
Masry’s law firm, meets families to agree to
broke, unemployed single Erin forces Ed Masry to her neighbor George, and Erin gets rehired to help residents to hire Ed to lawsuit, risking dismissal and her kids, while Ed withdraw due to the binding arbitration, and Erin and Ed win a $330 Erin gets a $2 million
mom who can’t find a job, represent them, and gets by the judge, which would brings in a big firm that bungled efforts of the million dollar settlement, bonus, and continues
give her a job. starts investigating a case win a suit against PG&E. find evidence
gets hit by a car, loses her in Hinkley, California, but romantically involved with destroy any hope of a alienates the Hinkley new lawyers, and George incriminating the PG&E and George returns. working with Ed.
lawsuit. George. settlement. plaintiffs. leaves Erin.
then gets fired. corporate office.

Gladiator: Maximus, Maximus is asked by the Maximus, after learning Maximus is taken to be
Rome’s most powerful, Maximus is offered a dying Emperor to take that Commodus has killed, escapes to find his Maximus arrives in Rome, Maximus becomes a hero Maximus refuses to help Maximus conspires to Maximus is united with
the leader of the Senate, Maximus has his final his family in death, and
and most popular, reward by Emperor control of Rome and give murdered his father, vows family murdered, and is determined to win the to the Roman people and and Commodus plots to escape from Proximo and battle with Commodus in his body carried away in
general, leads his troops Marcus Aurelius, and he it back to the people, in to stop the new emperor captured and sold to crowd as a Gladiator so he reveals his true identity to lead his former troops
to victory in their final says he wants to go home. spite of the ambition of and carry out Marcus Proximo, who makes him can destroy Commodus. Commodus. destroy both Maximus against Commodus. the arena. honor by the new leaders
and the Senate. of the Roman republic.
battle. his son Commodus. Aurelius’ wishes. a powerful gladiator.

Sameer decides against

Goon lands up at wedding
Mere Dad Ki Maruti: Showroom visit, attempt sangeet to threaten, stealing necklace, he & Sister’s fiancé bails him Sameer just about makes Dad forgives him. They’ve
New car as wedding gift hottie express love for out, car thieves [bogus now got 3 cars [lottery
Sameer’s a good for for sis arrives. College Sameer sneaks out the Sameer loses the car. to buy stolen car from Sameer now plans to steal each other, they head to Sameer walks into a trap, police] spotted and a it for vidaai. But so do 2 win/ gift from the rental
nothing, his dad hates car, parties with the Hunt/ cops/ close shave goon, gets rented car… sister’s necklace to pay gets arrested. Has to other cars. Dad finds out.
him, his sis is getting hottie picks Sameer for hottie. with dad. manages to fool dad and for stolen car. Hottie & the goon’s garage to steal confess to sister. chase ensues. Car He has to confess about guys/ and their own.] But
date. car, police raid happens. retrieved, on the way he’s lost dad’s watch…
married in 4 days. hottie on date/ drive. friend shocked, disown losing the car, etc.
him. Sameer & friends barely back but puncture! SONG!
escape.

Outer motivation But in most romantic

Most stories, hero enters
The desire created by the new situation willingly, different from inner These disastrous events During this stage of the The climax can occur comedies, mysteries,
journey of the hero. They’re taking a much story, the conflict is anywhere from the 90% dramas, the aftermath
opportunity is not the excited, believing he can It’s not a stage without This conflict continues to leave the hero with only
Take us out of our own specific goal that defines solve the new problem. Invisible character conflict, but the hero is bigger risk than at any build until, just as it seems one option: He must overwhelming, the pace point to the last couple of will include the final 5 or
world into the world of components, fears, previous time in these has accelerated, and minutes. The exact 10 pages of the script.
the story. your story concept, but But slowly realizes this is courage, growth can able to overcome these films. So now they must that success is within make one, last, all or everything works against placement is determined There’s also teasing a
rather a desire to move out of his league as obstacles. hero’s grasp, he suffers… nothing, dor or die effort
into… conflict builds and gets emerge only if they grow face… as he enters… the hero until he by the amount of time follow up [sequel?]/
out of a simple visible reaches… you need for… hidden scenes, music
to… desire. video, etc. afterwards.