How To Use A Midpoint
Summary
TLDRThis video explores the importance of the midpoint in screenwriting, a pivotal moment that shifts the story's direction. It discusses how the second act can often be confusing, and how establishing a strong midpoint can provide clarity and momentum. Examples from films like 'Parasite', '10 Cloverfield Lane', and 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark' illustrate how the midpoint serves as a dramatic turning point, affecting the character's journey. The video also references Gustav Freytag's pyramid and Dan Harmon's story circle to emphasize the midpoint's role in narrative structure, encouraging writers to consider their characters' desires and the costs of achieving them.
Takeaways
- 📝 The video discusses the importance of maintaining a strong narrative in the middle section of a screenplay.
- 🎬 Screenplays are often thought of in three acts: beginning, middle, and end, with the middle being a challenging section to write.
- 🔑 Understanding the midpoint of a story can help writers focus the middle section and provide clear direction.
- 🌟 A strong midpoint involves a major event that shifts the story and sends it in a new direction, affecting the characters' actions.
- 🎥 Examples given include 'Parasite', '10 Cloverfield Lane', and 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark', where the midpoint significantly changes the story's trajectory.
- 📚 Gustav Freytag's technique of drama and his pyramid emphasize the importance of a climactic turning point in the middle of the story.
- 🔄 Freytag's climax is a turning point, not the resolution, causing characters to face a new situation that alters their path.
- 🔄 Dan Harmon's story circle also incorporates a midpoint where the protagonist gets what they want and then faces a heavy price.
- 🤔 The video suggests asking two key questions for story development: what the character wants and what cost they will face upon achieving it.
- 🎞️ The technique of using a midpoint is not mandatory for all stories but can be beneficial for maintaining drama in the second act.
- 👍 The video encourages viewers to look for midpoints in their favorite films and suggests that identifying this can improve story structure.
Q & A
What is the main challenge screenwriters often face in the second act of their screenplay?
-The main challenge screenwriters often face in the second act is maintaining a strong dramatic narrative, as they struggle with making the story focused, avoiding confusion, and preventing a loss of momentum.
What is the purpose of a midpoint in a screenplay?
-The purpose of a midpoint in a screenplay is to create a major event that dramatically shifts the story and sends it in a new direction, providing focus and direction to the middle section of the story.
Can you provide an example of a film that effectively uses a midpoint to strengthen its second act?
-One example is 'Parasite', where a major turn takes place at the center of the film, revealing a secret that drastically changes the direction of the story.
What is Gustav Freytag's contribution to understanding the structure of a drama?
-Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright, contributed the concept of the 'Freytag's Pyramid', which includes a climax at the midpoint of the story, serving as an extreme shift or turning point.
How does the climax at the midpoint differ from the climax at the end of the story?
-The climax at the midpoint is not the resolution of the story but an extreme shift or turning point that throws the characters off their previous path, while the climax at the end is the resolution of the story.
What is Dan Harmon's Story Circle and how does it relate to the midpoint?
-Dan Harmon's Story Circle is a narrative structure tool that includes a midpoint where the protagonist gets what they want and then pays a heavy price for it, often represented as points 5 and 6 in the circle.
How does the midpoint in '10 Cloverfield Lane' serve as a turning point for the story?
-In '10 Cloverfield Lane', the midpoint occurs when Michelle discovers Howard's dark secret, which destroys the peace and stability they had achieved, forcing her to act against Howard.
What does the midpoint in 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark' involve?
-In 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark', the midpoint is when Indy finds the Ark of the Covenant, but the Nazis take it from him, creating a new situation where he must retrieve it.
Why is it beneficial to consider the midpoint when writing a screenplay?
-Considering the midpoint when writing a screenplay is beneficial because it helps maintain a high level of drama, provides a clear direction for the story, and strengthens the second act.
What two questions should a screenwriter ask themselves when considering the midpoint of their story?
-A screenwriter should ask themselves: 'What does my character want?' and 'What major cost will come when my character gets what they want?'
Outlines
🎬 Understanding the Midpoint in Screenwriting
The first paragraph introduces the topic of the video series on screenwriting and storytelling fundamentals. It discusses the common challenge of maintaining narrative strength in the middle section of a feature-length screenplay. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of the midpoint in a story, which serves as a major event that shifts the direction of the narrative. Examples from films like 'Parasite', '10 Cloverfield Lane', and 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark' are used to illustrate how a strong midpoint can add focus and momentum to the second act of a story.
📚 The Climax and Turning Points in Storytelling
The second paragraph delves into the concept of the midpoint as a dramatic climax, referencing Gustav Freytag's pyramid, which positions the climax at the story's midpoint rather than the end. It explains that Freytag's climax is a turning point that redirects the character's journey. The paragraph uses the same film examples to show how the midpoint serves as a pivotal event that forces characters to adapt to new circumstances. It also introduces Dan Harmon's Story Circle, highlighting how the midpoint fits into the narrative structure where characters get what they want and then face a heavy price.
🔍 Strengthening the Second Act with a Midpoint
The final paragraph offers advice on how to use the midpoint to enhance the second act of a screenplay. It suggests asking two key questions: what the character wants and what major cost will come when they get it. The paragraph encourages viewers to analyze films at their midpoint to identify significant events that change the character's situation. It concludes by emphasizing the value of understanding the midpoint in maintaining dramatic tension throughout the story and hints at the next video in the series, which will focus on the essential element of a screenplay: the scene.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Screenwriting
💡Three-Act Structure
💡Midpoint
💡Dramatic Narrative
💡Obstacles
💡Climax
💡Gustav Freytag
💡Story Circle
💡Character Development
💡Resolution
💡Dramatic Conflict
Highlights
The video series covers the fundamentals of screenwriting and storytelling.
Screenplays are often structured in three acts: beginning, middle, and end.
The middle section of a story can be challenging to maintain a strong narrative.
Building a midpoint can help focus the middle section of a story.
A strong midpoint involves a major event that shifts the story in a new direction.
Examples of films with effective midpoints include 'Parasite', '10 Cloverfield Lane', and 'Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark'.
The midpoint can cause characters to face new obstacles and change their course of action.
Gustav Freytag's pyramid includes a climax at the midpoint, not the end of the story.
The climax in Freytag's model is a turning point that redirects the character's path.
Dan Harmon's story circle also emphasizes the importance of the midpoint.
In Harmon's story circle, the midpoint is where the protagonist gets what they want and then pays a heavy price.
The midpoint can be identified by a major event that changes the character's situation significantly.
Not all stories require a strong midpoint, but understanding it can help maintain drama in the middle section.
Writers can improve their stories by considering the use of a midpoint to enhance the second act.
The next video in the series will focus on the fundamental element of a screenplay: the scene.
Transcripts
welcome to the ninth video in this
series covering the fundamentals of
screenwriting and storytelling
if you'd like to watch the rest of the
videos you can find them linked below
or on the end screen of this video
when you're writing a feature-length
screenplay it can be easy to understand
how you want your story to start
and maybe where you want it to end but
it can be hard to figure out how to
maintain a strong dramatic narrative
for the long middle section of your
story a lot of writers think of their
screenplays in three
acts the beginning of the story
establishes the characters and starts
the conflict
the middle of the story is where things
progress and the character must face
many different obstacles
and the end is where the climax is
reached and the story resolves
this is a pretty standard understanding
of stories but what is actually supposed
to happen
during that middle section of the story
how do
things progress what kind of obstacles
should the character be facing
when i listen to screenwriters talk
about their story's problems
one thing i hear a lot is that their
second act is confusing or unfocused
they also say that they feel the story
loses momentum or they simply lose
track of where the story is supposed to
go if you're struggling with the second
act of your screenplay
understanding how to build a midpoint
can help you focus that middle section
of your story
and give you much clearer direction
today i'm going to take a look at some
ways that you can build your story
around your midpoint
let's begin when you use a strong
midpoint you set up a major event that
happens right at the center of your
story
which will dramatically shift your story
and send it in a new direction
so before the midpoint you can build to
this moment
and after the midpoint you can force
your characters to deal with their new
situation caused by the midpoint let's
take a look at a few examples of films
that used a midpoint to strengthen their
second
act parasite has one of the strongest
midpoint turns in recent memory
right at the center of the film a major
turn takes place
the kims have gotten everything they
wanted they have fooled the parks and
found solid jobs
but the old housekeeper comes back and
reveals a massive secret
that turns the story and sends us in a
completely new direction
in 10 cloverfield lane it seems like the
characters have finally found
stability and are settling into their
new life in the bunker
the characters finally feel that they
can trust one another
but then the air filtration system
breaks down forcing michelle to go fix
it
and she finds out that howard has been
hiding a dark secret
in indiana jones and the raiders of the
lost ark indy finds what he's looking
for
the ark of the covenant all his hard
work has paid off
but the nazis take the ark from him
sending him into the second half of the
story
attempting to take the ark back out of
nazi hands
doing this gives focus to that long
second act
and it gives momentum and purpose to
your story
gustav freitag was a german novelist and
playwright
he also wrote a book called the
technique of the drama where he analyzed
how great plays were created
freytag found that many great plays
revolved around a high point
of drama that took place right in the
middle of the story
he referred to this point as the climax
this
is fry tag's pyramid here we see
frytag's understanding of how many great
plays worked
the beginning of the story was called
the exposition then rising action led us
towards the climax in the middle
then falling action led us away from the
climax to the denouement
where the story was resolved but doesn't
the climax take place at the end of the
story
why does fry tag place the climax at the
midpoint
freytag's climax is not the resolution
of the story
it is an extreme shift or turning point
in the story
the character has now been faced with
something that radically turns the story
and throws them off their previous path
let's look at some examples
in parasite the kim family starts out
trying to move up in the world
by conning the parks into giving them
jobs the kims are continuously
successful in their scheme
they secure jobs for each member of the
family
at the midpoint or the climax we have a
major shift in the story
the old housekeeper comes back and
reveals a massive secret that turns the
story
and sends us in a completely new
direction
now the kims must adapt and hide this
new secret from the parks
so that they can keep their jobs and at
the daenuman
the story resolves when the kims can no
longer hide the secrets of the basement
and their scheme blows up in their faces
in 10 cloverfield lane
in the beginning of the story michelle
wakes up in a strange bunker
howard and emmett tell her that it's
dangerous to go outside
because the air is toxic michelle
doesn't believe this
and thinks howard has trapped her down
here against her will
until she sees evidence that the air is
actually toxic
michelle now believes howard is telling
the truth which creates peace in the
bunker
until the air filtration system needs to
be repaired and michelle finds evidence
that howard has trapped a girl down here
before
michelle then formulates a plan with
emmett to get free of howard
until the day newman where michelle acts
on her plan
and escapes from the bunker in indiana
jones and the raiders of the lost ark
it is brought to indy's attention that
the nazis are looking for the ark of the
covenant
so indy goes to search for it and find
it before the nazis do
at the midpoint indi finds the ark of
the covenant but the nazis take it from
him
so now indy must follow the nazis and
retake the ark from them
until the denouement when the ark's
power destroys the nazis
think of freytag's climax as the largest
turning point in your story
it may be helpful to think of your
characters as actively pursuing a clear
goal in the first half of your story
then being completely derailed at the
midpoint and reacting against the events
of the midpoint
until the resolution of the story
another great way to incorporate a
midpoint is to use dan harmon's story
circle
if you've been following this channel
you will have heard me talk about
harman's story circle
in the story circle the midpoint usually
takes place at numbers 5
and six where the protagonist gets what
they want
and then they pay a heavy price for it
if we return to our past three examples
we see how their midpoints work with
this idea
in the middle of parasite the kim family
has gotten what they wanted
they have inserted themselves into the
wealthy park family's life
they are making great money and have
completely fooled the family
this is point five on the story circle
but
this comes at a cost which is point six
on the story circle
the old housekeeper is back she forces a
massive reveal
throwing the family into a completely
new situation where they could lose
everything they've built not only that
but this cost
continues the park family comes home
requiring everyone to secretly sneak out
of the house
and once the kim family is able to sneak
out of the house they return to their
own home
to find it completely flooded this is a
major turning point for the story
and it sends us into the second half
what will the kim family do
now that they have lost so much halfway
through 10 cloverfield lane
it seems like the characters have
finally found stability
michelle howard and emmett have worked
out their differences
michelle believes howard is telling the
truth and they have gotten the piece
they wanted
this is 0.5 in the story circle and now
it costs them
we move to 0.6 something flies over the
bunker
vibrating the bunker and causing the air
filtration system to break down
michelle is the only one small enough to
crawl through the air ducts
but like in parasite this is only the
beginning of the move to six
because once michelle gets to the air
filtration system
things get much worse this destroys the
peace and stability the characters just
achieved
now michelle knows howard is hiding
something dark and that she
is in danger in indiana jones and the
raiders of the lost ark
indy finds the ark of the covenant at
the midpoint
this is 0.5 indy has gotten what he
wanted
however this comes at a cost we move to
0.6 when the nazis take the ark from
indy and leave him to die
this creates a completely new situation
for indy he must figure out how to
survive
and retrieve the ark back from the nazis
fry tag and harmon both place heavy
emphasis on the midpoint of a story
they both see the midpoint as a high
point of dramatic conflict that defines
the first
and second halves of the story this
isn't to discount a common idea of a
climax taking place at the end of a
story
what it does do is give a different view
on how a story's conflict builds and
changes in the middle of the
story rather than a middle section
dedicated to
fun and games or further complications
something specific
is happening a major turning point is
reached which sends the characters in a
completely new direction
not all stories have to have a strong
midpoint but understanding this can help
you maintain
a high level of drama as you move
through the tricky middle section of the
story
so as you go to write ask yourself these
two questions
number one what does my character want
number two what major cost will come
when my character gets what they want
if you want to see just how many films
use a midpoint
i suggest taking a look at some of your
favorite films and simply skipping to
the very middle of the run time
what's happening a lot of the time you
will find a major event
that dramatically changes the character
situation
obviously not all films have this and it
isn't necessary for every story
but many stories can be improved by
using this technique
and yours just might be one of them so
now you have an understanding of a
midpoint
and how you can use it to strengthen the
second act of your story
and in the next video we're going to be
taking a look at one of the most
fundamental elements
of a screenplay the scene so if you want
to watch the rest of the videos in this
series
click the card on the screen now and if
you like this video leave a like and
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