The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

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  • The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

    Caught a post at another site about the emotional flip a mid point can serve to your story... Thought I'd repost it over here...

    I see in one chart I have of story structure that at the Midpoint is the "Moment of Grace" or "Mind fu*k Moment". Can anybody explain how those relate to Midpoint, what exactly those two phrases are referring to?
    Response...

    Mind fu*k Moment is Chris Soth's term--The Mini-Movie Method


    It's at the midpoint of the movie, where the main character or audience realizes that everything they've been watching up until that point has not been real. The truth or the full extent of the horror is revealed. It's the thing that forces us to reconsider everything we've seen thus far, in a different light. In a con movie, the mark realizes he's being conned; in a Romantic comedy it's when the two main characters have sex (they look back at their relationship up until then and ask if they were really just friends); and in a horror movie it's when you discover the full extent of the horror (in the Hero's Journey, it's when you're at the "Inmost Cave") and realize there's little chance of escape.



    Sixth Sense: the truth is revealed to Bruce Willis when H. J Osment says, "I see dead people."

    The Matrix: the truth is revealed to Neo about the matrix being a simulation, that the world as he knows it is fake. The real world is a desolate, post-apocalyptic place controlled by machines.

    The 13th Floor: the main character, who creates virtual reality programs for a living, learns that he is actually living in a virtual reality world himself.

    Total Recall: Arnold is confronted by a man with a pill claiming that all this Mars stuff is fake, that Arnold is actually back at Recall Inc. on the table suffering from a schizoid embolism and not on Mars. It forces us to look back and question if everything up until then has been real or not.

    Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: it's when Indy, Short Round, and Kate Capshaw peer over the cliff's edge at the Thuggee Sacrificial Ceremony and the horrific truth is revealed.

    Wrong Turn: they climb to the top of the watch tower and, upon gazing across the vast forest, realize they are miles away from help in every direction.

    The Descent: when the cavers come face to face with those freaky-ass, cannibalistic, bat-like humanoids--and realize the full extent of the horror.





    Midpoint-The Moment of Grace: Here, grace is offered to the hero to change the method of achieving the goal. In terms of the Moral Premise this turning point is the most important, although it can also be the subtlest. It occurs about halfway through the movie. In a comedy, the hero embraces the grace and changes his methods to the virtu­ous side of the Moral Premise formula. In a tragedy, the hero rejects the grace and pushes the envelope on the vice side of the Moral Premise formula. The hero may not consciously realize what he is doing. But if properly structured, the strong hand of the antagonist will force the hero into the new method (or deeper into the old)-and the consequences will be logi­cal and inevitable.



    Another post (by me)...

    Excellent post Kyle. That's a keeper.

    I saw BOLT recently, and to add it as a list of examples, it's at the mid point that BOLT realizes that he's just a dog, and not a super-hero-dog with super-powers. This is a mind spinning revelation to the character, and sets the tone for the second half.

    Often the mid point is the 180 turn the story takes where it re-frames for the second half of the plot.

    In TERMINATOR 2, Sarah Conner realizes that to get rid of Skynet, she can nip this in the bud if she simply takes out the software program(s) that created Skynet (by visiting the man who created it at home and destroy his PC's that way), this re-frames the story entirely and sets it up for the second half nicely.

    Mid point is a vastly important plot point that elevates the second act of your script and without it can feel very flat and repetative.

    It's also a moment when characters discover "ticking clocks" (i.e. they realize they only have 24hrs left before XYZ happens) and characters often turn from passively solving their issue to actively solving their issue, the T2 example of Sarah is a good example where she realizes that instead of running (passive) she can take this issue out at its very core (active move) by visiting the home of the dude and destroying his PC's.
    EJ

  • #2
    Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

    thanks for this EJ, very useful!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

      Adding to the list -- WALL-E:

      The cruise liner AI reveals that it *doesn't* want the plant found and now Wall-E and Eve need to struggle past the entire ship's security systems.

      *****
      Elegantly simple and ratchets up the conflict at the same time.
      Steven Palmer Peterson

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

        The Matrix: the truth is revealed to Neo about the matrix being a simulation, that the world as he knows it is fake. The real world is a desolate, post-apocalyptic place controlled by machines.
        It's been a while, but I do not believe that is the midpoint of The Matrix.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

          Originally posted by Biohazard View Post
          It's been a while, but I do not believe that is the midpoint of The Matrix.
          You're right. The midpoint is about the time Cypher is revealed to be a traitor. We had been under the notion that everyone wanted out of the Matrix; out of slavery. Even though Neo doesn't learn this, I think it adds to the drama that we, the audience, now know. This sets up the ambush (bad guys close in), which sets up the capture of Morpheus, which sets up Neo's decision to take charge and rescue him (Act 3).

          I think that scene of Cypher eating steak is the scene that alters the direction of the story.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

            I moved this over to Screenwriting, where maybe it fits in better.

            Carry on.

            "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

              Another way to look at it is to think of the midpoint as the completion of the mission that began at the catalyst... but oh crap! That's not the mission we should have been worrying about! Things are really F-ed up now!

              Not to get political, but look at the Iraq War in terms of a screenplay. Think of Bush standing on the aircraft carrier with the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED banner in the background. Your story should have the moment of triumph. But then... oh crap! The Iraqis aren't welcoming us with open arms! We have insurgents and terrorists to fight! This war is worse than ever!

              In a sense, the mission from the beginning is accomplished at the middle. It's then that the hero realizes the mission was much bigger than they anticipated. Too big. So big that they can't possibly win.

              Raiders of the Lost Ark - Indy wants to find the Ark. Halfway through - mission accomplished! Oh crap! The Nazis stole it!

              Back to the Future - Marty needs to find Doc Brown in 1955 to figure out a way home. Midpoint - let's use lightning, mission accomplished! Oh crap! Marty has jeopardized his existence by splitting up his parents.

              Jaws - Brody battles the mayor to get him to take action against the shark. Midpoint - the mayor finally hires a shark hunter, mission accomplished! Oh crap! Now Brody has to go out to sea to do it.

              Little Miss Sunshine - It's really Richard's (the father) story. The first half of the movie, all he wants is to get Stan Grossman on the phone to talk about his book. At the midpoint, he succeeds. Oh crap, Stan has just called him a nobody AND grandpa has died. There's only one person who believes in him, and he has to get her to a beauty pagent.


              What I find interesting is that most high-concept plots are actually TWO different stories that are bridged together at the midpoint. Two separate missions (Marty needs to get back to 1985 AND set his parents up).

              One way to think of it is to treat a script as if it's the season finale and the season premier of a 1-hr drama show. You need that big cliffhanger to keep people in suspense through the summer months, but it's still two separate episodes. The midpoint is where the energy that pushes through the second half of the script comes from.

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              • #8
                Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

                I haven't seen The Thirteenth Floor in awhile but isn't that the twist at the very end?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

                  Originally posted by aaron_c View Post
                  You're right. The midpoint is about the time Cypher is revealed to be a traitor. We had been under the notion that everyone wanted out of the Matrix; out of slavery. Even though Neo doesn't learn this, I think it adds to the drama that we, the audience, now know. This sets up the ambush (bad guys close in), which sets up the capture of Morpheus, which sets up Neo's decision to take charge and rescue him (Act 3).
                  Last I checked, which was a while ago, I figured the midpoint of The Matrix was when Neo visited the Oracle and was told he wasn't The One.

                  This makes more structural sense considering all major story beats should directly involve the hero of the story. Neo is a bystander in the Cypher scene, and the midpoint is one of the most important story beats.

                  That scene also makes more structural sense to come after the midpoint, considering that is the time where allies typically turn on the hero.

                  I'll have to watch the film again to be certain, but I'm pretty sure that my assumptions are correct.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

                    Originally posted by Biohazard View Post
                    Last I checked, which was a while ago, I figured the midpoint of The Matrix was when Neo visited the Oracle and was told he wasn't The One.

                    This makes more structural sense considering all major story beats should directly involve the hero of the story. Neo is a bystander in the Cypher scene, and the midpoint is one of the most important story beats.

                    That scene also makes more structural sense to come after the midpoint, considering that is the time where allies typically turn on the hero.

                    I'll have to watch the film again to be certain, but I'm pretty sure that my assumptions are correct.
                    Oh yeah, I forgot about her... I think you're right. I think that scene comes right after which would make me wrong and you right.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

                      Originally posted by Biohazard View Post
                      Last I checked, which was a while ago, I figured the midpoint of The Matrix was when Neo visited the Oracle and was told he wasn't The One.

                      This makes more structural sense considering all major story beats should directly involve the hero of the story. Neo is a bystander in the Cypher scene, and the midpoint is one of the most important story beats.

                      That scene also makes more structural sense to come after the midpoint, considering that is the time where allies typically turn on the hero.

                      I'll have to watch the film again to be certain, but I'm pretty sure that my assumptions are correct.
                      This also makes senes given the mid point can be the ultimate MIND FU#K lol.

                      EJ

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                      • #12
                        Re: The Mid Point Mind F#$k...

                        Originally posted by EJ Pennypacker View Post
                        This also makes senes given the mid point can be the ultimate MIND FU#K lol.
                        Very true.

                        Keep in mind that one of the many purposes of the midpoint is to put the MDQ in serious doubt. Neo being told he is not The One...you pretty much cannot instill any more doubt in our hero than that.

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