Recognizing the Inciting Incident and 1st Plot Point

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  • Recognizing the Inciting Incident and 1st Plot Point

    Hello everyone,

    I'm new here and new to screenwriting. Briefly, let me just say how much help you've already been during my lurking the last couple of weeks.

    As I said I'm new and I think I'm having a problem recognizing the inciting incident and the 1st plot point which ends Act 1. I'll give two movies for examples to show where my confusion lies.

    Star Wars:
    Is the inciting incident when Vader captures Leia or when Luke sees the message from R2 and decides to find Obi-Wan and help the princess? -- or --

    Is the 1st plot point when Luck sees the message from R2 or when he comes back and his Aunt & Uncle have been killed.

    Witness:
    The inciting incident is the murder, but is the 1st plot point when Harrison Ford realizes the murderer is Danny Glover or when he realized his boss is in on it (after he's shot)?

    Told ya I'm new!

    So far I've been reading scripts. I started reading ones of movies I've seen, but it felt too familiar, so now I'm mostly reading scripts of movies I haven't seen.

    I've been writing short stories for years, but right now I'm working on screenwriting structure.

    One of the reasons I'm slightly confused is because some of the books I've read use the same movies, but give different scenes different names (may be the inciting incident in one book and a plot point in the other).

    Thanks a mil!
    Annie

  • #2
    Star Wars
    - Catalyst = Leigha puts plans in R2D2
    - Inciting Incident = Luke discovers plans
    - Turning Point = Empire searching for the plans kills Luke's family, because of that Luke decides to take the plans to the rebels.


    Witness
    - Catalyst = Boy sees murder
    - Inciting Incident = Book learns killer is a cop.
    - Turning Point = Cops try to kill Book, because of that he hides the witness to protect him from the dirty cops.



    The Catalyst contains the "catalyst" or element that will come to act as a catalyst for change in the hero's life. It is the first hint of what the problem is.

    The Inciting Incident is the first time the problem acts on the hero's life and begins to cause change int he hero's life. It literally "Incites" the hero to take action that he would not normally take had he not been incited to do so by the problem.

    Turning Point happens when the hero takes action to "Turn" the story in a new direction. It is at this point the general goals of the hero become a new specific goal and the action to achieve that new goal creates a new trajectory for the story. It also raises the Major Dramatic Question or Main Dramatic Tension which is usually expressed as a question and is the primary concern of the plot: "can Luke save the rebels by delivering he plans?" "Can book protect the witness and catch the killer?"

    The specific labels for each section doesn't really matter, what matters is their structural function.

    HTH

    Good luck!

    Comment


    • #3
      Thank you very much, it helps tremendously. The fog is starting to lift.

      Annie

      Comment


      • #4
        Very very close to what Deus said:

        - Catalyst = Antagonist acts
        - Inciting Incident = Protagonist is faced with a decision
        - Turning Point = Protagonist makes the decision

        Catalyst:
        - Darth Vader wants the plans back
        - Bad cop murders a man

        I.I.:
        - Luke and Obi Wan meeting
        - Book learns killer is a cop

        The events at the Turning Points - dead aunt and uncle, murder attempt - could have been I.I.'s if perhaps they happened a bit earlier in the story. But happening when they did the protagonist's choice is somewhat limited and the decision is immediate.

        Comment


        • #5
          Another example: Shrek.

          Inciting incident: House taken over by fairy tale creatures.
          Shrek decides to see Lord Farquaad.

          Turning point: Farquaad will only give back house if Shrek
          rescues Princess and brings her back. Shrek decides to do it.

          Shrek's overriding goal remains the same at both i.i. and
          turning point: to get his home back. Note that Shrek
          succeeds in getting his home back by the end of act two, but
          that he's no longer interested in living alone, without Princess.

          Comment


          • #6
            Note that Shrek
            succeeds in getting his home back by the end of act two, but
            that he's no longer interested in living alone, without Princess.
            This is a structure found in almost all films. In Star Wars Luke delivers the plans at the end of act two. In Toy Story Woody is once again Andy's favorite toy at the end of act two. In Silence of the lambs Clarice discovers what Buffalo Bill's real name is at the end of act two. In Chinatown Gittes finds out who set him up and who the real killer is at the end of act Two. In Minority Report Anderton finds out who Crowe is and shoots him at the end of act two.

            The specific task is finished by the larger goal remains. Luke still has to save the rebels which was the larger goal behind delivering the plans. Woody still has to reclaim his position as head toy whiz was the larger goal behind getting rid of Buzz. Clarice still has to save Catherine Martin which was the larger goal behind learning who Buffalo Bill really is. Gittes still has to protect Mulray which was the larger goal for finding out who the real killer was. Anderton still has to find out who set him up and why which was the larger goal behind finding Crowe.

            I think of act two as the completion of the main task, but not the final task, and act three is the completion of the final task and achievement of the main goal.

            Comment


            • #7
              TwoBrad Bradley, thanks. That helps me to better understand the timing of the events, and how they affect the decisions of the protagonist, and "when" (s)he decides to act; what finally pushes them to the next level of action.


              Deus & User, am I understanding correctly that most often, the internal conflict/goal of the protagonist is resolved at the end of Act II, and the plot/external goal is resolved in Act III?

              Yesterday I read "The Usual Suspects". I'm using Dean Keaton as the protagonist. Let's see if I learned something...

              Catalyst: The Arrest/The group in the holding cell.

              I.I.: Edie say's the investors want to think about the deal. (I chose this because now Keaton thinks his "legit" life is over, but he didn't act yet).

              Turning Point: Dean decides to do the 1st job, after Verbal say's (basically) "No Killing" & "They won't do it without me"

              Please tell me I'm getting there.

              Thanks,
              Annie

              Comment


              • #8
                Wait a minute...

                So far I've been reading scripts. I started reading ones of movies I've seen, but it felt too familiar, so now I'm mostly reading scripts of movies I haven't seen.
                ...and then...

                Yesterday I read "The Usual Suspects". I'm using Dean Keaton as the protagonist.
                You've never seen The Usual Suspects?!? Get thee to a video store.

                And a warning. Not every screenplay book will use the same terms in the same way. Cerulean Blue is Cerulean Blue, but one man's inciting inciting can be another woman's third plot point.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Watch a number of films.......directors make it easier to see sometimes....then it gets easier to see it scripts.

                  Plot Point 1 should be pretty obvious in any mainstream film. The protagonist is fully commited to the plot and story goal, and actively decides to leave the old world and enter the new one.

                  Inciting incidents can fool you sometimes because it may involve other characters. The main thing is that it will intrigue the protagonist to become more actively involved in order to make the decision at PP1.

                  Lots of films, lots of scripts.....Maybe not so many Cheetos:b

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hi pantalone,

                    I'm mostly reading scripts of movies I haven't seen.
                    Not to worry..."The Usual Suspects" is one of my favorite movies! I can't tell you how many times I've seen it.

                    Thanks filmcarver! I'm a Doritos girl...but I hear ya!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      The specific task is finished by the larger goal remains. Luke still has to save the rebels which was the larger goal behind delivering the plans. Woody still has to reclaim his position as head toy whiz was the larger goal behind getting rid of Buzz. Clarice still has to save Catherine Martin which was the larger goal behind learning who Buffalo Bill really is. Gittes still has to protect Mulray which was the larger goal for finding out who the real killer was. Anderton still has to find out who set him up and why which was the larger goal behind finding Crowe.

                      I think of act two as the completion of the main task, but not the final task, and act three is the completion of the final task and achievement of the main goal.
                      In many films, the second act ends in failure. The door is closed on the plan decided upon by the protag at the end of act one. That's why it's called the crisis. No?

                      In African Queen, Rose and Charlie are beached. Now, they'll never make it down the river to destroy the German boat. In The Verdict, Galvin blows his cross exam on Dr. Towler. Now, he'll never win the case. In Midnight Run, Walsh loses the Duke and he's apprehended by the FBI. Now, he'll never get the Duke to LA in time.

                      All this main task, final task, main goal stuff sounds awfully confusing. Care to define these terms?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I'm with altoption,

                        Typically (as in "typically") Act II ends when the antagonist has the upper-hand and all appears hopeless for the protag. The antag can do a "Ferris Bueller" turn to the audience and say, "You still here? I got what I want. The movie's over and you can go home now. Go."

                        Act III is where the resolutions occur. Call them what you want - main task and main goal, final task and final goal, character objective and story objective, internal conflict and external conflict - dramatically the protag should "experience" the "everything is lost" phase.

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