Value what you Want - Reject others

Here's the deal.  If you don't value what you do or think or say.  Why should anyone else?

You've got to value it first.

Let's say you draw a picture with crayons.  Your first thought might be, "It's just a stupid crayon drawing"

You're first thought should be "It's a fucking cool drawing."  Someone or a million might disagree.  That shouldn't enter into your opinion.

What you need to say is "Well, It's a fucking cool drawing. So fuck off."

Screenwriting - How to become productive and maintain quality

You must go into the scene with an idea of where you want it to go, what the characters will say and do, but as you do it, ask "what if they do it like...this."   If you go into a scene with full confidence of what you will write, it will fall flat.

Just watch a musician going through a performance they've done before and are only doing for the money or because they have to.  Sure they may hit all the notes but it's blah.

Imagine...you're coloring with crayons and you must draw a house.  Everyone can draw that house.  The square with the triangle roof, two windows, and door in the center.   But this time, while you do intend to draw that house...you say "what if I put the door over here on the right?"  Or "What if I make it a double door...?"  You don't have that in your minds eye when you start but allow it to develop as you draw the typical house.  And it makes a more interesting, dynamic, refreshing picture.

This leads to the age old screenwriting market demand for "SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT."

Shawshank Redemption - Three Tests and Three Deaths

Andy Dufresne is tested three times:

1) When he enters Shawshank, he is tested to see if he will crack and cry out in the night.
He doesn't make a sound.  But another prisoner does and that prisoner dies.

The tests shows Andy is Strong.

2) Andy has an opportunity to play a record across the prison PA system.  He plays it and gets solitary confinement.  When he gets out, he's unchanged and remains strong.
To contrast this test we get Brooks who has been changed and who kills himself.

This test shows Andy is not institutionalized.

3) Andy helps Tommy pass his GED.  Tommy reveals he knows who actually killed Andy's wife.
Norton kills Tommy which pushes Andy to escape through his tunnel.

This test shows Andy is Smart.

The Birdcage - Half a plot - Screenwriter's nightmare

If you haven't seen this Hollywood remake-movie from 1996, it's about a college kid whose parents are two gay men who run a cabaret club in South Beach, Miami.  The college kid wants to marry a girl whose father is a U.S. Senator who chairs the committee for Moral fiber.

The movie has funny parts and it did gross $200 Million at the box office.

BUT in terms of storytelling, it delivers half a movie.

When it is revealed that the college kid's parents are two gay men - which feels like a MIDPOINT - the movie quickly jumps to the two college kids getting married and the credits rolling.

The Senator is up for re-election and we lose the opportunity to see if he loses his job.

No single character has to sacrifice anything.  No character learns anything.  There is no point to this story.

End of Act 2 PLOT POINT - Screenwriting - A secret revealed, a fear overcome

At the midpoint of your story there is a MAJOR SOCIAL REVERSAL.

Now lets talk about the next big plot point.  The point towards the end of your story when we dig into a relationship your character has been developing.  In this relationship your character has been keeping a secret and this is when that secret is revealed.

The effects of that secret will clearly define the future of their relationship.

Whether it's when George Clooney sees that Alex Goran is married in Up In The Air, or Warden Norton sees that Andy has escaped and the cops are coming for him, or Max Fischer showing Blume that his father is not in fact a doctor but instead a barber.

In an action movie it can be fear overcome.  Let's say in the opening the character fails to take action, in the end they take it.  In jaws, Quint destroys the radio forcing Brody to take action instead of relying on others.  In Cliffhanger, Stallone has to keep Jesse from falling like Sarah.

There is also ANOTHER POINT here.

You character will have a meeting with the mentor and attractor archetypes before heading into Act 2.  The meeting with the mentor could be simply going over what the mentor taught your character.  If the mentor has died than this is a typical way to do it.
The meeting with the attractor is what can give your character that final push to enter into act 3.  It may mirror the debate that your character had in act 1.

MIDPOINT - Screenwriting - What it is and how to develop your midpoint

The midpoint of your story:

You've arrive at page 55 of a 110 page script and ask, "Is this the midpoint?"

Here's the deal.  Your character will have a MAJOR SOCIAL REVERSAL at the midpoint of the story.  What do I mean by this?

Let's say your character dresses up in a bat suit and fights criminals.  At the midpoint, he will take an action that dramatically effects people in the story to the point where everyone will now take him seriously.  So some will rally around him while others will begin to actively try to take him out.

The point is that before the midpoint, your character is acting in this new way, he's taking on a new role, but no one is really noticing him yet.  Things are going relatively easily and it looks like reaching his goal will be easy.  But then he takes serious action, and everyone takes notice.

Another example would be if your character, SARAH, is trying to win a dance contest, she's dancing well during practice, theirs a preliminary dance test and she blows the girl who is expected to win out of the water.  The dance instructor takes a liking to SARAH and the old dance pro girl, TRISH, now wants to kick SARAH's ass because she sees her as a real threat now.

The midpoint signify s GAME ON.

MAJOR SOCIAL REVERSAL - Symptoms to tell if your character is performing one:

Symptom - Your character becomes 1) the solution some characters have been looking for and 2) the threat some other characters have been hoping won't show up.

Symptom -  Your character will take a step that shows that they have the upper hand.  That they are in control and rising to greatness.  Your villain will now take notice.

Symptom - Point of No Return at which characters take sides.  Point of no return in the eyes of the other characters.  They way they view your hero has changed forever hence no return.

From produced movies:

Rushmore: Max starts construction on the baseball field and is kicked out of Rushmore
Shawshank Redemption: Andy blasts an opera record for all the prisoners to enjoy
Jaws: The beach is being protected But Shark attacks Brody and Mayor's kids in bay
Field of Dreams: Mann hears voice and joins Ray.  Mark telling Ray's wife to sell farm.
Star Wars:  Luke and gang free Leia, Vader kills Ben

Rushmore - 3 Act Structure