Introduction
Almost without exception, Hollywood
movies, from the latest Oscar best-picture winner to a children’s animation,
follow, in some way, if not entirely, the same basic plot structure. Although
these elements of plot are examined extensively by Martha Alderson in The Plot Whisperer (Adams Media, 2011),
they appear to be universal, and it could be argued that they are evident in
almost every story since ancient times to modern-day bestsellers.
Nonetheless, these plot features are not
apparent to the casual movie-theatre audience because there are wild varieties involved.
For example, the comfortable, Familiar World of the Protagonist might only be a
few minutes for a horror/action flick like World
War Z, but almost one hour for an epic fantasy like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey where all the main characters, or
hobbits, need to be introduced. Further, there are diverse ways of transporting
the Protagonist from the old, Familiar World to the New World of suspense and
danger: it can be by a tornado as in The
Wizard of OZ, or by a transport boat carrying Tom Hanks’s character towards
the hell of D-Day as in Saving Private
Ryan. In addition, an energetic marker to draw the Protagonist away from
the Familiar World might be a drastic event like the chest-burster scene in Alien or the slaughter of Luke
Skywalkers’s adoptive family in Star Wars
Episode Four; but could be something more subtle as in Neo’s choice between
the red pill or the blue pill in The
Matrix – that is really Neo’s choice to step away from his old, comfortable
existence. A Crisis to bring about Transformation might be the death of a
girlfriend in a hotel room as in The Ides
of March, or an epic battle scene involving thousands as in Peter Jackson’s
Tolkin movies. The Transformation itself (where the Protagonist learns about
his or her faults and makes the choice to transform) might take place on a
battlefield next to a bombed-out pillbox, with the Protagonist in tears, as in Saving Private Ryan, or in a dark cave with
the Protagonist in deep thought as in The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
I have made one change to Martha
Alderson’s analysis of plot outline. Many films have a ‘hook’ at the beginning
to draw viewers into the story, so I have included this energetic marker. Also,
I have included a case study to further illustrate the basic plot structure.
Basic Plot outline for Hollywood Screenplays
The Beginning
1ST ENERGETIC MARKER: THE CATCH
An event,
often a Prologue, to ‘hook’ the
reader
Can be
related to Theme
(NB: this 1st
Energetic Marker seems optional; surprisingly, many Hollywood movies do not
include it, and just start at the where and when of the Familiar World)
Familiar
World
Where and
when: immediate, wider, and universal settings conveyed
Convey
comfortable, Familiar World of Protagonist
Introduce
major characters plus their traits
Show Positive Traits of Protagonist, and
hint at Negative Traits (that must
be overcome): A) Weakness B) Fear C) Hatred
Beginning Goal for Protagonist and, maybe, hint at Long-term Goal
Allude to Theme (usually in dialogue, details,
action, observations, thought)
Can hint at
Backstory of Protagonist
Usually
there is Foreshadowing of danger to
come
(NB: the
time of the Beginning varies greatly from movie to movie; it can range anywhere
from a few minutes for an action film to one hour for an epic.
2ND ENERGETIC MARKER: END OF THE
BEGINNING
An event
that pulls the Protagonist away from his/her comfortable world, into a New World
fraught with suspense, danger
The Protagonist
steps through a metaphorical ‘Gateway’,
or threshold, into the middle of the story, or New World
NB: The
threshold can be guarded (if it is important to the story), or could be more
like a Barrier; and it can convey
fear; ie. the Protagonist is hesitant to cross this threshold because of fear
The Middle
New World
New
setting, vastly different, more complex than the beginning (relies on details,
including sensory, and particulars relating to Theme)
New ‘Middle’ Goal or the same goal from the
beginning
Scenes/action
moves Protagonist away from this goal
Scenes/action
challenge Protagonist’s beliefs, self image; highlight traits, especially fear
(of New World)
Protagonist
learns new skills
Protagonist
conveys new emotions (learns from mistakes of the past)
3RD ENERGETIC MARKER: RECOMMITMENT
SCENE
An event, or
test, in the middle of the middle, that recommits the Protagonist to his/her
goal
Challenges Protagonist’s
determination to reach that goal
The more
confident, less fearful Protagonist makes a pledge to recommit; restates goal
Forewarning
of increasing danger
Increased
danger
Reevaluation
of situation
Protagonist’s
negative traits are revealed (he/she blames others for these negative traits)
Protagonist
becomes more conscious of emotions, thoughts; but confidence is shaken and
he/she becomes more vulnerable
4TH ENERGETIC MARKER: THE CRISIS
High point
of dramatic action (that signifies the end of something, or a death);
Lowest
point for Protagonist
Protagonist
suffers
Negative
traits of Protagonist exaggerated
Transformation
Usually in
a quiet, intimate place, the Protagonist is ‘stripped bare’, forced to reflect,
look deep within him/herself, rethink life, and become conscious of negative
traits (and acknowledges them as his/her own fault)
A new self
is born, free of negative traits, with new belief system and, maybe, new
positive traits which, all in all, severs the past (transformation)
Wisdom is obtained
Protagonist
makes a new plan and new End Goal
(or can keep the same goal as the Middle or Beginning Goal); however, the Protagonist
must move forward
The Protagonist
usually steps through a metaphorical ‘Gateway’,
or threshold (that can be guarded or barricaded by forces to prevent the Protagonist
from entering if he or she is not ready; and these forces usually want
confirmation or proof of the Protagonist’s Transformation before he or she can
enter)
Backstory
can be revealed
Ending
5TH ENERGETIC MARKER: CLIMAX
The Protagonist
is stronger, more confident, and reaches the Climax without hesitation
Buildup to Climax:
show Protagonist’s new self, new positive traits; Protagonist excited by new
challenges; momentum builds swiftly
Climax itself:
Protagonist faces the Climax and defeats Antagonist(s) with new skill, strength
he or she didn’t have before
Ought to be
related to Theme (that is, combination of action scenes and character
development; or, in other words, what is the writer’s desire to write?)
Resolution
Protagonist
makes peace with the past and, often, returns to it
Can leave a
question or two unanswered questions, or loose ends, so the story lives on in
the reader/viewer
Protagonist
conveys new personality, sense of freedom; has new status in the old world
Can hint at
Theme
CASE SUDY: DRAG ME TO
HELL (2009, Universal Pictures, directed by Sam Raimi
(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOLIERS)
1ST ENERGETIC MARKER:
THE CATCH
The first scene involves a family visiting a house: the
floor opens, and the boy is dragged into Hell. The viewer is gripped, and,
likewise, dragged into the story.
Familiar World
We are projected into the immediate, Familiar World of the Protagonist:
a bank office in downtown L.A. Christina goes along the freeway to work every
day, greets customers in the bank, does errands for her boss and makes coffee.
Christina has a Beginning goal: she wants to be assistant manager.
Negative traits are soon revealed: Christina’s gluttony is
evident when she pauses at a cake-shop window; she is seen as weak and
unconfident by her boss, and an unworthy little farm girl by her boyfriend’s
mother.
A Forewarning of doom soon arrives when Christina refuses to
help an old woman, Ganush, in the bank by repossessing her home.
2ND ENERGETIC MARKER:
END OF THE BEGINNING
The parking garage scene tears Christina away from her
comfortable, Familiar World. She is attacked by Ganush, barely escapes with her
life, and has a curse placed upon her.
The Middle
New World
Cursed, Christina is now projected into a New World fraught
with danger and suspense. Christina struggles internally in this New World. She
doubts herself and is haunted by fear.
The Theme of Fate is revealed when Christina and her
boyfriend visit a fortune-teller. The Seer’s den is full of Hindu symbolism and
mystical artefacts such as a shrunken monkey’s head. There is a debate between
the Seer and Cristina’s boyfriend about Fraud and Carl Jung’s different interpretations
of fate: Fraud relies on unconscious choices while Jung includes mystical
factors and religion in his analysis.
Then Christina has a new Mid-range Goal: to rid herself of
the ‘dark spirit’ curse.
Christina’s Backstory is soon revealed when she finds an old
photo of herself: she used to be overweight as a child, as this has led to her
inferiority trait now as an adult.
Further events reinforce the curse: Christina is attacked by
a demon in her house, she has a nightmare, swallows a fly and so on. There is a
further reference to the background story, as in: ‘You used to be a fat girl’.
3RD ENERGETIC MARKER:
RECOMMITMENT SCENE
Christina is attacked in her home again by the demon, this
time more violently. Now she is desperate to rid the curse. She attempts, or
recommits, to do this by sacrificing her cat.
Dinner at her boyfriend’s house highlight new positive
traits for Christina such as ambition, backbone, and honesty.
Nonetheless, the curse continues, and this newly-found
confidence is severely shaken. She reinstates her attention to the Seer to rid
herself of the curse. Forewarning of increasing danger is apparent when the
Seer tells her she has only one more day to do so before she is dragged into
Hell. Danger is increased when the demon attacks her in the shed.
Christina’s gluttony trait is revealed when she indulges in
eating ice cream (this is also a reference to her Backstory).
4TH ENERGETIC MARKER:
THE CRISIS
This is the séance scene where the demon and other souls enter
the haunted house from the Prologue. We have glimpsed Christina’s need to
change and her positive traits in previous scenes; now comes her test to see if
she can become a better, stronger person. But the Crisis means just that: the
séance fails to rid the demon and San Dena, the Seer who leads the séance, dies
in the process. The Crisis also shows Christina as weak and ‘insignificant’
(all she wants to do is run from the demon): she has failed her test.
Transformation
Transformation takes place in the coffee shop, which has an
intimate, quiet setting. Christina’s new traits are revealed: she is strong,
aggressive, and tough; and also compassionate because she refuses to pass on
the curse to someone else. Christina has a new End Goal: to pass the curse onto
someone who has already died.
Ending
5TH ENERGETIC MARKER:
CLIMAX
Christina, more confident and stronger (as evident through
tough-talking dialogue and action), races towards the Climax, or final
confrontation with the demon.
The Climax itself is the graveyard scene, where Christina
manages to bury the envelope (which contains the curse) in the grave of the
deceased Ganush, although she struggles to do so in the mud and rain.
Resolution
Having rid the curse, Christina is radiant, gleaming in
sunshine, and dressed in pink. Her Beginning Goal has been achieved (she has
won the Assistant Manager position). She returns to the old, Familiar World of
downtown L.A. a distinctively changed person: confident, outgoing, and strong.
She buys a new business coat which signifies her new status, and admits her
earlier faults to her boyfriend in an effort to further cleanse herself.
However, there is a loose end to the story because Christina realizes the curse
has not gone away and she is, finally, dragged into Hell.