In Alien, the mid-point is when captain Dallas is killed in the vent shaft, which has 2 consequences: Ripley, who was second in command up to then now becomes in charge; the protagonists' main goal shift from "kill the beast" to "survive", they're no longer hunters but preys.
The Fellowship of the Ring could be an excellent example of a midpoint. The Counsel of Elrond is when Frodo decides to take the ring. This is a point that sets up the rest of the adventure, but it is also the point where he has to let go of the innocent life he had lived and embrace the responsibility of the world. Both Jackson and Tolkien set this up well. With Tolkien showing Frodo procrastinating leaving the Shire, which reveals that he really doesn't want this responsibility. Jackson depicts this with Gandalf expressing that Frodo had to endure the ring too long already and it was too great a task to ask of him. In either case, Frodo accepting the task shows a development in his character that he doesn't want, but he becomes willing.
My favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I haven't watched it in a while, but I would say the midpoint is when Joel Barish realizes he doesn't want to erase Clementine from his memory after all. One of the things I love about Eternal Sunshine is that despite its experimental nature, it hits most of the classic story beats perfectly.
The "Wheel of Fortune" sequence in "LA Confidential" is one of the greatest midpoints I know. It is a classical faux climax with Ed Exley being rewarded for killing three black suspects and seemingly having solved the Night Owl Murders. And it is the moment when Bud White leaves the Victory motel without permission from Smith to find Lynn Bracken - which is the first time that he stops following simple orders, becomes a pro-active character and triggers everything that happens in the second half of the movie.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BRANDON. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH YOUR VIDEOS HELPED ME GROW AS A WRITER! I'm sorry i'm shouting lol! Please keep posting more. I'll also drive my friends to your channel!
The midpoint is such an important piece of the story. I'm not a fan of the 3-Act Structure, the fact that all breakdowns of it split Act 2 into two halves at the midpoint enrages me. It talks about the midpoint, but never dives into more than, it's the midpoint. It should be its own act... Mini Act. I agree with a lot of what John Yorke says about the midpoint. I don't necessarily agree with the change part. James Scott Bell Write from the Middle says there should be a major character beat there, which will lead to the character's realization later. I think if you take both of those, points you got what the middle is about. Belle is right about the character moment but forgets about the plot. Whereas Yorke talks about both, but character change is too early for a change. It can work, I think it would determine the story you're telling.
What you're saying reminds me of the way I feel about Save the Cat's Beatsheet... It's a great guide to plot structure (probably the most accessible one out there), but you still need to read other guides on plot structure to get the full picture. Same applies to the midpoint. I've read several different interpretations of the midpoint through the years, and it has always been one of the foggiest plot structure points. Bell's book on writing your story from the middle is indeed a good one. I wish more guides would tackle the midpoint head on instead of giving vague advice like "Here's where Act 2 gets divided and the stakes are raised."
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Absolutely. Less focus on 3 Acts and more on the critical parts of the story regardless of the structure used. The midpoint is the one that needs the most clarification. It really is a part of the story that is the most flexible. It should have a mix of everything I said, but what ratio depends on the genre and story the author is writing.
When all is said and done about plot structure, what its really good at is teaching reveals, act breaks, and turning points. Past that, don't let it dictate pacing or placement.
@@TimRG yeah i fundamentally see 3 act as just 4 act but so many writing books say "3 act with a midpoint". At some point i looked into 5 act or 2 act and concluded most things (most true 3 act stories are old fashioned hour and a half stuff with no real midpoint) given 4 act is mordernly most common, will have 8 'sequences', at which point what you call each shift between the sequences depends on what stage of journey your character is in. All the terms blended together as similar functions just at different times, (i.e. inciting incidents and pinch points are just ways to make trouble for your character, climactic decisions and point of no return are just moments of decision, I ended up concluding "acts generally have a rise and fall. Theres a situation that leads to some kind of problem or opportunity (some would call the I.I., the pinch point, the crisis, whatever) and then that problem unravels until there is a concrete shift in it (the point of no return, the midpoint, the climactic decision) all the terms are different ways or lengths of going "Character -> Problem -> Revelation" and 2 act, 3 act, 4 act, just depends on length; the longer your thing, the more stages you assumably have to stretch it out for.
i just watched top gun maverick and can say the midpoint shift was when the audience learns his motive for harming the career of Goose's son. its barely something that would be brought up when summarizing yhe story yet its a pivotal moment that connects the first and last act in a way that if we didnt learn it, the middle would not have had an emotional punctuation. it makes you care about maverick more than you did the first hour which was already alot, and right way pulls you deeper into the story, even though theyve done half of the cool stuff they are going to do. it was definitely a reaction scene too, as oppose to action. so basically its like all the action in the world can make the audience love what the character does, but its their emotions that really connect with us, and you cant over use that, so the middle is the perfect place to make a time for only emotional change rather than setting or action change. i assume a great midpoint idea would come when writing a boring chapter where all you can do is dig deep and try to find something emotional to use because theres no action to use
I'm glad you mentioned that it's something that often isn't brought up in summary. Many midpoints are like this, where they're a pivotal, low-key moment (not that there's anything wrong with this. And TG: Maverick was an incredible movie. One of the best in-theater experiences I ever had. The emotion was off the charts.
My favourite movie (and book) is Death in Venice, and the irrefutable midpoint is the scene where protagonist Aschenbach's attempt to leave Venice is thwarted because his luggage is erroneously diverted to the wrong place. This in itself does not prevent him from leaving, but because Aschenbach does not really want to leave, he uses this mishap as a flimsy excuse to stay, and returns to the Lido happy and re-energised... but if, of course, returning to a city infested with the cholera that will kill him, and returning to the infatuation that represents his moral and spiritual decline. This scene therefore represents not just the modern conception of the plot midpoint but also the fatal reversal of intention in classical tragedy.
Do you know if there is any books/movies where the main character gets the opportunity to change, but then turns to reject it instead? Something similar to a redemption Arc that ends in Damnation rather than redemption, but without actually being a redemption arc. Flawed characters, like those in the Kaori Yuki manga stories are always the most interesting ones.
The first season of Better Call Saul. Not a movie, but Jimmy gets the opportunity to go "legit" and tosses it away when he realizes it's not what he really wants.
Another example would be The Color of Money. Tom Cruise's character proves to be incapable of change after having so many moments in the film where you think he's going to change. Granted, he's arguably not the main character of the film.
My favorite is "Wreck-It-Ralph" At the midpoint shift Vanelopy is showing Ralph where she sleeps: "Alone, with all the garbage." as Ralph put it, and you can see in his face and tone of voice he's made a connection with the little girl. From here on out, he's not just trying to win the race to get his medal back, but he's going to help Vanelopy because he genuinely wants to do what's right. Something a REAL hero would do
You pack in a lot of good advice in just under 7 minutes, much more useful than other UA-camrs do in 20. As for you question, it's not my favorite but Iron Man is one of my favorite examples when it comes to the midpoint. When he suits up in the Mark III for the first time and wastes the soldiers still gives me goosebumps. It's typical hero's journey stuff but done so well.
This is where I always get stuck in a story. If I can get past the midpoint, I know I can finish. In fact, often the story begins to write itself. That's because, if I've set up my characters and situations properly, everything becomes an inevitable consequence of what's happened so far.
You are clear, straight to the points I’m really thabksful to your teaching skills !! I’m Japanese but your video really help me develop my storytelling skills!! Thanks ❤
Shawshank. But I can't pinpoint the midpoint. Maybe it's the death of the character that knows who really killed Dufresne wife. He realizes he's going to have to take control and escape himself.
Avatar 3D: Jake Scully has his first clean hunting kill. (Apparently this moment where the main character switches sides from spying for the army to identifying with the natives is exactly in the middle of the movie, showing how James Cameron takes into account story structure.)
If I remember correctly, Cameron also nailed the midpoint in Terminator 1 with the scene where Sarah Connor encounters the T-800 (and Kyle Reese) for the first. That's where she learns that she's going to have to fight in order to survive and stop the future war.
Play the middlegame like a magician is part of a chess proverb. Crucial information of some kind should appear at that point of the story. Practice will help you know if there are exceptions.
Hey Brandon, I really like these videos and constantly binge watch them among others. Thanks for the content. However I do have a request. Can you please get a better microphone? or at least edit your videos in a way the sound isn't so low. Whenever I'm watching your videos in middle of a playlist, your videos require me to constantly pump up the volume and when the video finishes and switches to a different one, the other video feels insanely loud at once. Your videos otherwise are great. Its just the audio that isn't loud enough.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty What mike are you using? A Lavalier shouldn't be this quiet. If you're not using a lavaliar then try it. That mike is pretty cheap but great quality. You won't have to struggle with any camera setting afterwards and it'll sound good and clear.
@@captaindeadpool313 I have a shotgun mic attached to my camera. It probably has more to do with the camera's current settings than the quality of the mic itself. When I set up my camera years ago, things were too loud (check my earliest videos), so I corrected that and apparently overcorrected. I'll bump things up a bit going foreward
Married to the Mob is favorite movie. Midpoint is when she goes on a date with Michael Modine, but the Mafia boss's wife crashes her date. The A & B worlds collide and she has to finally break free of the Mob for good.
I love it that you used The Godfather 1 and 2 for assistance. Those are great examples you used, and of course they're great movies. For sure, the midpoint is pretty important in the story telling. It's good when the story situation changes or some character development; or it can use both. As I remember in a FanFiction I wrote, it was called Perils in Space which was about Duck Dodgers (Daffy Duck) gets kidnapped and his crew have to save him, Dodgers changes his attitude to his crew after they come to rescue him for the first time. I also remember this one book I wrote, Dark Graves, which was about a guy who gets kidnapped and used as a sex slave. In that book, the midpoint was about the main character escaping for the first time. For my own midpoints, I use either the development or the story conflict changes. I'm glad you mentioned this advice since it worked out great for myself as well.
Yeah, the Midpoint can be tricky because most writing guides don't do a thorough job of explaining it. Glad to hear you already had a pretty solid grasp of it. And, yep, Godfather 1 has one of the most memorable and impactful midpoints out there. Even as a kid, that one stuck with me
Your videos are so concise yet so packed with great principles. Great job. One of my favorite movies is Deliverance. At the midpoint, the “attack” has happened. Ed decides they have to bury the dead mountain man and go after the other. It’s an under-appreciated film and novel that you should use in your videos.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I just found this comment again. When I made it you had like 5k subs and now you have more than a 100k. congratulations with a bit of a delay.
all i do in a midpoint is bully people with a filler about fitness for no reason >:) so now instead of the characters getting new info it's the audience and they don't know what to do with this newfound knowledge!
In Alien, the mid-point is when captain Dallas is killed in the vent shaft, which has 2 consequences: Ripley, who was second in command up to then now becomes in charge; the protagonists' main goal shift from "kill the beast" to "survive", they're no longer hunters but preys.
The Fellowship of the Ring could be an excellent example of a midpoint. The Counsel of Elrond is when Frodo decides to take the ring. This is a point that sets up the rest of the adventure, but it is also the point where he has to let go of the innocent life he had lived and embrace the responsibility of the world. Both Jackson and Tolkien set this up well. With Tolkien showing Frodo procrastinating leaving the Shire, which reveals that he really doesn't want this responsibility. Jackson depicts this with Gandalf expressing that Frodo had to endure the ring too long already and it was too great a task to ask of him. In either case, Frodo accepting the task shows a development in his character that he doesn't want, but he becomes willing.
You're a phenomenal teacher, God bless you.
Thanks!
My favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I haven't watched it in a while, but I would say the midpoint is when Joel Barish realizes he doesn't want to erase Clementine from his memory after all.
One of the things I love about Eternal Sunshine is that despite its experimental nature, it hits most of the classic story beats perfectly.
This is so encouraging. I’m pretty sure I have my midpoint nailed!
Great! Best of luck with your story
The "Wheel of Fortune" sequence in "LA Confidential" is one of the greatest midpoints I know. It is a classical faux climax with Ed Exley being rewarded for killing three black suspects and seemingly having solved the Night Owl Murders. And it is the moment when Bud White leaves the Victory motel without permission from Smith to find Lynn Bracken - which is the first time that he stops following simple orders, becomes a pro-active character and triggers everything that happens in the second half of the movie.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BRANDON. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH YOUR VIDEOS HELPED ME GROW AS A WRITER! I'm sorry i'm shouting lol! Please keep posting more. I'll also drive my friends to your channel!
A great midpoint is in The Dark Knight. A false victory when the Joker is caught.
The midpoint is such an important piece of the story. I'm not a fan of the 3-Act Structure, the fact that all breakdowns of it split Act 2 into two halves at the midpoint enrages me. It talks about the midpoint, but never dives into more than, it's the midpoint. It should be its own act... Mini Act. I agree with a lot of what John Yorke says about the midpoint. I don't necessarily agree with the change part. James Scott Bell Write from the Middle says there should be a major character beat there, which will lead to the character's realization later. I think if you take both of those, points you got what the middle is about. Belle is right about the character moment but forgets about the plot. Whereas Yorke talks about both, but character change is too early for a change. It can work, I think it would determine the story you're telling.
What you're saying reminds me of the way I feel about Save the Cat's Beatsheet... It's a great guide to plot structure (probably the most accessible one out there), but you still need to read other guides on plot structure to get the full picture.
Same applies to the midpoint. I've read several different interpretations of the midpoint through the years, and it has always been one of the foggiest plot structure points. Bell's book on writing your story from the middle is indeed a good one. I wish more guides would tackle the midpoint head on instead of giving vague advice like "Here's where Act 2 gets divided and the stakes are raised."
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Absolutely. Less focus on 3 Acts and more on the critical parts of the story regardless of the structure used. The midpoint is the one that needs the most clarification. It really is a part of the story that is the most flexible. It should have a mix of everything I said, but what ratio depends on the genre and story the author is writing.
When all is said and done about plot structure, what its really good at is teaching reveals, act breaks, and turning points. Past that, don't let it dictate pacing or placement.
@@B-MC 3-Acts dictate pacing, to some degree.
@@TimRG yeah i fundamentally see 3 act as just 4 act but so many writing books say "3 act with a midpoint". At some point i looked into 5 act or 2 act and concluded most things (most true 3 act stories are old fashioned hour and a half stuff with no real midpoint) given 4 act is mordernly most common, will have 8 'sequences', at which point what you call each shift between the sequences depends on what stage of journey your character is in. All the terms blended together as similar functions just at different times, (i.e. inciting incidents and pinch points are just ways to make trouble for your character, climactic decisions and point of no return are just moments of decision, I ended up concluding "acts generally have a rise and fall. Theres a situation that leads to some kind of problem or opportunity (some would call the I.I., the pinch point, the crisis, whatever) and then that problem unravels until there is a concrete shift in it (the point of no return, the midpoint, the climactic decision) all the terms are different ways or lengths of going "Character -> Problem -> Revelation" and 2 act, 3 act, 4 act, just depends on length; the longer your thing, the more stages you assumably have to stretch it out for.
i just watched top gun maverick and can say the midpoint shift was when the audience learns his motive for harming the career of Goose's son. its barely something that would be brought up when summarizing yhe story yet its a pivotal moment that connects the first and last act in a way that if we didnt learn it, the middle would not have had an emotional punctuation. it makes you care about maverick more than you did the first hour which was already alot, and right way pulls you deeper into the story, even though theyve done half of the cool stuff they are going to do. it was definitely a reaction scene too, as oppose to action. so basically its like all the action in the world can make the audience love what the character does, but its their emotions that really connect with us, and you cant over use that, so the middle is the perfect place to make a time for only emotional change rather than setting or action change. i assume a great midpoint idea would come when writing a boring chapter where all you can do is dig deep and try to find something emotional to use because theres no action to use
I'm glad you mentioned that it's something that often isn't brought up in summary. Many midpoints are like this, where they're a pivotal, low-key moment (not that there's anything wrong with this.
And TG: Maverick was an incredible movie. One of the best in-theater experiences I ever had. The emotion was off the charts.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty my man!!
My favourite movie (and book) is Death in Venice, and the irrefutable midpoint is the scene where protagonist Aschenbach's attempt to leave Venice is thwarted because his luggage is erroneously diverted to the wrong place. This in itself does not prevent him from leaving, but because Aschenbach does not really want to leave, he uses this mishap as a flimsy excuse to stay, and returns to the Lido happy and re-energised... but if, of course, returning to a city infested with the cholera that will kill him, and returning to the infatuation that represents his moral and spiritual decline. This scene therefore represents not just the modern conception of the plot midpoint but also the fatal reversal of intention in classical tragedy.
I just lose steam near the midpoint. have abandoned two manuscripts. made me realise I need to be a plotter
I actually have a video coming up on how to finish (or resurrect) manuscripts. Keep an eye out for it.
Do you know if there is any books/movies where the main character gets the opportunity to change, but then turns to reject it instead?
Something similar to a redemption Arc that ends in Damnation rather than redemption, but without actually being a redemption arc.
Flawed characters, like those in the Kaori Yuki manga stories are always the most interesting ones.
Up In The Air comes to mind as a movie
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Thank you. I will look that up then.
@@samaelkrieg Yeah it’s a good one
The first season of Better Call Saul. Not a movie, but Jimmy gets the opportunity to go "legit" and tosses it away when he realizes it's not what he really wants.
Another example would be The Color of Money. Tom Cruise's character proves to be incapable of change after having so many moments in the film where you think he's going to change. Granted, he's arguably not the main character of the film.
My favorite is "Wreck-It-Ralph"
At the midpoint shift Vanelopy is showing Ralph where she sleeps: "Alone, with all the garbage." as Ralph put it, and you can see in his face and tone of voice he's made a connection with the little girl. From here on out, he's not just trying to win the race to get his medal back, but he's going to help Vanelopy because he genuinely wants to do what's right. Something a REAL hero would do
Such a great movie
You pack in a lot of good advice in just under 7 minutes, much more useful than other UA-camrs do in 20. As for you question, it's not my favorite but Iron Man is one of my favorite examples when it comes to the midpoint. When he suits up in the Mark III for the first time and wastes the soldiers still gives me goosebumps. It's typical hero's journey stuff but done so well.
Thanks man! And a lot of superhero movies have the "suiting up" midpoint. Obvious change, but they still have to master their newfound power
This is where I always get stuck in a story. If I can get past the midpoint, I know I can finish. In fact, often the story begins to write itself. That's because, if I've set up my characters and situations properly, everything becomes an inevitable consequence of what's happened so far.
You are clear, straight to the points I’m really thabksful to your teaching skills !! I’m Japanese but your video really help me develop my storytelling skills!! Thanks ❤
Parasite Mid-Point is my favorite of all time.
Phenomenal movie and definitely a great midpoint
The actual “50%” mark is really a faux climax. A point in the road where the character fails or progresses, but it isnt the actual final hurdle.
Yep, Save the Cat calls it the False Victory (or False Defeat)
Shawshank. But I can't pinpoint the midpoint. Maybe it's the death of the character that knows who really killed Dufresne wife. He realizes he's going to have to take control and escape himself.
What's your favorite movie? What's its Midpoint? Let us know!
Avatar 3D: Jake Scully has his first clean hunting kill. (Apparently this moment where the main character switches sides from spying for the army to identifying with the natives is exactly in the middle of the movie, showing how James Cameron takes into account story structure.)
Fight Club: narrator hits rock bottom after accepting the pain of a chemical burn.
Swades: Mohan falls in love with Geeta and his home country.
If I remember correctly, Cameron also nailed the midpoint in Terminator 1 with the scene where Sarah Connor encounters the T-800 (and Kyle Reese) for the first. That's where she learns that she's going to have to fight in order to survive and stop the future war.
Play the middlegame like a magician is part of a chess proverb. Crucial information of some kind should appear at that point of the story. Practice will help you know if there are exceptions.
Hey Brandon, I really like these videos and constantly binge watch them among others. Thanks for the content. However I do have a request. Can you please get a better microphone? or at least edit your videos in a way the sound isn't so low. Whenever I'm watching your videos in middle of a playlist, your videos require me to constantly pump up the volume and when the video finishes and switches to a different one, the other video feels insanely loud at once. Your videos otherwise are great. Its just the audio that isn't loud enough.
Gotcha. You're not the first person to complain about my videos being too quiet. I will go into the camera settings this weekend and adjust them.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty What mike are you using? A Lavalier shouldn't be this quiet. If you're not using a lavaliar then try it. That mike is pretty cheap but great quality. You won't have to struggle with any camera setting afterwards and it'll sound good and clear.
@@captaindeadpool313 I have a shotgun mic attached to my camera. It probably has more to do with the camera's current settings than the quality of the mic itself. When I set up my camera years ago, things were too loud (check my earliest videos), so I corrected that and apparently overcorrected. I'll bump things up a bit going foreward
Thanks Brandon, this is realy helpful! Can I sugest you to make more videos covering act I and act III as well, like this one? :)
Sure thing! What exactly are you struggling with? Anything specific about Act 1 or Act 3?
Vc é escritor?
@@AndersonMallony-EricCF Sim, sou sim kkk
Married to the Mob is favorite movie.
Midpoint is when she goes on a date with Michael Modine, but the Mafia boss's wife crashes her date. The A & B worlds collide and she has to finally break free of the Mob for good.
Luke in the cave on Dagoba in Empire Strikes Back
The Titanic I think the midpoint is when the ship collides with the iceberg
New Writer, great video. But what I like and hate the most, is you’re giving me more ideas. I have to go back in and change whatever I’m doing.
I find this channel after my 3rd edit of my novel. 🤦♂️
Thanks man i can definitely have a use of this vid
When the Titanic hits the iceberg, Duh!
I love it that you used The Godfather 1 and 2 for assistance. Those are great examples you used, and of course they're great movies. For sure, the midpoint is pretty important in the story telling. It's good when the story situation changes or some character development; or it can use both.
As I remember in a FanFiction I wrote, it was called Perils in Space which was about Duck Dodgers (Daffy Duck) gets kidnapped and his crew have to save him, Dodgers changes his attitude to his crew after they come to rescue him for the first time. I also remember this one book I wrote, Dark Graves, which was about a guy who gets kidnapped and used as a sex slave. In that book, the midpoint was about the main character escaping for the first time.
For my own midpoints, I use either the development or the story conflict changes. I'm glad you mentioned this advice since it worked out great for myself as well.
Yeah, the Midpoint can be tricky because most writing guides don't do a thorough job of explaining it. Glad to hear you already had a pretty solid grasp of it.
And, yep, Godfather 1 has one of the most memorable and impactful midpoints out there. Even as a kid, that one stuck with me
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I agree and thank you. And The Godfather movies are greatly written.
This was super helpful, thank you! Your videos always get my brain thinking!
Thank you!
I love this channel. You've earned my subscription.
Thank you!
Your videos are so concise yet so packed with great principles. Great job. One of my favorite movies is Deliverance. At the midpoint, the “attack” has happened. Ed decides they have to bury the dead mountain man and go after the other. It’s an under-appreciated film and novel that you should use in your videos.
You deserve at least 100k subscribers.
THANK YOU!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I just found this comment again. When I made it you had like 5k subs and now you have more than a 100k. congratulations with a bit of a delay.
can the character goal change at the midpoint?
He has mention in some videos about what the character wants versus what the character needs. So, yes.
Sadly, cannot remember any example.
all i do in a midpoint is bully people with a filler about fitness for no reason >:) so now instead of the characters getting new info it's the audience and they don't know what to do with this newfound knowledge!
Hahaha the audience then becomes the hero of their own fitness story. Brilliant!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty master class writing