The Midpoint | The Craft Of...

Welcome to the fourth installment of my latest series entitled “The Craft Of”, a crash course on traditional 3 Act Structure which the vast majority of Hollywood films released over the last several decades have utilized.
Today's episode will discuss the third of the five major plot points, The Midpoint. Now The Midpoint is... well... see... it umm... you know what? Just check out the video and I'll explain.
NOTE: This series is not meant to rag on any particular screenwriting guide you fancy. If it works for you, stick with it. If you DO need a recommendation, go with Syd Field's "Screenplay", which I'd say is the gold standard.
Main Channel: / macabrestorytelling
Live-Stream/Gaming Channel: / @macabrelive8266
Patreon: / macabrestorytelling
Twitter: / macabstory
Twitch: / elpapamac
Reddit: / el_macab
[00:00] - Intro
[00:52] - The Midpoint
[15:46] - Outro
SPOILERS FOR:
Chinatown (1974)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Mean Girls (2004)
Oldboy (2003)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Matrix (1999)
The Social Network (2010)
MUSIC:
"Danse Macabre" by Kevin McLeod: • "Danse Macabre" Kevin ...
"The Dark Knight - Main Theme" by Hans Zimmer: • The Dark Knight Main T...
"Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - Theme" by Jon Brion: • 01 - Theme
"Milkshake" by Kelis: • kelis - my milkshake b...

[@keiracraig7883]

so glad to see you approve of the masterpiece that is mean girls

[@Anthony-sn9kl]

:)

[@Quizerno]

I hadn't seen Mean Girls, so I stopped watching the video at 11:00 Asked my mom if she wanted to watch it. Watched it together, then finished this video. You did not let me down sir.

[@TheMikster95]

"Arguably the best film of all time..." "Mean girls" Omg you are not alone

[@evil1knight]

The incident incident changes the protagonists world so much they cannot go back to their old life, but they themselves are not changed, the mid point the protagonist must changes completely so they cannot go back to their old selves, they must overcome their weakness and change into a different person to defeat the antagonistic forces

[@beandoogle8430]

Your Name (2016) had an amazing midpoint turn. I remember laying back passively watching it pretty interested. And then BOOM literally sitting on the edge of my bed watching the rest of it. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it.

[@alx123094]

The callback to absolute snack Aaron Samuel's in your newest video brought me back here

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Those who recognized that are the real MVPs ✊

[@gfilmer7150]

If Lord of The Rings (first one) taught me anything, you can put your inciting incident at the midpoint.

[@gfilmer7150]

I would add this to the original comment but whatever. So Rise and Fall films are basically when the ending is halfway through the first movie and the rest of the film is the half flipped on its head.

[@DavidRivera-qb1un]

Rocky

[@gfilmer7150]

@@DavidRivera-qb1un I haven't see Rocky in a while so I can't make a judgement.

[@cynicalleviathan3305]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is such a masterpiece. Pls do more videos on Charlie Kaufman films,the man is easily one of my favourite writers ever.

[@bitzibaerlie]

Would be great to have more negative example of films doing some of these parts wrongly, like the trap you were talking about in this video. I can also imagine the midtown taking too much away from the main premise of the film, being counter-productive instead.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Definitely. Honestly I try to think of films that are examples of not using the midpoint well and I think I can’t because they were they unmemorable. As for a midpoint being TOO extreme that’s a great point. I’ll think if I can recall a film where that is the case cuz I can definitely seeing it being too drastic of a turn.

[@alexarias5717]

L.A confidential is SO good. My parents owned it on DVD that's why I watched it

[@marshallturner1]

I literally just watched "Mean Girls" for the first time this past week (I'm kicking myself for all the laids I never got in college by missing out on this masterpiece), and Mac just happens to use it as a great example of the midpoint? Shut. Up!

[@MRJDXTRA]

Brooo i needed this so badly man. Been trying to get a script going and i seem to have Act 1 down but this midpoint is jarring me. To cut it short thanks again man.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👍

[@_somestuff]

I think TF: Dark of the Moon has a pretty good midpoint with Sentinel Prime's betrayal.

[@louisvanoort8418]

This video made my watch meangirls for the first time and i don't regret it

[@leadvendor]

Did Mac just vaguely hint at an in-depth 'Mean Girls' series? I think he diiiiiiiid!

[@whitleypedia]

I am getting the distinct impression that I should finally watch Chinatown.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Or you could just wait until the end of the series. I feel I talk about it so often you might just get the whole thing by the end lol

[@mrguardwill45]

I had to come back to let you know: I have no idea how i managed to live 28 years without ever watching L.A. Confidential. That some good shit. Fuck. Need to watch it again.

[@abyss9256]

Nice shout out for la confidential. Was on a la crime / police movie spree and stumbled on this... I've seen it like 4 times now sooo good. Give my regards to rollo tomasi

[@AIONBERSERKER]

Best explanation of the Midpoint I have seen. Huge help.

[@LaTigerGenesis]

had to subscribe after you recaptured my attention with "absolute snack." :-)

[@neildaly2635]

“Do ye have a valediction, boyo?” LA Confidential is a truly great film. Great video.

[@AJPzaworld]

If only I could get past the Inciting Incident to finally reach that ever elusive midpoint.

[@malayalimangooss6216]

Sir, your entire series on 3 act structure is awesome. So clearly explained. The best available on KZbin! 👌

[@ark-L]

This video is great and illustrates the advantages of just straight-up shifting from 3 act structure to 4 act. Split that double-act in two and boom! you immediately have a natural midpoint begging for a reversal or other deepening of the plot. And, as the video illustrated, even 3 act guides often split the 2nd act into two anyways to make it easier to write the middle of the story. #4ActMasterRace

[@thankyoujodi]

Awesome work, can't wait for the next two!!

[@thegeno424]

Most helpful vid in the series yet. Thanks Mac!

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👍

[@duqduqgoose]

This series is so informative (and entertaining)!

[@MrWinnieP]

You deserve millions of subs my dude....but then say/do something that incites an unjustified controversy, losing you many of them. You then don’t back down and your work will speak through that noise with your unabashedly concise, eloquent, non-demeaning, and insightful writing ✍️ that you earn it all back and more.

[@LeeGray929]

This is soooooo good. Love ur videos man, they really help the inundated (me)

[@colinator9414]

2:18 exactly how I felt with 2021’s “The Little Things”

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Dooooood there was a good movie in there but it was DRAGGED tf out

[@colinator9414]

Ikr there was such potential

[@TheEastonVerse]

Im a new subscriber, i've seen most of your videos (mainly the GoT ones) and i've been waiting for your next video. Good work!

[@MacabreStorytelling]

👍

[@brankoburcksen]

Great video series! Super informative. I wondered if you could share any insights or opinions of the Eastern concept of Jo-Ha-Kyu as it relates to dramatic structure?

[@freshpeaches6886]

The only disappointing thing about the quality of this video is that it didn't mention the great, marvelous movie of "MegaMind"

[@rclark8688]

Oh my gosh the earliest i have been to anything in my entire life

[@1adadada]

Great vid. Thankyou.

[@YggdrasilAudio]

One great (but slightly off-topic) example of putting the obvious ending earlier is actually The Boys the comic series. Love it or hate it, most people would agree that the last arcs are the best thing about the comic.

[@conorfarmer159]

I love your videos! So glad im this early.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

💓

[@Luke-nn4pm]

I liked despite being asked to turn on “noties”

[@Leo501st]

Badass video my guy.

[@user-jy9rq8nj7q]

not me clicking from home page to your channel to see the rest of the title, only to end up clicking the video and the title just ending in "..."

[@Luuuna]

Love your vids!!!

[@mezzofemme]

midpoint = the plot thickens

[@downsjmmyjones101]

I'm sorry, Mac. Not only have I not seen LA Confidential, I also haven't seen Mean Girls.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

bAnNeD

[@MrBeknacktoman]

These are the best videos on the subject matter I have seen so far. Like you said, too many videos or articles are way too specific and also way too many try to fit every story into that "Hero's Journey" template I just don't find very useful. Sure, every Story is a circle and that circle has exactly 12 or 8 or 24 or whatever points... For example I don't think every story has or needs the return to the old world section. Anyway, nice videos so far. Keep it up!

[@warlordofbritannia]

In related news, I’m a-quivering for the *climax*

[@Braindead333]

The notification i was waiting for

[@ivanhunter6492]

love this

[@Carpet_Carp]

Never watched Mean Girls, but this makes me want to do it lol

[@FromMyBrain]

First time I've heard second act trap described and it's one of the big keys that makes even the crappiest movies work for me (*cough* max payne)

[@Mr_Case_Time]

How does this translate to a season of a TV show? It seems good shows have some kind of structure to how each season is laid out.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Definitely! It will obviously depend on the show (format, # of episodes, etc.) but in any case, you can structure it the same way. So perhaps if the show is a 10 episode serialized sort of thing, the first 2 episodes are the setup, and then episode 5 has something big happen that sort of acts as the midpoint, and then episodes 9 and 10 being the "climax" if you will.

[@vitorafmonteiro]

"Finding Nemo" is my favourite adaptation of "Heart of Darkness".

[@MacabreStorytelling]

BASED

[@vitorafmonteiro]

@@MacabreStorytelling Ah, I stand corrected.

[@bovi-li]

What's with the Kevin Spacey cover-up in the LA Confidential reference?

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Eh I wanted to add myself and he seemed like the one best to replace myself with

[@bovi-li]

@@MacabreStorytelling 😊

[@cynicalleviathan3305]

As much as I love the dark knight the middle of that film the more I've thought about it across the years,has not aged that well,mostly due to the contrived nature of it with Jokers plan of getting caught and coming back out again just relying on a bunch of lucky conveniences that just happen to work out for him.

[@gfilmer7150]

He got himself caught to break Lao out. Lao was the gangster who hid all of the money and escaped to China only to be caught by Batman and brought back to The U.S. They could've done that Trojan Horse concept better.

[@cynicalleviathan3305]

@@gfilmer7150 I get what his plan was when he got caught,my argument is more to do with his plan requiring a bunch of lucky things to conveniently work out for him to make it happen. Such as him being put in a prison cell where they decided to conveniently put a police officer inside with him who just so happens to be emotionally manipulatable and be bested in a physical confrontation even though he was put in a room where they could see what he was doing inside of the room from the other side of the glass so there's no reason to put a cop in there with him to watch what he is doing,and along with that the bombs that exploded in the police station just happen to knock out all the police officers in the station without knocking out the joker himself.

[@gfilmer7150]

@@cynicalleviathan3305 Exactly, that should be tweaked.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I always saw The Joker as more of a metaphorical symbol of chaos as opposed to an actual grounded character, which is why his lack of backstory works so well in the film and offering said back story would diminish the character. I guess I didn't mind the more contrived nature of his plan as it felt more as if it was about chaos spreading.

[@cynicalleviathan3305]

@@MacabreStorytelling Yeah that is the defence that people usually give for any of the Jokers plans being really half baked,that he symbolizes chaos so his plans don't need to make sense but aside from that making me kinda feel like the writer is being a bit lazy in writing this character,my response to that would be that to be as effective a criminal as the joker without the writing being contrived you kinda need him to have plans that make sense to a certain degree,and we see him in this very film having plans and working towards goals cause he kinda has to for him to get as far as he did and for him to cause as much damage as he does,and alongside that the actions of the police officers also play into the contrived nature of the events as they for some reason decide to put one single officer in the room with him (also he gets lucky that no one notices him physically attacking the officer they put in the room) even though they can keep an eye on him without putting anyone in the room with him at all and afterwards they all get conveniently knocked out by the bombs even though the Joker does not. But yeah I'm completely fine with the Joker not having a backstory,that works for his character so that's not an issue.

[@jordyundieground3270]

Killin it

[@sardonically-inclined7645]

I'm curious, how does this apply to Taken?

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I would have to give the film a re-watch to see, but Taken has a very clear II & FAT.

[@sardonically-inclined7645]

@@MacabreStorytelling I agree, but everything past the inciting incident, up until he shoots the man with knife against his daughter's throat seems to be a long-running second act, because his course, goal and methodology don't change. Everything after that is quick-paced resolution under 6 minutes.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Definitely. I think director Luc Besson spoke of the movie in that since it couldn't deliver on big spectacle, it sought to deliver on intensity. In this case, the plot was more GO GO GO! as opposed to a more contemplative and rise and fall style that other movies employ.

[@Urlocallordandsavior]

Weren't you supposed to do a last Game of Thrones rewrite episode Macabre?

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Yeah still on the docket

[@sampsonraysimon]

I split my "2nd Act" into two acts.

[@mononokehte]

watching L.A. Confidential tonight

[@djeggy6916]

sad you didn’t make a paddington 2 vid. happy mean girls was in the vid. you’ve bought yourself more time 👀

[@JaustonCharles]

I know you just released this video, but come on! Where’s the next one?

[@HannaHsOverInvested]

Off the record, on the qt, and very hush hush.

[@processinginformation]

when you're so early you

[@darkomen1290]

im here, im hard, and im ready to view this new masterpiece

[@abdoul5176]

*Absolute Snacc*

[@tobiaswidjaya1304]

Just finished my exam and the first thing I watched is a writing lesson video I think there is something wrong with me

[@Anthony-sn9kl]

701🥳

[@georgesmiley5880]

Finally some one appreciates the master class of Mean Girls. (My favourite communist propaganda film)

[@MacSmithVideo]

I refuse to call it a 3 act structure when its very clearly a 4 act structure.

[@MacabreStorytelling]

Even Syd Field in his book notes it’s technically a four act structure. I think he still referred to it as such since 3AS is such a commonplace term.

[@dreal500]

Couldn't you basically call the MIDPOINT the "SECOND INCITING INCIDENT?"

[@MacabreStorytelling]

I’m some cases yes, but others no. Depends on the context.

[@jennamurphy9614]

Lmao did you say a 5 act structure is just rebranding of a 3 act structure? 5 act structutes have been arpund since 1863, 3 act structures didnt come in for another hundred years.

[@MM-714m]

I always had the most random reason not to watch mean girls. They always talk about how she came from africa and I wanted to scream at my tv: "Africa is not a freaking country give me some real place. Because Morocco and Zimbabwe are not the same!" It needlessly got on my nerves everytime I tried to watch it. Decided to finally give it a real chance because of you!

[@MM-714m]

Just watched it on Netflix. Not for me but not bad. (Still don't know where she was in "Africa" but I guess it's a sweet movie)

[@user-jy9rq8nj7q]

realistically US highschlooers arent going to know all the countries of africa (especially the ones in the film), neither are viewers, it was likely for convenience

[@MM-714m]

@@user-jy9rq8nj7q Don't you think it's sad to be thinking like that? I'm not asking them to name Guinée Bissau, I mean it could just be south Africa. I'd be fine with that. If it was only the other student who said Africa, I would get it but Cady herself ? It's not a crucial point, I'm just saying it's kind of stupid. And really I hope american children would know at least, let's say 5 countries from Africa (I don't forget asian people, they deserved better too but I guess the "asian table" could have more than one type of asians)

[@user-jy9rq8nj7q]

@@MM-714m it's literally just for convenience. Nothing in that film is meant to be taken seriously. Are you really that upset about a line of dialogue in an early 2000's teen comedy where nothing is meant to be taken seriously? It's not a story of accurate and good representation, it's just a classic that is mildly problematic and intentionally "unwoke" intended for laughs

[@MM-714m]

@@user-jy9rq8nj7q As I said it's not crucial ! It just annoyed me and I felt it was kind of dumb but again it doesn't make or break the movie :) I was just reacting to the idea that being more precise would confuse american students. It's an other argument to say that it is part of the joke. If it is really a joke and it worked on some people, it's great! It just annoyed me. And it's not even a racist think, I hate when people say someone went to "Europe " too. I find it lazy. It's a personal pet peeve. If it doesn't annoy you great! I'm not trying to cancel that movie ^^

[@thereccher8746]

I disagree with your analysis of Sunshine. Clementine is the antagonist of that movie. Joel's goal is always to have his memory of her erased. But she's constantly opposing that goal through temptation.