CTVA 425 (ADV Screenwriting) Discussion
After you watch the "Die Hard" and "Legally Blonde" lectures, taking notes on the plot points of basic structure or Kim Hudson's Heroine's Journey structure, share the basic structure of YOUR screenplay.
At this time, my feature is following the basic three act structure, not dissimilar to Die Hard.
Inciting Incident - Robbie McNulty's roommate, Mercy, fails to send the "Safety Text" while out on a date and isn't answering her phone. Robbie has to go looking for her.
Plot Point 1 - In trying to figure out where Mercy might be, Robbie reaches out to Mercy's friends. Despite the fact that none of them get along, the group of friends join Robbie's search. Robbie fights them every step of the way.
Midpoint - Robbie has found Mercy's broken phone and abandoned car. The police won't help because Mercy hasn't been missing long enough. She knows next to nothing about the guy Mercy was going out with. She has no leads, no resources, and no clue as to what to do next.
Plot Point 2 - Mercy's friends are able to get Robbie the necessary information to figure out what happened. They also dig up information on the guy she was with and figure out where he must have taken her.
Climax - Robbie and the group of friends find Mercy. They fight off her abductor and escape.
Resolution - Mercy is safe. The group of friends have learned that, despite her less than friendly attitude, Robbie is actually very caring in her own prickly way. They adopt her as one of their own. Robbie has gained the circle of friends as her own, learning how to be open to affection and help.
I don't have any plans for a strict one-to-one parallel to either the Hero's or Heroine's Journey for this story, but that's not to say I'm not taking certain inspirations from those structures. For instance, in the search for Mercy, I do have the Dark World from The Heroine's Journey in mind. Robbie and the circle of friends have to search a busy city in the middle of the night for their vulnerable friend. It's a descent into a frightening and threatening world, almost an Underworld of its own, in order to stage a rescue.