How To Find Plot Point 1 In Your Screenplay

One of the easier plot points to find is the Plot Point 1 or Turning Point 1. Because it’s right before the end of Act 1 and the beginning of Act 2. It’s when the adventure actually starts.

But, what do we mean when we say Act 2. We (usually) mean the Middle of the story. There are some easy tips on how to find the beginning of Act 2 here as well as a video here.

Think of it as a door, a door between two worlds.

When the heroine/hero of the story walks through the door, is the moment we leave Act I and we enter Act II.

Or, according to Joseph Campbell, we leave the “Ordinary world” and we enter a “New world”. Therefore, the moment our protagonist starts her/his journey is the moment we enter in Act 2.

So, what is the event that takes place in order to convince our protagonist to start this journey?

Is someone chasing her/him and that’s why she/he walks through this door? Is someone asking her/him for help? Something “pushes” our heroine/hero to walk through this metaphorical door, right before she/he does, and THAT’S the First Plot Point (or the First Turning Point) in our story. The First Plot Point is so demanding, so imperative that the protagonist, just can’t refuse, in contrast to the Inciting Incident when the protagonist could still refuse the “call”. Easy, eh?

Method to Find Plot Point 1:

Go backwards.

1. Find first the moment where the actual journey/adventure starts. That’s the beginning of Act 2.
2. Find the event that is close to the start of the journey that caused it. That’s the First Plot Point (or Turning Point).

Let’s see some examples in films:

The Game

Again, first we locate the moment the protagonist passes from the ordinary world to the new world, which is where the Act 2 begins and then we search the event that caused it, which is the First Plot Point.

Plot Point 1: Nicholas visits the company CRS, where he applies for the game and takes all the tests. (00:14:20)

Starting point of Act 2: Nicholas finds the clown doll on his doorstep and inside his mouth finds a key. (That’s the moment he passes from his “ordinary world” to an “out of the ordinary world”) (00:25:10)

Jaws

Plot Point 1: Since no one is certain if there is a shark or not, and the public aren’t even aware of the girl’s death, the beaches are full of swimmers. The shark attacks and kills a kid and his mother offers 3000 to the one who catches it. (00:18:00)

Starting point of Act 2: The journey to catch the shark begins in two ways simultaneously. On the one hand fishermen from all over arrive in the island to catch the shark and earn the 3.000 dollars, on the other hand, Hooper, a shark expert, visits chief Brody to help him. (00:30:00)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Plot Point 1: Hagrid visits Harry and informs him that he’s a wizard like his parents. (00:15:06)

Starting point of Act 2: Harry gets on the train to Hogwarts (starts journey in the new world leaving his ordinary world behind). (00:34:00)

If you prefer watching videos, you can find all the tips you’ll need here as well as many film examples: