Mariner Software Contour for Mac - Manual (Page 41)

Plot Point 5
Inciting Event. Hero now gets emotionally involved.
The hero starts getting tugged out of his ordinary world by an emotional connection to the adventure at hand.
If itʼs not the Hero who gets emotionally involved, itʼs the audience getting involved on the Heroʼs behalf.
• In STAR WARS, Luke sees the hologram of the Princess inspiring him to ask C3PO “Who is she?”
• In LIAR LIAR, unknown to Fletcher, his ex-wife has just been proposed to, beginning the threat that he
will lose contact with his son.
• In THE SIXTH SENSE, Dr. Crowe meets Cole and notices the scratches on Coleʼs wrists.
Plot Point 6
Hero’s goal as it relates to the Stakes Character and/or love interest. The Hero’s problem
is made clear to audience.
This is often a clarifying beat that shows or foreshadows either the Heroʼs connection to or problem with the
character with whom he has, will have, or wants to have the deepest personal connection.
• In TITANIC, we meet Rose and begin to understand her reluctant engagement to Cal.
• In THE INCREDIBLES, Bob is unfilled with his normal day job (not a Super Hero) and is not engaged
with his family life.
This plot point often hovers a famous and overused line of dialog. It usually comes from the best friend who
looks the Hero in the eye and says “Do you know what your problem is. . . ?” The best friend then lays out
exactly what the Hero is going to need to learn to complete his arc by the end of the film. This plot point
specifies in no uncertain terms the emotional journey your Hero must embark on to become whole.
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