Learning Objective

Objective

Story structure is an unspoken yet agreed-upon language between the filmmakers and the audience, and in
order to write a screenplay that connects with audiences, you need to understand how stories are structured.

What You Need

 Select a movie that won an Academy Award for best screenplay
 Either a computer with Excel or a piece of paper and pencil
What You Need to Do
In this exercise, you will watch the movie, then map its A-Plot and each subplot.

1. Create a spreadsheet and set it up as a numbered list. Beginning with 1, list each scene in the movie
sequentially, labeling it as a scene that supports the A-Plot or that supports one of the subplots. The objective is
to end up with a numbered list of every single scene in the movie.
2. Next, take group all the A-plot scenes together into one column, and the scenes from each subplot in their own
respective column.
3. Chart the beginning, middle and end of each plotline while taking special note of the conflict in each subplot.
4. For each subplot, make a note about how each scene in the subplot adds to the story and support the A-plot.

Conclusion
1. Did the A-plot and each subplot work as it's own mini story with a beginning middle and end?
2. At what point in the A-story did every sub plot begin and end?
3. Could the movie have worked had one of the subplots been removed?
4. How influential were the subplots in supporting the second act of the movie, which is traditionally the slowest
and most difficult act to write?
5. How were the subplots used to create depth for the character?
6. What was happening in the A-story during each subplot?