What makes a good Plot?
A film’s PLOT (or narrative) is what actually happens in the story. It is a story’s sequence of events, which are linked to make meaning for the audience.
Plots describe journeys of characters, which could be people, superheroes, animals or objects. Plots are created as follows:
Choose a character and, to keep it simple for the time being, pick a human character.
Give your character a tangible goal, something they want, so the plot of your film is basically them trying to achieve their goal.
List the actions your main character takes in pursuing their goal. Films are about characters’ actions and reactions. Characters are defined by what they DO, not what they SAY.
List the obstacles (in order from easiest to hardest) that your main character must overcome to achieve their goal - the last obstacle is the CLIMAX of your film.
Decide on the central dramatic question for your film - This question is what engages the audience in the first place. Once this question is answered the film is over.
Internal and External Goals Your character may have two goals - An external goal (which is tangible and appear to want) and an internal goal (what they really want).
What’s at stake? Consider what’s at stake if the character doesn’t achieve their goal. Good films have high stakes to keep the audience interested.