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48
Plot Twists
Twists are so wild
you might never predict them, which adds to the suspense in your film.
If you do a strong enough original twist at the end, you will make an
instant classic moment. Think of what stunning turn around you could include
during Act Three, and then see how you could reveal it hidden in the script.
Adding twists throughout your script will keep things unpredictable and
nonlinear. Twists force radically new turns in the story line. For it
to be a good twist, you must not be able to predict it. If the audience
suspects you have something up your sleeve, point them to look at the
wrong sleeve. You usually need at least two big plot twists in a short
and four in a feature.
Twists are wildly unpredictable sets of circumstances that pop up and
inalterably change the course of the plot.
Twists can come in many forms, such as unexpected events, unexpected characters
appearing, new information, mistakes, misunderstandings, other characters
acting in surprising ways, equipment breaking, or characters outsmarting
each other. Sometimes big twists involve having the character change plot
goals, either by accomplishing the first plot goal and seeing a bigger
one to do, or finding out that the plot goal he is working toward is now
unnecessary. Plant setup and payoff clues earlier in the story, such as
fixing a piece of equipment that sometimes breaks, which will then break
later at a key moment.
How would
your film idea change if one of the following events happened somewhere
in your story?
- Accident
kills someone.
- Character
gets caught.
- Transportation
breakdowns.
- Worse
situation gets even worse during escape route.
- Unexpected
new equipment is installed that messes up plan. .
- Communication
system goes haywire.
- Cover
is blown.
- No more
food, money, air, bullets, or gas.
- Innocent
people get in the way.
- Dead
character comes back to life.
- Ticking-clock
deadline pressure, such as a bomb about to explode.
- Clues
destroyed.
- Plans
are stolen by the enemy.
- New information
is revealed that changes current situation completely.
- Character
loses the ability to move, see, or walk.
- Natural
obstacles or unforeseen disasters.
Choose
from over 30 other story twist ideas to add suspense in "Developing
Digital Short Films"!
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