Writing Tip: The difference between Act One midpoint and Act One end

“Something happens. An event that precipitates a change in the Protagonist’s life circumstances.”

In a Story Development class I’ve been teaching at the DePaul University School of Cinematic Arts, we have been discussing screenplay structure and this week in particular, the importance of Act One.

The subject came up about two major Plotline Points which typically happen in the story’s setup: The Act One Midpoint and the Act One End. The question came up: What’s the difference?