The Destructiveness of Formulaic Screenwriting
Don’t try to put plot points on specific page numbers, says screenwriting guru Robert McKee.
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You don’t say?!
The idea is not to give specific page numbers for something happening but rather a goal of screen time for plot points to occur, given the typical running time of 90-120 minutes. To be so rigid in crafting a story is a real hindrance.
Yes, it would seem like common sense but Save The Cat by Blake Snyder, which I think McKee is referring to, says the opposite. As a reader, I would say the best scripts observe form but don’t stick to rigid the rigid formula proposed in STC.