The best script course I ever went on was 20 years ago, at San Felice Circeo, south of Rome, run by Arista. They showed a clip of Frenzy to illustrate an idea. (This is niche even by these standards!)
Each film is divided into sequences, generally eight. And each of these sequences is a three-act drama in itself. They called this approach ‘fractals’.
Take the sequence from 1:10 to 1:24 (which is virtually silent):Act I
Barry Foster disposes of Barbara Leigh Hunt’s body, in a lorry full of potatoes. BUT…
TURNING POINT: He can’t find his tie pin…
HIS MOTIVATION: To stop the body being connected to him.Act 2
BF climbs into the lorry, it leaves, finally he gets the tie pin from BLH’s hand. (Grisly moment when he breaks the fingers)
BUT…
The lorry is still going too fast…Act 3
At last the lorry stops at a rest stop. BF escapes…
But the body, disturbed by him in his haste, is visible to the cops and falls out of the lorry…Don’t know why I find this so rewarding, even when I don’t write screenplays any more!