This is one of my first 7-step outline attempts. I’m still figuring this out. Hopefully I get the hang of it soon.
7 Step Outline
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
PREMISE: Indiana Jones sets out to find the ‘Arc of the Covenant’ - a religious artifact - before the Nazis do.
SET UP: South American Jungle 1936. After retrieving an ancient relic from deep inside a cave, Indiana Jones is trapped by Beloque, a French archeologist and rival of Indiana Jones and is forced to hand over the relic. Indiana with his quick-smartness manages to escape into the jungle, and avoid Beloque.
INCITING INCIDENT: Back at the university in America where Indiana Jones teaches archeology, he’s approached by two men, representing American Intelligence who tell him of an archeological dig happening outside of Cairo, headed by the Nazis. Indiana Jones realizes that they are looking for the ‘Arc of the Covenant’. The American Intelligence offer Indiana Jones a deal to retrieve the ‘Arc of the Covenant’ before the Nazi’s do.
ACT ONE TURNING POINT: Indiana Jones tracks down an old flame of his, Marion living in Nepal, who has the headpiece that’s needed to find the exact whereabouts of the ‘Arc of the Covenant’. They avoid being killed by the Nazis who followed Indiana Jones, and make their way to Egypt. In Egypt they get separated and Marion is held captive by Beloque, who is helping the Nazis find the ‘Arc’.
MID POINT: Indiana, with the help of some locals discovers the ‘Arc of the Covenant’, only for it to be taken from him by Beloque. Beloque leaves Indiana Jones and Marion in the underground chamber, where the arc was kept and encloses them in.
ACT TWO TURNING POINT: After they escape from the underground chamber, they get the arc in their possession and make their way back to America by ship, only for Beloque to retrieve it once again. He takes both Indiana and Marion captive, and heads for an island in the Mediterranean Sea with a tunnel built into the side of it. Beloque performs a Hebrew ritual to open the arc.
ACT THREE TURNING POINT: As the Arc is opened, the spirits inside spill out and kill all that are observing it. Only Indiana and Marion survive as they had their eyes closed until it was over.
RESOLUTION: After arriving back in Washington DC, Indiana fails to persuade the American Intelligence to give the arc to the museum for research purposes and will remain in American military hands. Marion meets him outside. Well, at least he got the girl.
The arc is then seen put into a wooden box with TOP SECRET inked on the side, and wheeled into a huge warehouse filled with thousands of other similar looking wooden boxes.
