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Film & Television vocabulary · Genres and Storytelling

MacGuffin

Meaning in film & television, with examples

nounCommon term

In film & television, MacGuffin means: An object or goal that drives characters' actions even when its exact nature matters little to the audience.

In Turkish: olayları harekete geçiren nesne veya hedef

How it is used

Used in story analysis; the pursuit often matters more than the object's details.

Example sentences

  1. The stolen envelope is a MacGuffin that brings the two rivals together.

    The envelope's main purpose is to set the conflict in motion.

  2. We never learn what the MacGuffin contains, but the chase remains exciting.

    The audience can follow the pursuit without knowing the contents.

Common collocations

  • use a MacGuffin
  • central MacGuffin
  • genreA category of films or TV shows that share a style, subject or set of conventions, such as comedy, horror, western or science fiction.
  • plotThe series of connected events that make up the story of a film or series, and the order in which they are shown.

More terms: Genres and Storytelling

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