Share. Linklater Preaches Patience in Your Career. Well, I am proud to bring No Film School its own beat sheet template and our readers a free beat sheet they can use to help structure their screenwriting work. A beat sheet is the precursor to a screenplay outline: it identifies the important moments in an episode or feature film, and lays out what needs to happen in each act of the story. We want to know what's inside the character that can hold them back. If Peter Quill doesn't hit Thanos here, he might have saved more lives. I am so not the techie to help you if any of this doesn’t work. Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0WcBJOpRdA. CHARACTER-FOCUSED TEMPLATE. When do we break from act one to act two? And if you’re viewing this post in my newsletter, click through to this post on my website to view the instructional images.) Make the worst part of their day or life reflect the worst thing they're going through. You must extract the file from the zip folder and open in Scrivener (which you must have for this to work.) When we meet your main character, we want to know them and know their story. Write and collaborate on your scripts FREE. Musical sheet template is a little effort in this direction. Theme Stated (5): 3. We know immediately that he's too good for this job. We know the importance of first and final frames and we've covered the best opening scenes of all time, so I won't belabor the point. This is the first. Eventually, Neo has to face the Agent Smith by himself. Click the link to take your character development to the next level! Being The One has endowed him with superhero qualities in The Matrix, which he will now put to good use. The Toy Story 3 Save the Cat! GET STARTED. In Love, Simon, this is a literal coming out. We see characters lose their friends, brave danger, all to find this one guy, who when they get there won't come home. Think of beats as “checkpoints” along the way, that will complete the story and chart out a film structure. This row isn’t necessary. For Indiana Jones, it's the thrill and the call from Army intelligence. The second is not. The following example images are taken from the MS Excel file of my Basic Beat Sheet. Things get ugly. People who have read Save the Cat have heard of the promise of the premise...this is my version. A list of emotional moments in a feature film screenplay that helps a writer outline their story. Don’t worry – this is avoidable. Seeing how another film nailed their plot structure can get you thinking about your own in a different way. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. It’s broken down into acts, it’s broken down into page ranges. Things can't go smoothly. Obviously as a screenwriter, the former is required to sustain a career. Hey all, In keeping with May being TV month, including the Official Meetup on May 20th, I thought it would be good to pull out some resources for TV writing.. Try to put them in a situation that makes us care about them or understand their struggle. So that's something to get on a plane across the globe for...that and Marion Ravenwood. EDIT: Here is the link for the General Sitcom Story Map and for the 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' example.Enjoy! Why would butts be in seats to watch your movie? The Save the Cat beat sheet template is at its end, so it’s time for the protagonist to take on their foes. One thing we need to see is a failure. The Matrix, closes on Neo. But I think we do need a series of scenes that really give people those trailer moments. With the right tools, you can see if your idea has the “legs” to deliver a feature-length film to the finish line. But it’s all too easy to take that idea and run, only to stumble at page 30 without a clue of where to go. I think this is gracefully handled in Saving Private Ryan. Tired of Waiting? Beat Sheets. A script reader will tell you that the first ten pages are where they make the determination about whether or not they want to recommend a script. Let’s use the act breakdown of The Matrix to show the power of the Save the Cat beat sheet template at work. Page Count: Calculate. When the story bounces back, it can in a big way. We know the level of competitiveness of the leads and why they work well together. If you know your page count will be longer than Blake Snyder’s set 110 pages, find a handy beat sheet calculator to recalibrate. For example, the Three-Act Structure includes the All is Lost and Dark Night of the Soul moments, even though they might not be spelled out as clearly as they are in the Hero's Journey or Save the Cat Beat Sheet formats. (Definitions and Examples). There are no Gaylord Fockers in American Beauty. The “beat sheet” is a way to sequence your story, using bullets instead of whole sentences or paragraphs. That Beat Sheet is then fleshed out across forty index cards, which the writer uses to maintain an overview of the film’s plot while crafting the script. It's crucial to give your character a strong and clear need. Enjoy! One of his customers tells him that he looks like he “needs to unplug for awhile.” This subtly suggests that Neo will learn to unplug from his computer simulated reality, and how to fight those who were keeping him there. Identifying key elements is helpful for planning, but when you're still writing your story, other less obvious elements come into play. In The Matrix? This inciting incident gets us hooked, let's see what keeps us there. "The Beat Sheet calculator allows you to enter the total projected number of pages in your screenplay, and then returns to you a beat by beat sheet of the fifteen major events in the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet.". Posted by heckj October 17, 2020 Posted in Ranting and Reflections Tags: nanowrimo. These scenes are the reason you chose to write the script. It's a classic that turns god into a fool. Commonly, this is dialogue spoken to the protagonist that he doesn’t quite grasp yet. The Beat Board brainstorming tool and Story Map story planning tool work seamlessly to help you plan your script from high-level overview to page-by-page or beat-by-beat outlining. A beat sheet is the entire episode told beat by beat. How do you use them? Now would be important to point out that beats are malleable. Steps 8 to 9 - are HUMAN V HUMAN When you see your character fail, you can expose the character traits you want to see them fix. I developed this beat sheet. Now let's take a look at what works best for me and, hopefully, it helps you. That's the lesson, the moral, the reason you want people to tune in and watch. He’s indeed The One, subdues the Agents and completely disintegrates Agent Smith. When you want your audience to get engaged quickly, it's these pieces of essential context that will make that happen. NaNoWriMo Beat Sheet Scrivener Template. He has to seize the moment and offer to get it to Mordor as well. To get started, pick an episode of Big Bang Theory and one of those CSI-ish cop shows, and create beat sheets for them. It's a way to also entice yourself and the reader of the outline. Finally, keep Dan Harmon's story circle in mind as you chart out each beat. At this point of the Save the Cat beat sheet template, your protagonist has lost hope. I think it's important to look at them in two different beats. Marilyn Brant, September 3, 2020 17 min read . Or in a science fiction movie, it could be navigating a world you're not used to in a place where you have no allies. A lot of people find Save the Cat a little overrated and it seems like every writing website has their own template. The beat sheet identifies the key emotional moments in a story, while the outline expands on those moments with specific scenes, settings, and details. I love beating out a story because it truly gives me something to clearly work toward. I am a world-class story expert - at least that is what I tell myself in the mirror each day. In his book “Save the Cat,” screenwriter Blake Snyder boiled film plot structure down to 15 beats. Each protagonist's quest needs to have a reason behind it. There are four rows of ten. We’re here to help. In The Matrix, Neo enters a virtual program (The Construct), where Morpheus teaches him all kinds of fun stuff. Think about how Manchester By The Sea opens...how the story is set and how the theme of family and resilience is introduced. The page numbers are not strict, they are approximations of where the beats should occur in a 110 page screenplay. What needs to come out over the journey? There was only one conclusion: I had to write my own one hour television beat sheet. Whether you're developing protagonists, antagonists, or minor characters, details about their lives and internal struggles matter. PRODUCER . I would like to put your new version of THE HEROS JOURNEY to work -, Steps 1 to 7 - are HUMAN V SELF The Beat Sheet – A Flexible Template for your Story. All Rights Reserved. First, know that you won’t hit the suggested page count perfectly. If you're writing a comedy, these pages should have people laughing. We talk a lot about an external conflict in stories, but what about internal conflict? A terrorist takeover. The Matrix does not conform to this succinctly (remember, the Save the Cat beat sheet template only gives you suggested page counts). © 2021 NONETWORK, LLC. We hear his voiceover talk about the next steps of liberating these humans stuck in The Matrix. I have written a free ebook that explains all this called - THE SIGN OF 4. So, naturally, the movie is driven by that force and by the forces pulling them apart. Professionals use something called - DEEP LITERARY THEME THEORY. This thwarts the team’s relative control amongst chaos. This template offers numerous musical options with different combinations of instruments. Each major plot point gets its own bullet point (or occasionally, a number). They are quick hits that show us a dystopian future. This decision to try, to put it all on the line, is the most important one of the script. We're on his side from the start and we're laughing. Organize the Beat Sheet. Armed with new tools and self-discoveries, the protagonist often synthesizes what they've learned (in Act 2) with values they've always had (Act 1). The software makes changes quickly and collaboration can take minutes instead of days. SAVE THE CAT is great - but again cannot prove why the beats exist in the first place. What's the low point? When I first came across Blake Synder’s Beat Sheet (BS2), I was half-way through the manuscript for Hero and the word count for each beatmade me to blanch. After we're hooked, steep us in the world. Success Stories. Avengers: Infinity War Page-to-Picture Script Beat Sheet . Below is an explanation of each beat. Can you post an example of a beat sheet and blow this mystery out of the water? What are beat sheets? I tend to like any tool that helps me really whittle down an outline and follow the character and plot points. Here he starts to hone martial arts skills and how to jump really high. The beats help guide the character arcs, story structure, and even your elevator pitch. — Nick T. Beat sheets are a form of outline. Think about how John McClane deals with the knowledge that his wife has been taken. One thing I love about the failures in Infinity War is that they come with consequences. So where do the beats come from? How To Do A Research Paper: Things To Avoid?. In heists, it's the break-in. Use your first ten pages wisely. We can input the target word counts for each beat from the Master Beat Sheet and then track our progress while we draft. One of the most inventive versions of this is from The Terminator, when Kyle Reese arrives on earth he has to navigate cops and city streets in order to find Sarah Connor. Other Final Draft 10 features include real-time collaboration, an index card view to aid scene arrangement, over 100 templates, and a mobile version (sold separately). We also meet Neo, and learn that he senses this other world, but it’s just beyond his grasp. This is where Scream racks up the body count and gives you the suspects. Here's How I Did It, 4 Things to Know Before Tackling a Feature Film, Mads Mikkelsen Teaches You How to Act Drunk, Listen to Tarantino and Roger Deakins' Polarizing Discussion about Film Formats. Get ready to chart out your idea over 15 unique beats to see if it holds up! There are lots of terms thrown around when you try to write a character in a screenplay. But that, "it's darkest before the dawn" cliché is a major part of storytelling. From the western to the eastern, it also includes classical, folk/countryside music. (Note: Click on each image to see the full-size version. When you want your audience to get engaged quickly, it's these pieces of essential context that will make that happen. The first is an action, something that happens. He also includes the suggested page number each beat should should occur on. At some point, we need to see the straw that broke the camel's back. We will use the great beat sheet example found in The Matrix to illustrate the effectiveness of Blake Snyder’s creation. After your protagonist gets what they want, or not, there will be consequences. This is the beginning of the external conflicts in the story. Theme Stated (5): 3. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? So I chugged a pot of black coffee, did three sets of knuckle push-ups, sat down on the couch and picked up the remote. They’re liberated from The Matrix, and looking for their savior. The setup is one of the most important sections of your script because it provides the essential context needed for the audience to become either immediately engaged, or lose interest within the first ten minutes. These scenes should also reinforce the "rules" of the world and what your hero can or can't do. Set-Up (1-10): 4. This is another good time to point out that some of the beats can occur in the same scene, or series of scenes together. Fleshes out each character in your story. Whatever the loss, it’s felt deeply because this item (or person) gave the protagonist their bearings. This is the most dire circumstance your character reaches. We included those on our Save the Cat beat sheet template. Opening Image (1): 2. BOOKS. Created by Damien Benoit-Ledoux, it breaks up a full novel into 30 chapters. Your email address will not be published. The more we know about the people within the world, the more we will root for them. The Matrix beat sheet example finds strong world-building in its set-up We also meet Neo, and learn that he senses this other world, but it’s just beyond his grasp. Here's a template we made for you to use as a guide. Along with the opening image, the final image creates the bookend that encapsulates the journey. The “beat sheet” is, ... For example, Alouette’s Opening Image and Set Up beat are combined and only take up 9 pages, while Chatine’s Set Up is 27 pages and Marcellus’s is 14 pages. If you went to rom-com, you want to see people falling in love. What is the Save the Cat Beat Sheet and Why is it Popular? That’s next. You just need a firm grasp on how to map out your idea. Catalyst (12): 5. You can even use a beat sheet calculator if you know the expected page count, which comes in handy if you want to write a short film beat sheet. Debate (12-25): 6. Opening Image (1) We’re reintroduced to all of our favorite characters, Woody, Buzz, and friends, in … I want to know who inhabits these areas and what's going on in the world. In The Matrix, this is where Neo and his team come to the tragic realization that they have to pull the plug on Morpheus. The beat sheet is a lot more than just Act I, Act II and Act III. Subscribe for more filmmaking videos like this. For more, here's a breakdown of The Matrix screenplay, including plot, character and quotes. In StudioBinder, you can write your screenplay right in the software or upload it from a previous format. Or maybe we're fools for believing in god? For this beat sheet… While these arcs are confined to different time frames or throughout multiple episodes, the core of a character is within their development. If you’re new to the genre, check out RWA. She tells him that he’s in danger. In film development terms, a “story beat” refers to a single story event which transforms the character and story at a critical juncture. But when you have a spark of an idea, nothing feels better than beating it out and setting up all the emotional payoffs. Like a forest fire, loss and misery are followed by new life. Beat: As I said above, I like using Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat structure. So here we go… Opening Image… shows where the protagonist is at the beginning of the story. These forces don’t necessarily have to be actual antagonists. Hint at possible arcs. Download your FREE film beat sheet template.Just enter your email address and we'll instantly send it to you! Hey all, In keeping with May being TV month, including the Official Meetup on May 20th, I thought it would be good to pull out some resources for TV writing.. It provides a breakdown not only for the characters but for the theme of the movie. I haven’t really been back, but this year with all the … yeah, I decided to give it a shot again. Maybe these triumphs come at the expense of someone else, or maybe they're just minor wins. In The Matrix, Neo and Trinity put their training to the ultimate test to take on the Agents and liberate Morpheus. Sometimes called the “inciting incident,” the catalyst is the event that disrupts your protagonist’s status quo. They defy the laws of physics, and seem to come and go as they please. . There can be comedy set pieces, but what about within dramas? Story and character are two sides of the same coin. Snyder offers 15 different “beats” that writers of a screenplay should be cognizant to include in the storyline. So make your opening image stand out and try to link it to the theme of the story. That’s it. These few pages in your script, and the next ten will determine if you meet or exceed the expectations of your audience. Beats within a Scene. Act One contains ten cards, Act Two contains twenty cards and Act Three contains … The one where people want to quit. Set-Up (1-10): 4. The numbers next to each of these beats represents approximately on which page or page range they should occur (given that each page of a screenplay is typically about one minute of screen time). Video is no longer available: www.youtube.com/watch?v=itBfsIWXptc. This is what sets the audience off on an adventure, or even just begins to change their life. When you meet your character, we need to see what's driving them. But they’re not ready to make the choice that catapults them into the story just yet. The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet breaks down three-act screenplay structure into 15 bite-size, manageable sections called beats, each with a specific goal for your overall story. Yes, I have a tough job. This is where you really set the tone as well. You need to grip the audience right away. It employs a unique style which might be useful for your script. For this beat sheet, I’m going to do a three act story structure. This is where great characters deal with their actions. Take a movie like Spotlight. B-Story or B-Plot. Thankfully, he’s on the phone with Morpheus — the leader of the rebellion Trinity represents. In these, you want the payoffs to be fun and engaging. Tips And Tactics. Each blank line in the template represents a scene. Let him think it's all over. He “unplugs” from the Oracle’s logic and follows these feelings, which give him godlike powers in The Matrix. … Jami Gold’s Master Beat Sheet Scrivener Template: I designed this Scrivener template to go along with the beats from the Master Beat Sheet (a combination of the Save the Cat and Story Engineering Master Beat Sheet). 30-CHAPTER NOVEL TEMPLATE. The hero almost always has to feel beaten before he can find the strength to carry on. That’s why it’s 'suggested’! You can also build in the backstory to explain those failures. You need some film theory to figure it out, but once you've seen it you'll never forget it. Scrivener – The Great American Novel Template STORY STRUCTURE TEMPLATE. what stands out about them. A divorce. Romancing_the_Beat_Scriv_beats. NOVELLA TEMPLATE. There are plenty of tools to go with this book – see for example, the Save The Cat Workbook which has all the beatsheets and a storyboard ready for your post-its! He runs to the roof, she's not there, he's being shot at by the Feds and by terrorists, it's insane. In Joseph Campbell's "The Hero's Journey," this is called the 'refusal of the call.'. We see a guy with an expensive car be a dick to him as well. That may be justifying your work - but it would be RAMBLING ON justification. A breakdown keeps the A, B and C stories separate, to make it clearer whether they’re working or not. First, show your character in their “old world.” Let the audience know what the status quo is for them, then hint at the adventure that follows. Get your FREE copy of the eBook called "astonishingly detailed and useful" by Filmmaker Magazine! We covered the first and final frames above. As you can see, it's built around the Save the Cat, not ours, but I still wanted to endorse it for people looking for a mathematical way to structure their scripts. Novel Beat Sheet . Game Night does this especially well. or a writer, it’s exciting to hatch a new idea. How does this beat manifest in The Matrix? While the successes here involve an investigation, the answers to the questions are damning. Have fun with these scenes. Neo takes the red pill to see if he’s truly humanity’s savior. Where the mission stops making sense. To find one, look no further than the Save the Cat website itself, which offers a trove of completed beat sheet templates from movies you know. What's the driving force. At some point, your protagonist will either get what they’re after... or not. Beat Board; Story Map ; Subscribe to Final Draft Newsletter. Beat Sheets, Golden Fleece. We sit on the edge of our seat for two hours. … Tweet. Or against them. Film structure requires that the theme of the film is communicated by someone fairly early on. , Neo enters a virtual program (The Construct), where Morpheus teaches him all kinds of fun stuff. Look no further: Instagram account @Finalscreens shows how much story can be conveyed in the first and final images of a film. Inevitably, your protagonist will attract characters and scenarios that will teach the valuable lesson of the story (i.e., the “arc”). Debate (12-25): 6. In The Matrix, this is where Morpheus is kidnapped, and Agent Smith presses him to give up the location of Zion — humanity’s safe haven. These are the actual events within the promise. Now that the main plot is finally kicking into high gear, the subplot (or subplots) can start to … And a quad of themes in each block. This quick vid breaks them down, and constructs a scene using the beat sheet technique as an example. Here you can see how each of these story beats plays out visually. A screenplay outline helps you organize your thoughts and the beats of the story. This is where the protagonist has doubts about setting out on their perilous journey. A great beat sheet, coupled with our story map, gets my drafts ready to go out into the world. Do whatever works best for you. So have fun, be bold, and stay interesting. In an adventure movie, it could be an opening set piece that shows the world and tone. See how Jane Austen’s revered novel Persuasion hits Blake Snyder’s 15 story beats. You player was down, but now he's up taking one last swing, or one last run through the airport to get the girl like in Love, Actually. He wants to stop the Nazis, that's his external driving force, but he also wants to secure the greatest find in human history. Executing decisions like these might be challenging, but definitely necessary to create the best script. . When I think about screenplays, I think about all the beats you hit to take your audience from the opening scene to the closing credits. Subscribe to receive the free PDF! Staying on the same page with your team is crucial at this stage, whether you're in the development or even making last minute changes right before shoot day. With such important and symbolic props and motifs like the red and blue pills, you should know how to break down a script. Over the image we hear Trinity and Cypher, on the “other end” of the cursor. Back to The Matrix. A beat sheet weaves the stories together in the order you intend them to appear in the episode. TOOLS. Some people use beat sheets to refer to the flow of scenes, but here, I’m using it to refer to the flow of actions and emotions within a single scene. Simon is dealing with the struggle of who he is, how society views him, and the fear of if anyone will be around when he shows them who he really is on the inside. The Beat Sheet – A Flexible Template for your Story The first section allows you to create a targeted direction and narrative flow for your story. THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET PROJECT TITLE: GENRE: DATE: 1. While you're writing, there's nothing wrong with planning ahead. What can sum up the story or sum up the intentions of the story and close the loop of the character's journey? This gives him the confidence to take arms and save Morpheus from The Agents against impossible odds. So for example if you are using a show that has a teaser plus five act structure, on the beat sheet, it’s broken down in teaser and five acts. However you want to work, our prewriting tools conform to your preferences. Novel Writing. Waiting to hear back from your team days or weeks later only prolongs the Pre-Production process. Time to take the red pill and tumble down the rabbit hole where we'll explore The Matrix is all its kung-fu, sci-fi, techno glory. It was time to get serious. You guessed it: this is where Neo takes the red pill (to unplug from The Matrix) over the blue pill (to resume status quo). Column A is going to be my headings for each row, so I put them in first. What's war? 8 Great Filmmaking Lessons from 'The Departed', How to Set the Back Focus of a Cinema Lens, Sony's New Alpha 1 Touches Down at Super Bowl LV, How Two Filmmakers Used Unreal Engine to Create a Gritty Sci-Fi Thriller, I Spent Seven Years Making My Passion Project. You might also be interested in StudioBinder's screenplay library where you read and download dozens and dozens of iconic scripts. Originally for the 'one-page' novel structure, is also perfect for novellas. beat sheet is a great example of a beat sheet in terms of how to sequence your story in a quick and efficient manner. These hurdles don't just happen in the first act, but it's where we set them up so they can be paid off later. It’s the last thing the audience sees, and should cement the theme of the film, as well as represent what happened and changed over the course of this journey. A lot of people find the Save the Cat Beat sheet a little overrated and it seems like every writing website has their own beat sheet template. Here’s an example of beats within a scene I was just working on. This is important to set up because the protagonist must change by the end of the story. We've all sat down to watch our favorite TV show or movie series and enjoyed how the characters progress over time. I like it because sometimes I switch it up and try to write in a five act structure (which I haven’t really mastered yet – my first novel was in five acts, and while I love it, it’s kind of a hot-mess). Fill them in as your […] It starts when they meet in the club, and blossoms once Neo has left the Matrix and is aboard the Nebuchadnezzar with Morpheus and his crew. If you want to read more great scripts, we have Fight Club, No Country for Old Men and The Social Network in our screenplay database. The city of Los Angeles. I don't think there are better "world-building" scenes than the ones within Blade Runner. Your characters could even get a bit cocky here. After your character has found their worst failure, we need to see them wallow. And if you went to a horror movie, you want the kills. But there will be consequences either way.