Screenplay Beat Sheet

So one of my favorite screenwriting books is Save the Cat. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend investing in it. Its easy to read and spells out the screenwriting process in pretty simple terms. Anyways, I thought it might be helpful to include the beat sheet that Blake Snyder uses in here. I am actually using it right now and finding it quite helpful in my own writing process.

THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET:

PROJECT TITLE:

GENRE:

DATE:

1. The Opening Image (pg 1): This is the first impression of what a movie is - it establishes the mood and type of film we are about to watch. The opening image and final image should be opposites, a plus and minus, showing change so dramatic it documents the emotional upheaval that the movie represents.

2. Theme Stated (pg 5): Somewhere in the first five minutes of a well-structured screenplay, someone (usually not the main character) will pose a question or make a statement (usually to the main character) that is the theme of the movie. This statement is the movie's thematic premise.

3. The Set-Up (pg 1-10): The first reel - or the first 10 minutes - sets up the hero, stakes, and the goal of the story...and should do so with vigor! Make a point to introduce or at least hint at introducing every character in the A story. The first 10 page sis also where we start to plant every character tie, exhibit every behavior that needs to be addressed later on and show how and why the hero will need to change in order to win.

4. The Catalyst (pg 12): The catalyst moment that kickstarts the action....these may include telegrams, getting fired, catching a wife in bed with another man, news that you have three days to live, a knock at the door, the messenger, etc. First moment when something happens!

5. Debate (pg 22-25): The debate section is the last chance for the hero to say: This is crazy. Should I go? Dare I go? Sure, it's dangerous out there, but what's my choice? Stay here? The debate section must ask a question of some kind. In Legally Blonde, the catalyst of the fiance dumping Elle Woods quickly segues to her solution: Go to Harvard Law. "But can she get in?" That is the question posed in the debate section of the movie.

6. Break Into Two (pg 25): Act break is the moment where we leave the old world behind and proceed into a world that is upside down version. Something MUST happen on this page.

7. B Story (pg 30): The B story of most screenplays is the "love story." It is also the story that carries the theme of the movie. The B story often introduces a brand new set of characters. Often a friendship story.

8. Fun and Games (pg 30-35): This part of the screenplay is the one that provides the promise of the premise. The fun and games section answers the question: Why did I come to see this movie? What about this premise, this poster, this movie idea, is cool?" This is the place where you include the big set pieces!

9. The Midpoint (pg 55) - the movie's midpoint is either an "up" where the hero seemingly peaks (though it is a false peak) or a "down" when the world collapses all around the hero (thought it is a false collapse) and it can only get better from here on out. The stakes are raised at the midpoint. The rule is: It's never as good as it seems to be at the midpoint and it's never as bad as it seems at the All is Lost point (see beat 11).

10. Bad Guys Close In (pg 55-75): This is the point where the bad guys decide to regroup and send in the heavy artillery. It's the point where internal dissent, doubt, and jealousy begin to disintegrate the hero's team.

11. All is Lost (pg 75): All is Lost is the matching beat to the Midpoint...these two beats are always inverses of each other. We know it is the opposite of the midpoint in terms of an "up" or a "down." It's also the point of the script that is most often labeled, "false defeat," even though it looks all black, it's just temporary. All aspects of the hero's life are in shambles.

12. Dark Night of the Soul (pg 75-85): This section depicts how your character experiences and feels at the All is Lost point. We've all been there--hopeless, clueless, drunk, and stupid--sitting on the side of the road with a flat tire and four cents, late for the big appointment that will save our lives.

13. Break Into Three (pg 85): Eureka! The Solution! Both in the external story (the A story) and the internal story (the B story), which now meet and intertwine, the hero has prevailed, passed every test, and dug deep to find the solution. Now all he has to do is apply it. An idea to solve the problem has emerged.

14. Finale (pg 85-110): Where the lessons learned are applied. It's where the character tics are mastered. The chief source of "the problem" - a person or thing - must be dispatched completely for the new world order to exist.

15. Final Image (pg 110): The final image of the movie is the opposite of the opening image. It is proof that change has occurred and that it's real.

Writing Fellowships

This is some advice on how the Writing Fellowship programs work. Take a look! Great information!

Hi, I'm a past Disney Fellow (that program is now defunct,with only the ABC TV Writing and Daytime Writing Fellowships still available and paid).

I helped judge the fellowships for several years,
as well. They look at your sample first and, if it makes a passing
grade by the reader in the first round, the coverages are sent to
executives who narrow down their favorites (and their friends' specs ;-)
for the third round, i.e., the writers they want to bring in for
interviews.

First, however, their assistants call you for a
"pre-interview" call to feel you out - if you get that call you are
being judged over the phone and if you sound cool and upbeat AND if you
say you have another piece to show them when they ask for it, then you
will most likely be called in as one of the twenty-thirty finalists for
a personal interview with the executives in one of the Disney/ABC
conference rooms.

All they are looking for, especially for TV writing,
are people who can work and play well for others. They once flew a
writer to L.A. for the interview because he had THE BEST TV spec they'd
ever seen, but when he came into the room it was clear he had no
interpersonal skills and wasn't very social.

No one could imagine
sitting in a writer's room with the poor guy for 13 hours a day so he
didn't get it in spite of his great sample. So they look for both -
good, commercial writing with other samples to show, AND a personable,
enjoyable person with whom to work.

All the TV fellows got writing
staff positions by the end of the fellowship year and a couple went on
to develop their own series that aired for a season. I was 31 when I got
in and most of the writing fellows were much younger (early twenties).
There was one "older" writing fellow (38) and she told me she was pulled
aside by one of the producers on lot who was mentoring her and
encouraged to lie about her age or not reveal it (sigh).

The DGA-ABC Directing Fellowship has been completely revamped and does
still include some money but not apparently what it once did. It's more
of a shadowing thing now and, again, they look at your sample short
first and foremost to decide who they want to work with. These are also
"diversity" run programs, but I've seen white males get into both, too.
However, since this is the first year of this revamped directing
program, no one quite knows what to expect from the process yet.

Hope that helps!
Marie Rose (not Rowe ;-)

Write, Write, Write: Everyday

This weekend we filmed the pilot episode of the webseries I've been collaborating on. It went really well and had everyone on the crew cracking up during takes. I can't wait to get it all edited together so we can start showing it off! I think it has real potential.

Almost done with first feature length screenplay. Way to go me! I have several others lined up and I'm so excited about those, its really pushing me to finish this one. I have a problem where I can't finish screenplays because I get too excited about the next ones!

When I spoke to an agent at ICM who is married to a famous film director, she told me that her husband wrote every single day. When he was working as a PA, he would come home and write a little bit. Didn't matter if it was 10 words or 10 pages. He always got something down on paper. He sold a screenplay eventually, and it was met with critical acclaim. So on the next feature he sold, he was able to negotiate a deal that set him in the director's seat.

I have been using this knowledge as incentive to get myself to write as much as I can each and every day. It can be tough at times! There always seems to be something else I tell myself I need to do. But I have been getting better. Its one of my 3 month goals: Write everyday.

Writer's Assistant Salaries

Since I know this is an important issue, I decided to post some info I found on writer's assistant salaries!

WB showrunner's asst: 800/wk + 300 out of pocket from a generous boss (female)  

CW showrunner's asst: 700/wk + raises per yr (female)  

NBC showrunner's asst: 650/wk (50 hrs/wk) (female)  

Disney showrunner's asst: 650/wk, no health benefits (female)  

USA showrunner's asst: 650/wk + health benefits after 1st season (female)  

ABC showrunner's asst: 600/wk (60 hours) + health benefits (male)  

NBC showrunner's asst: 500/wk after taxes (female)  

CW writers' asst: 800/wk, no health benefits (male)  USA writers' asst: 650-750/wk + health benefits (female)  

ABC writers' asst: 650/wk (male)  

ABC writers' PA: 600/wk (60 hrs/wk) + health benefits (female)

TV Producer Talk

Yesterday I went and spoke with a friend of a friend who produces mainly TV series and TV movies (but also some features). He came from a business background, graduated from UCLA. But then switched over and began PA-ing. He did that for a year and then moved up to being an Associate Producer. He says he was sort of thown into the job and didn't really know what he was doing, but as they say..."fake it til you make it!" He now has an office on the Warner Bros lot.

He explained the process a pilot goes through to reach the air.

First step - find an awesome piece of material...this may come from a book or news article, or may just be cooked up in your head.

Next step, attach a writer. Since he is represented by WME, he goes to them first to try to attach a writer. If WME likes the concept, with the producer, they'll put together a package...this may include writers, actors, etc. Anything that would make the show attractive to a network. Packaging is SUPER important to agencies because when they bring a package to a network, they not only get a percentage from their clients but they also get a percentage of the show's budget and backend in the show. So this can mean big bucks for an agency.

June through August: Networks are open for pitches.

November: Scripts are turned in to the network for the shows they are possibly interested in.

December through January: Pilots are ordered by the network for approved scripts.

April through May: Networks look at the pilots and decide what they want to put on their line-up.

The smaller cable channels (ex. TNT, USA, etc.) don't follow the same schedule as the majors, they just ask for what they need at any particular moment...so the time frame will be different. One of the big differences between cable channels and the big networks is that networks tend to diversify more. Cable has niches...most of their shows are all similar in tone and feel. Networks (big and small) though have lost their edge right now for the most part. Most of what is being ordered falls in the category of either comedy or fantasy. This is what is selling at the moment and networks go with what has worked in the past. There is movement away from the TV movie, of which there used to be about 300 a year, now there is closer to 90, because it is the most expensive of TV entertainment to produce. Reality shows are the cheapest to make, then the 1/2 hour Comedy, followed by 1 hour drama, and finally the TV movie (usually 1-4 mil).

So that is a little overview of how the process works. If anyone is interested in seeing the 2010 pilot grid and scripts, I would be happy to share :)