“Is that goal or lifestyle worth it?” “What is most important in life?” The rest of the screenplay fills out and explores this argument, either proving or disproving it as different angles are considered. Many times a good screenplay explores an argument or question, the pros and cons of a specific lifestyle, of pursuing certain goals. This statement is called the thematic premise. Instead it will be off-hand, conversational remark that the main character doesn’t get at the time, but it will mean a lot later on. Somewhere within the first 5 minutes, a character will pose a question (often not the main character) or make a statement (usually to the main character) that is the theme of the movie. It should make the audience think, “This is gonna be good!” (A short cut for actors is to read the first and last 10 pages of a script to see if the change is intriguing to them if not the script gets tossed aside.) Theme Stated (): Opening and Final Images are bookends, opposites, plus and minus, documenting the emotional upheaval the movie represents. It will contrast with the Final Image (the “matching beat”) showing things have changed. Also it’s an opportunity to give the audience a starting point of the hero, a “before” snapshot. Here’s the breakdown of each beat: Opening Image (Script ):įirst impression sets tone, mood, type and scope of film. (Shown in parentheses is the script page where the “beat” should appear.) Also, each beat should be able to be described in one or two sentences. It is comprised of 15 beats, with the page number of where the beat happens in the screenplay shown in parentheses. It is based on what he had seen in movies, read in screenwriting books, and from personal experience writing screenplays. Having a structure for your screenplay will fill in all that “empty space.”Īfter reading How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method by Viki King and Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field Blake Snyder felt there was too much space between their suggestions of Acts, Midpoints, and B-Stories, so he created the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet. During meetings, professionals you talk with will want more than some “cool scenes” and will ask you how you dissect the various beats and elements of your script. It will also help you pitch/sell your screenplay and as well as make sure that you retain writing credit for it no matter how much other writers change dialog, characters, and scene order. Structure is the single most important aspect of a screenplay. Now that you have the perfect hero for your movie, it’s time to build the structure - and the beats - for your screenplay.

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