The Beat Sheet

Here is another fun thing I've picked up screenwriting that helps me think about story crafting in plays as well.  Most films follow this formula to some extent or even perfectly.

The Beat Sheet and how many minutes in to the story the beat takes place

1. Opening Image 1 min.

 The starting point of the hero, set tone, mood, type and scope, bookend to final image.

2. Theme Stated ~5 min.

 Pose a question or make a statement that is the theme, conversational, off-hand, start the central argument.

3. Set-up 1-10 min.

 Set up the hero, the stakes, and the goal, introduce or hint every A-story character, plant character-is-tics, thesis.

4. Catalyst 12 min.

 Drastic change to the world as you have set it up, life-changing event, but it is not what it seems

5. Debate 12-25 min.

 Last chance for the hero to turn back, second thoughts, moment of truth, pose a question, then clearly answer

6. Break Into Act II (this is a 3 act structure) 25 min.

 Move from thesis to antithesis, the hero makes the decision to move forward, characters upside down from Act I

7. B story 30 min.

 The love story, the theme carrying part of the story, new characters

8. Fun and Games 30-55 min.

 The promise of the premise, the heart of the movie, where buddies do their best clashing

9. Midpoint 55 min.

 False peak or a false collapse, raise the stakes, inverse of this is the all is lost moment.

10. Bad Guys Close In 55-75 min.

 Heroes team begins to disintegrate, the forces aligned against the hero, internal and external, tighten their grip

11. All is Lost 75 min.

 Opposite of the midpoint, false defeat or false victory, where the old character/way of thinking dies

12. Dark Night of the Soul 75-85min.

 The point just before the hero reaches way, deep down and finds the solution

13. Break into Three 85 min.

 Solution is found, fusion of A and B, synthesis

14. Finale 85-110 min.

 Act III, wrap it up, lessons learned are applied, character tics are mastered, old world gone, new world created

15. Final Image 110 min.

Opposite of the opening image, proof that change has occurred