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Beat Sheet From Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!

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Page 1: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Beat SheetFrom Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!

Page 2: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Opening Image The first

impression of what a movie is—its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film

Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only Nemo. Marlin couldn’t protect his family

Page 3: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Theme Stated Somewhere in the first

five minutes

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.

It’s not obvious; it will be conversational

Marlin: “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Marlin: “You think you can do these things, but you can’t.”

Page 4: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Set-Up First 10 pages of the script

Make-or-break section where you have to grab the reader or risk losing his/her interest

Plant character behavior and show how and why the hero will need to change in order to win

Where you set up the film’s thesis—it’s where we see the world before the adventure starts

Marlin is overprotective

Nemo is pushing for more freedom

Page 5: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Catalyst In the set-up you, the

screenwriter, have told us what the world is like and now in the catalyst moment you knock it all down. Boom!

The first moment when something happens.

Nemo is taken by divers.

Page 6: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Debate Section between

pages 12 and 25 when the hero considers what he/she must do

Asks a question—can he/she do it?

Ends with decisive action that leads into act II

Where does Marlin look for Nemo?

How can he find Nemo?

Page 7: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Break Into Two Page 25

Definite, decisive break from thesis (life as it was) to what is to come

Move from thesis to antithesis

Hero must make the decision to move into act II

Marlin finds the address to Australia

They have a goal—a destination.

Page 8: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

B Story B story begins on

page 30

In most screenplays it is “the love story”

The story that carries the film’s theme

B story gives us a breather

Often introduces new characters

Nemo and the fish in the fishtank

Page 9: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Fun and Games Pages 30-55

The promise of the premise

The core and essence of the movie’s poster

Why did I come to see this movie?

We take a break from the stakes of the story and see what the idea is about

Marlin and Dory’s adventures on the road

Nemo joining the tank tribe

Page 10: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Midpoint Page 55

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 (though it is a false collapse)

The stakes are raised at the midpoint

The midpoint has a matching beat on page 75 called All is Lost—these two points are a set because they are the inverse of each other. 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.

Marlin’s with the Turtles. They’ve found the current and all is well.

Nemo stops the filter. He’s going to escape with the other fish.

Page 11: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Bad Guys Close In From pages 55-75—the

midpoint to the All is Lost, is the toughest part of the screenplay

All seems fine, but even though the bad guys are temporarily defeated, we’re not done yet

It’s the point where internal dissent, doubt, and jealousy begin to disintegrate the hero’s team

The forces aligned against the hero, internal and external, tighten their grip

Marlin swallowed by the whale

Tank is cleaned and the little girl comes to get Nemo

Page 12: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

All is Lost Occurs on page 75

Opposite of the midpoint in terms of an “up” or “down”

It’s also the point of the script most often labeled false defeat, for even though all looks black, it’s just temporary. But it seems like a total defeat. All aspects of the hero’s life are in shambles. Wreckage abounds. No hope.

Whiff of death

Marlin thinks Nemo is dead

Page 13: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Dark Night of the Soul Pages 75-85

The point of darkness right before dawn

It is the point just before the hero reaches way, deep down and pulls out the last, best idea that will save himself and everyone around him

We must be beaten and know it to get the lesson

Marlin leaves Dory

Nemo’s about to go in the garbage can…

Page 14: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Break into Three Page 85

The answer is found

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.

World of synthesis is at hand

Nemo finds Marlin—with Dory’s help

Page 15: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Finale Pages 85-110

Wrap it up—where lessons learned are applied

A story and B story end in triumph for our hero

It’s the turning over of the old world and a creation of a new world order—all thanks to the hero, who leads the way based on what he experienced in the upside-down, antithetical world of Act Two.

The chief source of the problem must be dispatched completely.

Dory stuck in the net

Nemo can save her

Marlin has to decide whether to let Nemo go—to trust him.

Marlin trusts Nemo, and Nemo saves the day.

Page 16: Opening Image  The first impression of what a movie is— its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film  Marlin’s family destroyed, leaving only

Final Image Final image in a movie is

the opposite of the opening image

It’s proof that change has occurred and that it’s real

Marlin finds Nemo

Marlin sends Nemo off to explore

Father/Son relationship mended