Beat by Beat Read online

  PRAISE FOR BEAT BY BEAT

  “Todd Klick’s brilliance shines through his masterfully conceived and beautifully executed Beat by Beat, a must read for screenwriters whether you’re a total novice or an Oscar-winner—this book is a case study in smarts. I’ve never been one to suggest that screenwriting (or acting, or wardrobe, or set design, etc.) can be ‘learned’ by someone without the ‘born gift’—but in the case of Beat by Beat I suggest this gift can be, and will be beautifully enhanced. Of equal or greater value, Beat by Beat will make your screenplay marketable, bankable, producible—and it won’t take long before they are calling you and your work ‘genius.’”

  —John Philip Dayton, CBS executive producer, director, writer; The Waltons, Eight Is Enough, Matlock, The Ray Bradbury Theatre

  “When intuition and verve stall, and your story stops ‘writing itself,’ Todd Klick’s Beat by Beat will be your new best friend.”

  —John L. Geiger, coauthor, Creativity & Copyright

  “There have been other books that have dissected films before, but none to the detail of Todd Klick’s Beat by Beat. Discover the amazing intricacy of film(s) one minute at a time.”

  —Matthew Terry, filmmaker, screenwriter, teacher

  “Screenwriters . . . Beat by Beat is a book you’ll find most invaluable in your quest to write the next “Monumental Movie of the Millennium”! This book is your pass to the head of the line.”

  —Forris Day Jr., reviewer and writer, scaredstiffreviews.com

  “Beat by Beat takes screenplay story structure down to its smallest elemental level, guiding you on a minute-by-minute journey through what makes some of the most popular films resonate so strongly with filmgoers. Klick delivers a book that’s specific enough to get you placing all the right moments in exactly the right places, while also being broad enough to allow your creativity to explore and discover.”

  —Tom Farr, writer, teacher, storyteller (whisperproject.net)

  “Beat by Beat presents a refreshing new take on the age-old challenge of writing a book that will aid and inspire screenwriters. It is a useful tool for jumpstarting the script-writing process, but can also be applied as a way of double-checking story beats on a script well under way. One of its key strengths is it can be adapted to most any visual narrative medium from feature films, short films, and television episodes to webisodes and beyond.”

  —Roy Finch, assistant professor, Chapman University

  “A beat sheet that covers fundamentals and genres. Todd Klick has uncovered what makes great cinematic storytelling. A must for anyone in the business to make their film important and lasting.”

  —Dave Watson, editor, Movies Matter

  (davesaysmoviesmatter.com)

  TODD KLICK

  Beat by Beat

  A Cheat Sheet for Screenwriters

  Published by Michael Wiese Productions

  12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111

  Studio City, CA 91604

  (818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (Fax)

  [email protected]

  www.mwp.com

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Cover design by Johnny Ink. johnnyink.com

  Interior design by Debbie Berne

  Copyediting by David Wright

  Copyright © 2016 Todd Klick

  This book was set in Minion Pro and Gotham.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Klick, Todd, author.

  Beat by beat : a cheat sheet for screenwriters / by Todd Klick.

  Studio City, CA : Michael Wiese Productions, 2016. | Includes filmography.

  LCCN 2015043174 | ISBN 9781615932467

  LCSH: Motion picture authorship—Handbooks, manuals, etc.

  LCC PN1996 .K618 2016 | DDC 808.2/3—dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015043174

  The author acknowledges the copyright owners of the following motion pictures from which single frames have been used in this book for purposes of commentary, criticism, and scholarship under the Fair Use Doctrine.

  Skyfall ©2012 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Columbia

  Pictures, All Rights Reserved.

  The Avengers ©2012 Marvel Studios, All Rights Reserved.

  The Hangover ©2009 Warner Bros., All Rights Reserved.

  A Beautiful Mind ©2001 Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, All Rights Reserved.

  The Conjuring ©2103 Warner Bros., All Rights Reserved.

  Gone Girl ©2014 20th Century Fox, All Rights Reserved.

  Hitchcock quote, page 22, from Hitchcock by Francois

  Truffaut, 1967, Simon & Schuster.

  To Ray

  CONTENTS

  Foreword

  Preface

  Don’t Skip This Part!

  Four Things You Need to Know (Before Reading This Book)

  Frequently Asked Questions

  1 Minute = 1 Screenplay Page

  Top 10 Movie Archetypes

  Essential Elements

  4-Act Structure

  Turning Points

  ACT 1

  1Attension!

  2The Build

  3The Ratchet

  4Another Notch

  5Jaw Dropper

  6Friend or Fist

  7Friend or Fist 2

  8Something Startling Happens

  9The Pursuit

  10The Discussion

  11The Warning

  Inciting Incident

  12Harsher Warning

  13The Submission

  14Danger Watch

  15Whew, That Was Close!

  16The Big Concern

  17World Upside Down

  Turning Point 17

  18Trouble Turn

  19The Threat

  20Push Back

  21The Great Effect

  22Truth Declared

  23Scary Stuff

  24Scary Stuff 2

  25Scary Stuff 3

  26The Big Unexpected

  27The Mini-Quest

  28Big Quest Prep

  29Big Quest Prep 2

  30The Need

  Act 1 Checklist

  The Quest

  ACT 2

  31Distress Signal

  32Anxiety Amp

  33Ominous Oh No

  34Friend Effect

  35Bait and Switch

  36Hide and Seek

  37Over His Head

  38Positive Reconnect

  39New Journey Bond

  40Ally’s World

  41Thorny Rose

  42Surprise Reveal

  43Surprise Reveal 2

  44New News

  45Out of the Ordinary

  Turning Point 45

  46The Revelation

  47The Escort

  48Needed Knowledge

  49Foreboding Fact

  50The Portent

  51The Engage

  52Say Uncle

  53The Intimidation

  54The Lightbulb

  55Sideswipe

  56Dark Twist Chat

  57Difficult Words

  58Vital Event

  59The Deception

  60The Shocker

  Act 2 Checklist

  The Midpoint

  Things to Keep in Mind for Act 3

  ACT 3

  61Plus Minus

  62Flirtin’ with Disaster

  63Ally Attack

  64Bad Guy Threat

  65The Resistance

  66Positive Step

  67Hero Effect

  68Ally Aid

  69Captivating Concern

  70New Journey
<
br />   71Bad to the Bone

  72Badder to the Bone

  73Baddest to the Bone

  74Put into Peril

  75Skull and Crossbones

  Turning Point 75

  76Death Tap

  77The Rumble

  78Mystery Mission

  79Mystery Mission 2

  80Tick Tick Boom

  81Surprised Hero

  82Surprise-Surprise

  83Gotta Go!

  84Gap Subtract

  85Bad Guy Boo-Boo

  Act 3 Checklist

  The Final Quest

  ACT 4

  86Worry Wound

  87Damage Done

  88Double Damage Done

  89Red Alert!

  90Rescuing Ally

  Turning Point 90

  91Suffer the Weak

  92Hugs ’n’ Kisses

  93Hugs and Kisses 2

  94The Aggressor

  95The Separation

  96Death and Dying

  97Taping the Knuckles

  98Kiss or Spit

  99Kiss or Spit 2

  100Kiss or Spit 3

  101Deeper Deeper

  102The Blow-Up

  103The Blow

  104The Upper Hand

  105The Deceit

  Turning Point 105

  106The Dodge

  107Good Does Bad

  108Sense of Finality

  109The Extraordinary

  110Strong Statement

  111Turn for the Worse

  112Charging Shark

  113The Cage Slam

  114Gets the Better

  115Bleak Meek

  116Kick ’Em While They’re Down

  117Reprieve

  118Hope Might Be Lost

  119One Bullet Left

  120Powder Keg

  Act 4 Checklist

  What if My Screenplay Is Longer Than 120 Pages?

  Sacrificing the Flaw

  That’s a Wrap!

  Glossary

  Beat by Beat Timeline

  Filmography

  About the Author

  FOREWORD

  “I have an idea for your next book,” my publisher, Michael Wiese, said over the phone. We somehow synched our busy schedules and wildly different time zones — he in England, I in Los Angeles. I was deep in the midst of five active writing and film-making projects and the thought of adding a sixth to the pile was unappealing. But Michael grabbed my attention by saying the following: “I’d like to do something with your Something Startling Happens story beats; something more streamlined; a kind of cheat sheet for screenwriters.”

  I raised an eyebrow, like Spock does when an idea appeals to him: Hmm, a cheat sheet for screenwriters . . . fascinating.

  I loved writing this book! It gave me the opportunity to create the kind of visual screenwriting guide I jonesed for when I first started penning scripts back in Pennsylvania, but could never find on the shelves. It also gave me the chance to develop a power-packed pictorial aide that summed up what I had learned from studying over (currently) 400 successful films in my quest to better myself as a writer. In short, I got to produce my fantasy screenwriting book: a go-to guide that features all the minute-by-minute storytelling secrets I’ve utilized (and tips I’ve learned from pros) to pen a bestselling book, option scripts, and sell numerous writing projects for the stage and screen.

  It is my hope that this book helps you do the same.

  Todd Klick

  PREFACE

  This book features a blockbuster movie from each of the top-selling genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Horror, and Thriller. The six movies I chose to represent their genres had to meet three criteria, or what I call “The Holy Trinity”: 1) Rated 75% or higher by critics on rottentomatoes.com; 2) Rated 80% or higher by audiences on rottentomatoes.com; 3) Earned a minimum worldwide gross of $300 million. In other words, audiences and critics not only loved these movies, but the films also made stacks of cash for their happy producers. Two of these films even grossed over an unbelievable billion dollars. These six movies are:

  ACTION

  ADVENTURE

  COMEDY

  DRAMA

  HORROR

  THRILLER

  DON’T SKIP THIS PART!

  These next sections explain the secret recipe. If you ignore this part and go right into cooking your story, the recipe won’t work. Take five minutes to read the next few sections and the minute-by-minute beats will be fully illuminated.

  The best way to use Beat by Beat depends on what type of writer you are. Are you a Stephen King type, or a John Irving type? King said his writing process is “like walking through a desert and all at once, poking up through the hardpan, I see the top of a chimney. I know there’s a house down there, and I’m pretty sure that I can dig it up if I want.” Without a complete idea of where his story is headed, King starts writing the book, making the discoveries as he plows forward. John Irving, on the other hand, outlines extensively, knowing the fine details of each scene and chapter before he even begins writing his novel.

  Whether you are a King or Irving type of writer, or you approach story from a completely different place altogether, you can use Beat by Beat as a page-by-page metaphor or checklist whenever you’re ready for it, or as an idea booster if you get stuck.

  If you’re an Irving type of writer, you may want to do your research first, develop your extensive outline, write your first draft, then reference this book toward the end to see if you’re addressing each minute-by-minute guideline. Or maybe you want to find your story on your own and write a voluminous 300-page first draft to get it all out of your head. Cool, go do it. That’s fantastic. But eventually you may want to visit this book to see if your script addresses the successful minute-by-minute beats that all great films use.

  When in need, this book can also assist while developing your overall structure or filling in second act weak spots. Use this book to brainstorm with other writers on how your story should advance or conclude, or to think up fresh ways to surprise the audience that is consistent with the minute beats and genre. You can also use this book to fill the gaps in your existing outlines or treatments.

  When it comes to my own process, I hone a 12- to 17-page outline until the story is structurally sound, then when I write the script I reference the beat descriptions as found in Beat by Beat as I enter each page.

  When I first applied the minute-by-minute beats, that’s when I attracted my first manager and advanced quickly to the Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinals. Soon after I had to hustle to meet another contest deadline with a new script. I didn’t have two months to outline like I usually did, so I decided to jump right in and “bang it out blind.” Starting at page one with only a grabber opening in mind, I wrote like Stephen King — discovering the story as I went along. As I approached each script page, I referenced each beat to keep me on track so I didn’t waste time. I wrote the script in two weeks (a personal record), and sent it off immediately to the PAGE International Screenwriting Contest where I made the finals. Since then, I’ve optioned and sold numerous scripts. My latest screenplays, using the beats as my guide, have recently attracted A-list production companies which have worked on numerous blockbuster movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Super 8, and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. I owe all this attention to the minute-by-minute insights revealed in this book.

  FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW (BEFORE READING THIS BOOK)

  1. I want to make something clear: The minute-by-minute beats you are about to read are not taken from the original screenplays or shooting scripts. They are drawn from far superior material: The final stories you see on the big screen after they were filtered through the studios’ vigorous distilling process.

  2. You need to understand that the terms used in this book (like Main Hero, Ally, Bad Guy, Enemy, Villain, Sidekick) are flexible and interchangeable from page to page, depending on what’s happening in the scene.

  Sometimes the enemy becomes the he
ro for a page (in The Avengers, Loki becomes the hero for a scene when he faces the intimidating leader of the Chitauri); or the ally becomes the enemy (in Gone Girl, Amy’s ex-boyfriend, Desi Collings — who saves her when she loses all her money — becomes her enemy).

  Sometimes the ally can be an inanimate object (in The Avengers, a computer named Jarvis is Tony Stark’s ally, revealing information he needs to know), or the hero’s conscience can become the bad guy (in The Hangover, Stu’s guilt becomes his enemy). You must be flexible with these terms from scene to scene or the beats won’t work for you.

  I also use words like explosion, damage, warning, or threat. Most times an “explosion” will be a literal explosion, or the explosion could be more figurative, like an explosion of emotion . . . A warning can be very dramatic or it can be something said subtly through clenched teeth. The dramatic level of these words can change from page to page, too, or story to story. But what’s important to realize is that they are there. These beats should be represented on every page, grand or small, or your screenplay may fall short. The reader or audience subconsciously expects these universal patterns. If you neglect to include them, the audience may feel gypped.

  3. Try using the minute-by-minute catch phrases. I spent months paring down the phrases so they are descriptive and precise. The phrases were initially one sentence long, but after using them while wrestling with my own scripts, I found myself paraphrasing: “This is Minute 63, I need an Ally Attack.” Or, “This is Minute 77, I gotta have The Rumble.” These fun phrases get to the point of what needs to happen in the script — a tremendous time-saver. Writing partners and I use the catchphrases as shorthand. We even use the phrases while developing stories with clients, with other screenwriters, and during pitch meetings. The phrases work for us, and they’ll work for you too.

  4. If you’re fond of using index cards while developing your story, this is a technique you’ll find helpful. After you’ve outlined your movie, scribble the minute-by-minute catch phrases onto 120 individual index cards, each card representing one minute. Then brainstorm on the card original ways you can demonstrate that minute in your story. For example, jot down as many Friend or Fist moments you can think of on card 6 (Minute 6 or Page 6 of your screenplay), or write as many Whew, That Was Close! moments as you can on card 15 (Minute 15). This’ll help you zero in your creativity and force originality.