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  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  “What happens if a film is only 85 minutes long? Do the beats you describe get compressed — sometimes two per page?”

  Whether the story stops at Minute 94 (like The Hangover), or 104 (like The Conjuring) or upwards to 120 and beyond (like Skyfall, A Beautiful Mind, and Gone Girl), the minute-by-minute (page-by-page) beats remain steadfastly consistent. The beats are like piano keys that are fixed into place. But with those fixed keys you can play an endless variety of original rock and roll, jazz, blues, punk, indie, and orchestral music, whatever you fancy. The Hangover and Skyfall do the exact same minute-by-minute beats up until 94. The Hangover ends on Minute 94 but Skyfall continues, adhering to the remaining Minute 95 through Minute 120 beats. Therefore, compressing story beats is unnecessary.

  “If every good movie sticks to these minute-by-minute beats, then why are some movies longer than others?”

  Movie lengths vary for this reason: The number and complexity of characters and subplots change from film to film, requiring different lengths to satisfy each unique story arc. But whether the film has a handful of subplots or just one, the writer must still address each minute-by-minute benchmark mentioned in this book to avoid boring the audience — an audience who inherently expects this underlying story rhythm in all the movies they watch.

  “Sometimes movies are more than 120 minutes long. Do the minute-by-minute beats extend beyond the two hours mentioned in your book?”

  Yes, but since the majority of movies sold and distributed are under 120 minutes I trimmed the book to accommodate the practical needs of the average working screenwriter and filmmaker.

  Do these beats work with different genres?

  Yes, which I will demonstrate by using six different genres throughout this book. What’s great about these beats is that it doesn’t matter if you’re writing a thriller, a comedy, horror, drama, action, or adventure, or a combination of two or three genres, the underlining minute-by-minute beats are still represented in all successful movies. It’s the ground floor of what all movie stories are built upon.

  Is this a formula way of storytelling? Won’t a formula stifle my creativity?

  The definition of “formula” is: “a conventionalized statement expressing some fundamental principle.” Is Beat by Beat a fundamental principle? Absolutely yes. It’s a universal principle that is common in all successful movie-stories. You’re welcome to avoid these fundamental principles in your movie storytelling, but don’t be surprised if agents, managers, studio execs, or production companies don’t return your phone calls or e-mails after you send them your script or independent movie. In addition to looking for a fresh voice in your work, they are subconsciously looking for these universal beats, archetypes, themes, arcs, and conflicts addressed in this book when they’re reading your screenplay or viewing your film — it’s a primal storytelling need fashioned over a hundred years of industry storytelling.

  If you’re an experimental independent filmmaker who is fiercely against anything that whiffs of a set way of doing things, fine, go do your thing. But don’t be shocked when your audience falls asleep during your screenings, or walks out altogether. There’s a reason why fundamental principles — like those found in geometry or physics — keep a plane in the air or prevent a bridge from toppling over: they work. So it is with the fundamentals of storytelling.

  Will these fundamental principles stifle your creativity? Quite the opposite! Once you know the fundamental beats, they free you to spend your creative time thinking of original ways of telling your story each and every minute! For example, once Picasso mastered the fundamental principles of color and design, it freed him to go in a completely different direction visually than all the other painters who preceded him. But here’s the thing: Even though Picasso’s cubist creations looked radically different than anything else the gallery audiences had seen up until that point, each of his successful paintings, at their core, still adhered to the basic fundamental principles of color and design. Once he mastered the universal basics and applied them, it freed him to spend all his energy on creating original, and timeless, masterpieces. So it can be with your stories.

  Will these beats work for short films?

  Whether your film is five minutes long, twenty minutes long, or forty-five minutes long, the minute-by-minute beats apply. You still must satisfy Aristotle’s theory that all stories need a beginning, middle, and an end, but underneath the beginning-middle-end, no matter what your story’s length, the beats as described in this book remain a universal rhythm for any visual storytelling length.

  Can I use these beats when writing television pilots?

  Yes, the minute-by-minute beats work whether you’re writing a twenty-two-minute comedy pilot, an hour-long crime drama, or a two-hour TV movie. The universal story rhythms of Beat by Beat apply whether you’re watching a blockbuster on a giant Cineplex screen or a popular series on a tiny home television. All visual stories still need Minute 5’s Jaw Dropper, Minute 14’s Danger Watch, or Minute 22’s Truth Declared, etc.

  How about a webisode? Do the Beat by Beat patterns work for those?

  Yes, whether your webisode is three minutes long or up to ten minutes long, the opening minute-by-minute beats need to be applied — along with Aristotle’s beginning-middle-end storytelling theory — to satisfy the audience’s inherent rhythms and expectations. During Minutes 1 through 10 the audience will need to experience Attension!, The Build, The Ratchet, Another Notch, Jaw Dropper, Friend or Fist, Friend or Fist 2, Something Startling Happens, The Pursuit, The Discussion, etc.

  How can a director use Beat by Beat?

  A director can use the minute-by-minute beats as a checklist while working with a writer, developing storyboards with an artist, or on set while working with the director of photography. A director can also use the phrases in this book as verbal shorthand when discussing a story with a producer, actor, or director of photography.

  How can a producer use Beat by Beat?

  If a producer finds a script he likes, but feels there’s something missing in its storytelling, the producer can use Beat by Beat to diagnose what’s missing. The producer can also refer to this book while working with a director to assure his movie is hitting all the same rhythms that all successful movies are utilizing.

  How can an editor use Beat by Beat?

  An editor can use the beats in this book as a minute-by-minute checklist while trimming down a movie. This guide will be a tremendous benefit and time-saver in finding any movie’s story rhythm.

  How can an actor use Beat by Beat?

  Actors are the visual conduit for expressing the all-important minute-by-minute story rhythms to the audience. If an actor fails to touch upon each minute’s specific rhythm or benchmark, than the director and audience will feel something is lacking in his performance. An actor who has the beats described here in his arsenal will have a distinct subconscious advantage over actors who don’t.

  Does Beat by Beat work in foreign films too? Don’t the cultural differences affect the beats?

  The beats described in this book apply to all successful films, no matter which country they are developed in. Though some of the themes and political concerns may vary from culture to culture, the story rhythms are universal and are at the foundation of every good movie. Even though the Japanese culture, for example, may be distinctly different from the American, Italian, German, or French cultures, their movie storytelling techniques, at the core, still use the exact same beats.

  I don’t understand: How can a romantic comedy be the same as a horror movie?

  Movies are strikingly similar to architecture. Just as a romantic villa built in a sunflower meadow in Tuscany looks wildly different in appearance than an eerie Transylvania castle once owned by Vlad the Impaler, the architectural principles upon which those uniquely different buildings were designed and constructed are exactly the same. So it is with movie stories.

  Can I use Beat by Beat to
write a novel?

  Novelists have the luxury of exploring and expanding upon the inner workings of their characters, and the ability to allow page upon page of bountiful description. Despite this literary freedom, however, their main function is to tell a good story. Since Beat by Beat lays out the consecutive beats of successful storytelling in movies, the novelist can borrow these beats as a guide or checklist, especially if he or she wishes to eventually develop their novel into a feature-length film.

  How do I break down movies minute-by-minute for myself?

  First, rent the movie you wish to analyze. Grab a stopwatch and click it on until it reaches 1:00 (1 minute), then stop it there. Okay, begin the movie. Now, when you restart your stopwatch is crucial. Don’t click on your stopwatch as soon as the credits begin. Start when the story begins. How do you know when the story begins? It’s where the screenwriter most likely began writing the movie after typing FADE IN. Don’t start when the credits are running, unless the credits are shown while the story is unfolding (like in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Also be on the lookout for what I call “James Bond credits,” meaning credits that appear after the big movie opening. Click your stopwatch off during the James Bond credits and music, unless of course they’re part of the story. Use this book as a guide as you stop and start each minute, jotting down your own insights.

  Sometimes when I break down movies, as suggested in your book, the movie I’m studying doesn’t show your beats. Why is this?

  Successful movies adhere strictly to the minute-by-minute beats, as demonstrated over and over in this book. On rare occasions the beats are slightly early or late (usually within five to twenty seconds), but the point is: The beats are there, or in the vicinity. If finding the beats is difficult for you, try reviewing Step 2 in Four Things You Need to Know Before Reading This Book, and re-read How do I break down movies minute-by-minute for myself? (above) until these concepts become crystal clear in your mind. Just like any skill, you have to master the basics and then practice them until they become second nature.

  Can Beat by Beat be used for graphic novels?

  The beats described in this book would be ideal for the visual medium of graphic novels, especially if the writer pens the story between 70 to 120 pages. In such a case, the minute-by-minute beats could be applied page by page, much like a film script.

  Can development executives, managers, or agents use this book?

  Although there are many astute agents, managers, and development execs in the business, some still struggle to explain exactly what is wrong with a particular script to their clients. While some executives, managers, and agents demonstrate adequate skill at explaining character arc or the requirements of a three-act structure, they can still find it difficult to troubleshoot those numerous pages between major plot points. That’s where this book comes in handy: It explores, in depth, all those in-between pages! For example, if you feel your client’s script is lagging during pages 51–59, you can flip to Minutes 51–59 in this book to see exactly what needs to happen during those pages.

  1 MINUTE = 1 SCREENPLAY PAGE

  During the early 1900s silent movie era, writers typed simple scene headings and action descriptions for directors. Then came along Thomas Ince, founder of Hollywood’s first major studio facility, who — for efficiency — decided to add interiors, exteriors, and camera angle descriptions. These screenplays were typewritten with specific margins, giving Ince an idea of how long a movie would be. Therefore, one script page equaled approximately one minute of screen time.

  By the mid-50s, the powerful studios switched their focus to marketing and distributing movies, relying more on producers to package and pitch them film ideas. This led to writers creating more “readable” scripts for investors, leaving out technical jargon. This approach evolved the screenplay into the modern format known as the Master Scene Script, which includes scene headings, action, characters, parentheticals, dialogue, and transitions.

  You can Google “movie script PDFs” to view examples, or you can buy a computer program which mimics the spacing and type of this popular format. I use Final Draft.

  TOP 10 MOVIE ARCHETYPES

  NOTE: To simplify the reading experience, I usually refer to the Main Hero with masculine pronouns, but the Hero can, of course, be female.

  Here are the classic Jungian archetypes I see most often in successful movies, with one of my own included. They are: Main Hero, Sidekick, Maiden, Wise Old Man, Villain, Henchman, Shape-shifter, Trickster, Eternal Child, and Mother Figure.

  MAIN HERO

  There can be many heroes in a movie story, so how do you know which is your Main Hero? The Main Hero experiences the most extreme transformation. In The Avengers, Captain America, Tony Stark, Black Widow, Thor, and Bruce Banner all share heroic moments. So who’s the Main Hero then? In this particular story, Tony Stark is the Main Hero because he undergoes the most extreme arc: selfishness to selflessness. The Main Hero is also the person who, toward the end of the movie, sacrifices his flaw for the good of others — a noble act he suffers for, but is also rewarded for. Tony Stark overcomes his flaw of selfishness by undertaking a suicide mission for the good of mankind, but in doing so he experiences pain when he topples violently back to earth. But for doing so, Stark is rewarded with the other Avengers’ deep respect.

  The Main Hero is also orphaned in some way. Either he’s a literal orphan, where one or both parents are dead, or he is emotionally or physically distant from his mother and/or father. Why are orphans so effective in storytelling? Because being an orphan is an instant way to draw sympathy from your audience. Why? Because we’ve all felt alone in the world at some point in our lives. I felt alone in the world when I drove across the United States by myself to pursue my dreams of writing in Los Angeles, a city where I knew no one. Soon, however, I found Sidekicks, Wise Old Men, Mother Figures, and Maidens to help me navigate my way through all the Shape-shifters, Tricksters, Henchmen, and Villains I would encounter during my quest.

  SIDEKICK (ALLY)

  The Sidekick (or Ally) is the Main Hero’s buddy, pal, or confidant. He (she) is there to lend an ear, advice, support, and to challenge the Main Hero’s flaw. He is the Samwise Gamgee to Frodo in Lord of the Rings, or Margo to Nick in Gone Girl. Using Sidekicks is also a trick screenwriters use to show what the Main Hero is thinking through dialogue, as opposed to novels where we read the character’s thoughts. Sidekicks help the screenwriter avoid relying too heavily on narration.

  MAIDEN

  The Maiden is the Hero’s love interest, or the Maiden can be a female who represents innocence, purity, or naiveté.

  WISE OLD MAN

  The Wise Old Man is someone older than the hero who offers wisdom or guidance: a mentor. He is the Obi-Wan or Yoda to Luke Skywalker, or Dumbledore to Harry Potter, or Mister Miyagi to Daniel in Karate Kid. Sometimes Wise Old Man can be a false Wise Old Man, like Lamar Burgess, John Anderton’s boss and mentor in Minority Report, who turns out to be (Spoiler Alert!) the killer.

  VILLAIN

  The Villain is the main bad guy, but it’s key to understand that the Villain doesn’t see himself as the bad guy. He sees himself as the Hero. He is the Main Hero’s primary opponent who will draw out, expose, and test the Main Hero’s flaw.

  HENCHMAN

  The Henchman is the Villain’s right-hand man. The Henchman is a skilled and formidable foe who stands between the Main Hero and the Villain. The Main Hero must defeat the Henchman to get to the Villain.

  SHAPE-SHIFTER

  An obvious Shape-shifter is someone like Bruce Banner who physically transforms into the Hulk. But the Shape-shifter is also someone who may seem good at the beginning but reveals himself to be bad, like Carl in Ghost who betrays his best friend Sam (Patrick Swayze). Or the Shape-shifter may seem bad, like Old Man Marley in Home Alone, but in the end he saves young Kevin’s life. The Shape-shifter’s loyalties are often unclear; he will often change his personality or allegiance in extreme ways.

  TR
ICKSTER

  The Trickster is mischievousness personified. He likes to mock and crack cunning jokes. He’s the comic relief whose loyalties can sometimes be in question. He’s a smartass. He is Han Solo in Star Wars, or the Joker in Batman, or Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.

  ETERNAL CHILD

  The Eternal Child can be a literal child, or he can be an adult who is childlike. Forrest Gump is a perfect example, or Frodo or Harry Potter. They represent innocence and provide hope through their childlike wisdom.

  MOTHER FIGURE

  The Mother Figure is nurturing and caring. She can be temperamental and volatile as well, like M to James Bond, or Galadrial in Lord of the Rings.

  Most successful movies use a minimum of eight of these archetypes, as seen in the chart on page 19 featuring our case study blockbusters. Some characters can also occupy two archetypes in the same film.

  To create great twists in your story, try the unexpected with your archetypes. No one would expect the Wise Old Man to be a serial killer, or the Main Hero’s Sidekick, Maiden, or Mother Figure to be a traitor, or the Henchman to betray the Villain. You can create shocking moments by flipping the audience’s expectations of the archetypes.

  ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

  THEME

  Theme is what your movie is really about. It’s the clothesline you hang all your scenes and dialogue on. The best movie for theme in this book is Skyfall. The theme is: Old Ways versus the New Ways. The movie explores different shades of this theme: Aging Bond has “lost a step;” Mallory wants aging M to retire; Young Q still “has spots” as Bond points out and can kill people with one computer keystroke; Silva, who’s Bond’s age, uses new technology to try to rule the world. Skyfall’s scenes and dialogue are rich with this theme, which adds a depth uncommon in most action movies.