or a writer, it’s exciting to hatch a new idea. Maybe you even have a rockstar logline. But it’s all too easy to take that idea and run, only to stumble at page 30 without a clue of where to go. Don’t worry – this is avoidable. You just need a firm grasp on how to map out your idea. With the right tools, you can see if your idea has the “legs” to deliver a feature-length film to the finish line. How do you do that?
In today’s post, we’ll examine how, with Blake Snyder’s famous “Save the Cat” beat sheet template that revolutionized the industry. Get ready to chart out your idea over 15 unique beats to see if it holds up!
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In film development terms, a “story beat” refers to a single story event which transforms the character and story at a critical juncture. Think of beats as “checkpoints” along the way, that will complete the story and chart out a film structure.
In his book “Save the Cat,” screenwriter Blake Snyder boiled film plot structure down to 15 beats. He also includes the suggested page number each beat should should occur on. We included those on our Save the Cat beat sheet template.
Here you can see how each of these story beats plays out visually.
You can even use a beat sheet calculator if you know the expected page count, which comes in handy if you want to write a short film beat sheet.
Story and character are two sides of the same coin. Inevitably, your protagonist will attract characters and scenarios that will teach the valuable lesson of the story (i.e., the “arc”).
It's crucial to give your character a strong and clear need. After all, their desire will dictate the story of their lives, and drive them toward the irreversible change of your finale.
We will use the great beat sheet example found in The Matrix to illustrate the effectiveness of Blake Snyder’s creation.
Time to take the red pill and tumble down the rabbit hole where we'll explore The Matrix is all its kung-fu, sci-fi, techno glory.
Start strong with an image that catapults your audience into the look and feel of your story. Blake Snyder suggests knocking this out on Page 1.
Look no further: Instagram account @Finalscreens shows how much story can be conveyed in the first and final images of a film.
Let’s use the act breakdown of The Matrix to show the power of the Save the Cat beat sheet template at work. To start, The Matrix boasts a strong opening image: a blinking command line cursor.
The film is about a hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) who realizes his life is a computer-simulated reality (The Matrix). Over the image we hear Trinity and Cypher, on the “other end” of the cursor. They’re liberated from The Matrix, and looking for their savior.
Film structure requires that the theme of the film is communicated by someone fairly early on. Commonly, this is dialogue spoken to the protagonist that he doesn’t quite grasp yet.
In The Matrix, Neo moonlights as a creator of illegal software. One of his customers tells him that he looks like he “needs to unplug for awhile.” This subtly suggests that Neo will learn to unplug from his computer simulated reality, and how to fight those who were keeping him there.
Use your first ten pages wisely. Here, you’ll need to establish your story scope (and “look and feel”) for the audience.
First, show your character in their “old world.” Let the audience know what the status quo is for them, then hint at the adventure that follows.
Second, establish all characters who will factor into your main story beats. This may take some creativity. Sometimes, for story reasons, you will just have to hint at those characters.
The setup is one of the most important sections of your script because it provides the essential context needed for the audience to become either immediately engaged, or lose interest within the first ten minutes. Obviously as a screenwriter, the former is required to sustain a career.
In StudioBinder, you can write your screenplay right in the software or upload it from a previous format. Below, we'll upload The Matrix and see how the following scene was setup. For more, here's a breakdown of The Matrix screenplay, including plot, character and quotes.
The Matrix begins with an action sequence cleverly to establish how there are people in Neo's world (Trinity, the Agents), who seem like they are from another place all together.
