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The Ultimate Film Beat Sheet
What is a story beat?
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.
Save the Cat Beat Sheet Template • Infographic
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.
An analysis of the plot structure
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.
THE ULTIMATE FILM BEAT SHEET
1. Opening Image
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.
2. Theme Stated
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.
3. Set-up
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.
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.
4. Catalyst
Sometimes called the “ inciting incident,” the catalyst is the event that disrupts your protagonist’s status quo. But they’re not ready to make the choice that catapults them into the story just yet.
In The Matrix, this happens when Neo meets Trinity in a club. She tells him that he’s in danger.
5. Debate
This is where the protagonist has doubts about setting out on their perilous journey. How does this beat manifest in The Matrix?
After talking to Trinity, Neo finds himself hunted by sunglasses-wearing “suits” (the Agents). Thankfully, he’s on the phone with Morpheus — the leader of the rebellion Trinity represents.
However, Neo’s not strong enough follow through on Morpheus’ orders to escape his office building. In Joseph Campbell's