Beat Sheets Revisited

A good few people find this blog using searches for 'beat sheets' and what the hell they are. I wrote about it here when the blog was still in its infancy (Dec 05) but it's by far and away the most visited page on the site. So I thought it might be a good idea to revisit the subject and offer another good example of 'beats' from a film that everyone would recognise.

Let's take a look at a scene from The Graduate, where Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and Ben (Dustin Hoffman) are about to have sex for the first time. The MA at the Leeds Met Uni use this scene as a teaching example, so I think it was the legendary Alby James who came up with the analysis, and I've slightly tweaked it to add my own thoughts.

Essentially, the scene (below) has three beats:
Beat #1: Ben's uncertain/nervous; he doesn't know what to do or how to go through with it.
Beat #2: Ben decides he can't do it but Mrs Robinson turns the screws on his pride by insinuating that he's a virgin.
Beat #3: Taking the bait, Ben asserts control and the affair begins.

So, if you were preparing this scene on your index card, you might scribble the above without actually being conscious that they were 'beats'. You're writing down what happens in the scene; your intention for the characters and story. ‘Beats’ is the technical term used to specicfy the dramatic structure of your scene. They help build to the point and purpose of what you want to establish. How you dramatise this action is entirely down to you.

When I was a teenager, and getting interested in screenwriting, Alfred Hitchcock said something that completely confused me: (paraphrasing) "Once we have worked out the story in full, then we begin the screenplay." It took me a while to figure that out but basically what Mr Hitchcock was saying was that he would painstakingly work out the scenes with his writer, beat by beat, and then he'd let the writer go away to come up with the goods in the script.

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked. Here's the scene from The Graduate (written by Buck Henry & Calder Willingham) with those three beats. Enjoy.

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INT. BEDROOM.

Ben steps out, moves to the window. We see the pool area through the window. Ben closes the blinds.

There is a KNOCK on the door. Ben crosses to the door and opens it. Mrs Robinson moves to the bureau and puts her purse and gloves on it. She looks at herself in the mirror for a moment then turns slowly, looking at the room, finally ending on Ben's face. She steps towards him.

MRS ROBINSON
Well?

He clears his throat and then he kisses her.

BEN
Well.

MRS ROBINSON
Benjamin.

BEN
Yes?

MRS ROBINSON
I'll get undressed now. Is that all right?

BEN
Sure. Shall I - I mean shall I just stand here? I mean - I don't know what you want me to do.

MRS ROBINSON
Why don't you watch?

BEN
Oh - sure. Thank you.

She takes off her jacket.

MRS ROBINSON
Will you bring me a hanger?

BEN
What?

MRS ROBINSON
A hanger.

Ben opens the closet door.

BEN
Oh - yes. Wood?

MRS ROBINSON
What?

BEN
Wood or wire? They have both.

MRS ROBINSON
Either one will be fine.

BEN
Okay.

He brings her a hanger. She puts her jacket on it.

MRS ROBINSON
Will you help me with this, please?

She turns her back.

BEN
Certainly.

He undoes the zipper at her neck.

MRS ROBINSON
Thank you.

BEN
You're welcome.

She turns and looks at him. He backs away.

MRS ROBINSON
Would this be easier for you in the dark?

BEN
Mrs Robinson - I can't do this.

MRS ROBINSON
You what?

BEN
This is all terribly wrong.

MRS ROBINSON
Benjamin - do you find me undesirable?

BEN
Oh no, Mrs Robinson. I think - I think you're the most attractive of all my parents' friends. I just don't think we could possibly -

MRS ROBINSON
Are you afraid of me?

BEN
No - but look - maybe we could do something else together, Mrs Robinson - would you like to go to a movie?

MRS ROBINSON
Benjamin, is this your first time?

BEN
Is this - what?

MRS ROBINSON
It is, isn't it? It is your first time?

BEN
That's a laugh, Mrs Robinson. That's really a laugh. Ha ha.

MRS ROBINSON
You can admit that, can't you?

BEN
Are you kidding?

MRS ROBINSON
It's nothing to be ashamed of -

BEN
Wait a minute!

MRS ROBINSON
On your first time -

BEN
Who said it was my first time.

MRS ROBINSON
That you're afraid -

BEN
Wait a minute.

MRS ROBINSON
- of being - inadequate - I mean just because you happen to be inadequate in one way -

BEN
INADEQUATE!

LONG pause. Mrs Robinson starts to dress.

BEN
Don't move.

He slams the bathroom door shut. The light in the room disappears.

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Quickie

I'm waiting for a telephone call in order to go through some notes, so I'm procrastinating. To be slightly proactive, I decided to make a start on cleaning up my office. A whole winter's worth (and then some) of office flotsam and jetsam has been gathering, and I've been putting it off. Well, I've just done one corner of the room, and I threw out a mini-rainforest of paper, and curiously, the corner looks exactly the same as before, as if it hasn't been touched.

Anyway, I did find two screenplay booklets that might be of interest. One is a 'selected scenes' booklet from About a Boy (one of those 'for your consideration' booklets, but it's pretty smartly presented), and then, more impressively, a beautifully printed book of Catch Me If You Can that has an intro by Frank Abagnale, lovely illustrations from the film and the full screenplay. It's really quite nice.

But I'm giving it away. Both items. So, if you'd like them for your bookshelf, just email me and the fifth person to reply, gets the books. I should come up with a mini-competition and pose a question, or 'finish the sentence' type thing, but I don't think the prize is THAT cool, and no-one would enter, but everyone loves free stuff, so just email if you want to come get some.

**Deadline 8pm tonight** Winner announced in comments! How exciting. Maybe not...

Format

A lot of people get hung up about format. Courier pt12. The right margins. Which screenwriting software to use. And so on. There's no need to get stressed about it. Relax. As long as it looks like a script and smells like a script, it probably is a script. Only the bad ones smell, mind. The point is that only the most pedantic of readers is going to reject your script based on the formatting alone. There may be a few misplaced parenthicals or an action line may find its way into the dialogue space - and just how do you format a montage? - but if the script is 90% okay, then you should be in the all clear.

If you're still unsure about format, don't sweat. Look back at what you've written. Is it easy to follow? Does it all make sense? For the flashbacks/intercuts/montage/telephone call, have you taken the reader 'out of the story' because you've formatted it to death. If the reader can read the script and follow the action, then no problem, job done. A script needs to look like a script but after that, it's going to be something that's riddled with formatting errors to make a reader's blood boil. Lucy has some good thoughts on the matter, here.

Someone emailed me a while ago, asking about format. Here are his questions, and my answers:-

I've just bought First Draft and I am a bit confused. If you are au fait with the software could you advise me on the following:

1. What template should I use for a BBC returning drama series?
Normal screenplay format is the best to use, especially for spec scripts, even if they are intended for the Beeb.

2. Should I put 'Scene' and the scene numbers i.e. 1, 2 etc at the end of each scene or should I just indicate a transition by putting int/ext, and time etc followed by action.
The usual scene headings such as INT. OFFICE. DAY will suffice, no need to put Scene or scene numbers.

3. Should i write 'cut to' at the end of each scene/transition?
You can if you want. Up to you (I don't, unless I want to make an emphasis about what I'm cutting to).

4. At the end of each scene/transition should I let the script carry on or should I start a new page after each new scene heading?
In normal screenplay format, let the script carry on, don't start a new page after each scene.

5. OR should I just try and use Script Smart?
I've never used Script Smart. Final Draft software is widely regarded as the format to use, and the Beeb don't mind. They can reformat scripts into their own templates if necessary (once you're working on an actual series, say). There is lots of good software you can use, some for free, but you can easily set up a screenwriting template on MS Word.

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If anyone has any questions about anything, now's a good time to shout.

Websites for Writers

Blogging. Websites. HTML. Skype. Instant Messaging. SMS. MMS. These, and other terms, are fast becoming the new vocabulary and currency of the 21st century.

Of course, it’s nothing new. It was all happening in the 90s. The internet boom. Mobile phones. You could see it all coming. However, I always thought it was a bit geeky. A bit naff. I resisted a mobile phone for a long time and now only use a ‘pay as you go’ for basic necessities. I wouldn’t have a clue about Bluetooth or Blackberry or anything like that. Back in the 90s, if you had any kind of inside knowledge of techy stuff, you were a computer nerd, a webhead or an anorak. Nowadays, it’s the reverse. You’re cool, indispensable and probably wealthy.

Still, for some reason, I always thought I was fairly on top of the latest technology. In reality, I’m straggling behind somewhat (I’ve been promising myself a PS2 for years, but I might as well get a PS3 now, once I can afford the blimmin' thing). Basic computer specifications and laptop info go completely over my head. In fact, I wouldn’t even be on-line if it weren’t for Blogger and Moonfruit. Thank you, Blogger, for making it free and easy to blog and Moonfruit’s website builder is basic and effective for my needs, so phew.

The Writers’ Guild held a talk on Websites for Writers last Thursday, and they asked me to be part of the panel. I was happy to oblige but prior to the event, I felt a bit anxious that it might be a bit ‘be there and be square’. Naturally, that wasn’t the case at all. In this day and age, it’s vital to have on-line presence and knowledge, no matter what your experience or credits. The talk was great because Tom Smith at Everythingability told the novice webheads, like me, why the internet is such a useful place, and how you go about setting up an effective website.

Then, Sophie Nicholls talked about her Lots of Big Ideas blog and, in particular, her use of Wikis, which is an internet phenomenon that I was only dimly aware of before hand. Tom Green, the Guild’s online editor, has a full report on the event here while Tom Smith set up a blogging point of contact for those who were inspired to start their own blogs here.

So, with blogging and websites, it seems it's very much a case of "be there or be square". A director recently asked me to recommend a few writers for a project he wants to develop so I pointed out a few blogs that I like. There were others I could have recommended but they were anonymous or didn't have an email or relevant contact details, and that put the director off. Later, he asked me for more as he "didn't get the right vibe" or "wasn't impressed" by some of the sites, so a half decent holding page and/or a well-presented blog does go a long way in making first on-line impressions count.

Story Vault: This Is, We See, It is

Tony B recently left a comment on last year's post about What a Writer Doesn't Write. He asked about the use of 'We See' and 'Reverse Angles' (specific direction), and so forth: "Is this type of scene description more permissible in the US than it is here? Or are these writers proving that they’ve never been trained and are simply being allowed to get away with it because they write well? Or are these rules losing their currency?"

It's commonly believed that readers HATE the use of 'We See', etc, but like everything to do with screenwriting, all terms and techniques have their uses, no matter how contentious or unpopular they might be. It's certainly true that new writers shouldn't litter their screenplays with 'We See', and so on, but that doesn't mean that such description isn't allowed.

The best advice would to be use these terms as sparingly as you can. Don't over do it. A well placed 'We See' can be exciting and illuminating, in terms of the story, and the reader won't have noticed because he was too wrapped up in the moment (e.g "we see what Jenny doesn't; Dad plunging a knife into Johnny's heart"). However, if a script uses 'we see' for every line of description, then it's usually evident of someone who's not particularly confident or effective with their screenwriting style.

Anyway, I actually posted about this last September, so here's the post again, just in case it's of any interest:

"Actors and critics often target a script out for praise, and will laud the writer or writer/director for his screenwriting skill. (The actors are talking about their specific roles while the critics are referring to the dialogue.) This script then gets nominated for awards, maybe even an Oscar, and possibly even a win. And so, as soon as it becomes available on-line, or maybe a friend gets his hands on a copy, we are eager to read the screenplay to soak up its insightful skill and craft.

Disappointment kicks in, then frustration. The script is all right, nothing special, okay. The new writer is thinking: “my script is easily better than this, how did this attract so much attention and win so many awards? There’s hope for me and my scripts yet.” The new writer may have a point but what they’re missing are two crucial aspects of the script: 1) its invisible qualities of story regarding characters and narrative momentum; 2) the visual dramatisation and performance of the piece that makes it a successful film.

The disappointment and frustration a new writer feels towards the script is understandable but it usually relates to screenwriting style (and so-called screenwriting rules) rather than actual story content. This is what is ultimately more important than rules and regulations about how a screenplay should be written. Most new writers, and some script readers, will get their knickers in a twist about format, drab writing style and general screenwriting no-nos without really assessing what the characters and story are doing around the writer’s misguided presentation.

It is certainly important to strive for an expert grasp on style and craft, and it’s definitely disappointing to read lazy writing in a professional’s work, but it’s the story that matters underneath it all. I’ve been suitably engaged in the emotion and drama of badly written screenplays. While this sounds like a paradox, the “badly written” term relates to the writer’s style and presentation rather than the emotional weight of their characters and the dramatic value of their story.

However, it should be pointed out that these scripts are rare. As a script reader, you have to keep an open mind that the writer is going to do okay, and because script reading can be a soul destroying process at times, it is difficult to maintain this optimism when the first thirty pages or so feel like you’re wading through thick-sludge.

The other day I was reading a script from an Oscar-nominated writer, and it wasn’t very good. In the first twenty pages, a lot of the scenes started like this:

“EXT. OCEAN. DAY

We see a perfectly still ocean that stretches out before us. It is a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. It’s June and summer’s at it’s (sic) peak. A swimmer splashes in the sea and comes into view. This is MARY. She’s twenty, got a good sense of humour and is enjoying the inhibition of life that her age gives her.”

General screenwriting advice tells us to avoid “We see”, “It is” and “This is” because it allows for lazy and convenient description. Actually, the use of these terms is fine but they should be limited so that you don’t over rely on their safety crutch. (My personal rule of thumb is that there should be no more than two instances of these terms in a script.)

But in this particular script, a lot of the scenes started in this way. The “We see” usually came immediately after the slugline, proceeded by “it is” and then the introduction of a character, “this is”, and their basic characterisation. As I progressed with the script, I tried to stem my feelings of annoyance and frustration that an Oscar-nominated writer should indulge in such lazy and flat description but after a while, I was drawn to the particular characterisation, action and emotions of the characters. These qualities were emerging with some interest, much better than the style and presentation of the actual description.

A perfect blend of style, craft, emotion and drama is the ideal, and obviously this is difficult to achieve. Making the reader feel distanced from your descriptive style and then making them work hard to get into the spirit of the story is not the best way to go about securing interest in your work. But if you get nominated for an Oscar, or are validated in the industry in some way, then this kind of work will always be ‘out there’. And because new writers will study these respected scripts for inspiration, it perpetuates a misleading standard in the business, thus leading to arguments, articles and blogs about the whole evolving scriptwriting process that, ultimately, will never be perfectly mastered…"

Writers' Academy 2007

The Writers' Academy is now in its third year and is a fast track to a TV writing career. Those snobbish about soap need not apply. Below are some of the details but for a full application and information, follow the link and click 'Current Jobs', and do a Search (phew, got that?). Also, you can read about Abi Brown's successful experience, here (free reg required).

"The training you receive from BBC Drama’s Writers Academy will give you the specific skills required to write for some of the BBC’s most popular format series such as Doctors, EastEnders, Holby City and Casualty, and a springboard to write across all the BBC’s drama output.

Potential writers will have already had at least one film, television or radio drama script produced, or one theatre piece performed professionally, or will be graduates of Skillset Approved screenwriting courses.

The Writers Academy will train up to 8 writers a year, over a period of twelve months."

Scribosphere: Revolutions

The Scribosphere website is being thoroughly revamped at the moment in the hope of establishing it as an online screenwriting workshop. It's in the early stages of development so if you have any feedback, queries or even donations, then mosey on over to their site and check them out.

There's been a lot of talk about blogs/websites recently, it seems, and the advantages/pitfalls of the hobby, and whether to post anonymously or under a pseudonym or with your real name.

I've just done my Writers' Guild article on the subject, and am attending the Websites for Writers event on Thursday. Phill has some good words to say on the benefits of using your real name, here.

Pillock, prompted by Jason, decided to shed his nom de plume and reveal his identity (hello Andy!). And Miss-Cellany is doing some MA research about writing blogs (why we do them and what we get out of them), so leave a comment if you can.

Before I started blogging, I thought to myself: "is it a bit naff? is it too geeky?" and I was a bit reluctant. Naturally, I'm very pleased that I started. It's been a pleasurable distraction from the often stressful day-to-day grind. There's definitely a great sense of community and camaraderie, and it provides useful contacts and information for aspiring and professional writers alike.

Sweet.

Guild News

First of all, keep it down over there about Life on Mars. I haven't seen the season finale yet because I was watching football, and flicking to the cricket (not many writers are sport fans, or at least not the writers I know, which I find confusing and a bit disappointing).

Actually, I'm a bit behind as I still have to see last week's episode, not to mention catching up with the Doctor and Martha meeting Shakespeare. And then there's all those eps of Family Guy from BBC2, BBC3 and FX, and of course the latest series of The Wire, and Battlestar Galactica, and homegrown Holby, Enders etc, the list is endless... (someone give the inventor of Sky Plus a Nobel Prize).

Most of you have been gracious with a few non-spoiler reviews of what happened to Sam and the gang but the accumulative detail I've learned this morning has somewhat skewed my expectations. Need to catch up on my viewing to get to the climactic finish.

Anyhoo, the new edition of UK Writer, the Writers' Guild magazine, has hit the stands and on page 27, or thereabouts, you'll find an article from moi which, appropriately enough, is about the potential benefits of a writer possessing a website and a blog.

This neatly coincides with the "Websites for Writers" event the Guild are hosting next week, and I'll be one of the speakers/guests/panel person thingies to chat about my experiences so far.

Also, if you're not a member of the Guild, then why not? In this issue of UK Writer, Julian Friedmann (agent and editor of Scriptwriter magazine) says: "If every member persuaded one other person to join, we would all be much more powerful". He also encourages us to check out a new screenwriting manifesto (something which Tim mused about in a separate post).

So, this is my shout out for you to join the Guild. One of the benefits that I particularly enjoy is that you get free membership to the ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society), which keeps a track of the royalties that are due to you. So, every once in a while, I get a cheque for a couple of hundred of quid, and that's just for writing two episodes of Doctors. Nice.

And as a final link, the nominations for this year's TV Baftas have been announced. Check them out here. Congratulations to James and the Green Wingers for their nod.

Vertical Writing

The traditional style of writing is for the reader to enjoy the story by following the words from left to right. In screenwriting, however, this doesn’t apply. The reader is meant to read DOWN the page as the writer expresses the key audio and visual details. It’s vertical writing.

There are a few reasons why screenwriting employs this style. The main one is that script description is meant to convey the visual immediacy of what’s happening on screen. To achieve this, the adage of ‘less is more’ is encouraged. Fewer words equals shorter sentences which results in clearer images.

Another reason why vertical writing is the best kind of screenwriting is that it gives the reader a sense of pace as well as imagery. It’s a screenplay, so it’s meant to give a heightened sense of drama or interest, and reading DOWN the page helps to maintain the hungry need to know what happens next. If the vertical writing is successful in establishing its tone, characters and story, then the script becomes an effortless page turner that will only take an hour to read.

You may have heard of vertical writing before. It’s called different things. “Sparse writing.” “Lots of white space.” “Lean.”

This is the ideal but it’s an extremely skilled discipline to achieve. It takes a considerable amount of confidence and assurance from the writer to present a script in this way, and an advanced understanding of the craft of screenwriting. Most of us, myself included, can’t resist to over-write here and there so that a key bit of exposition or detail doesn’t go unnoticed. We’re anxious that the reader hasn’t engaged with our characters or grasped an important part of the story, so we pepper up the description to make up for the presumably weak visual representation of what we want to get across.

However, while vertical writing, fewer words and lean description is preferred by script readers and execs, some writers can take it too far and give the reader hardly any narrative description at all. This kind of script doesn’t employ vertical writing, this is where it becomes a dialogue-driven screenplay.

I read a script recently where the writer didn’t indulge in the usual trappings of scene description. She simply presented the characters (no age, no description) and told the story through their dialogue. Luckily, the dialogue was sharp and enjoyable, and the script was good, but a little bit of detail would have been nice to help the reader join the visual dots.

So, sometimes it’s a fine balance. I’m told I have a lean style. I’ve been working hard on this but I think I could be even leaner in my description. A reader recently said my script “slipped down like an oyster”, which I’m taking as a compliment! But how do you achieve vertical writing? How do you know that the essentials of the action and character are effectively coming across?

Vertical writing breaks down into four main components:

Action/Image.

Sound.

Character.

Dialogue.

We all know that scriptwriting only describes what can be seen on the screen yet our scripts are filled with description that is only for the reader’s benefit. Some of these are generally allowed or accepted (flowery character description, an explanatory aside etc) but really, scripts don’t need any of this at all as the reader will get everything they need to know from the simple action/image, sound, character and dialogue.

But boy, it’s a tough call. It’s a skilled discipline that takes years to hone and develop, and it relies just as much on your talents as a storyteller as it does on a neat style of description. Less is more but too little is ineffective. Action/image, sound, character, dialogue. That's it, but more than enough (hopefully!).

As an example, check out the opening page of Alien, by Walter Hill and David Giler, based on screenplay by Dan O'Bannon. This focuses on image and sound, thus establishing tone and intrigue. It’s from the final draft version; earlier scripts didn’t employ such a sparse style but they got there in the end…


INT. ENGINE ROOM

Empty, cavernous.

INT. ENGINE CUBICLE

Circular, jammed with instruments.

All of them idle.

Console chairs for two.

Empty.

INT. OILY CORRIDOR - "C" LEVEL

Long, dark.

Empty.

Turbos throbbing.

No other movement.

INT. CORRIDOR - "A" LEVEL

Long, empty.

INT. INFIRMARY - "A" LEVEL

Distressed ivory walls.

All instrumentation at rest.

INT. CORRIDOR TO BRIDGE - "A" LEVEL

Black, empty.

INT. BRIDGE

Vacant.

Two space helmets resting on chairs.

Electrical hum.

Lights on the helmets begin to signal one another.

Moments of silence.

A yellow light goes on.

Data mind bank in b.g.

Electronic hum.

A green light goes on in front of one helmet.

Electronic pulsing sounds.

A red light goes on in front of other helmet.

An electronic conversation ensues.

Reaches a crescendo.

Then silence.

The lights go off, save the yellow.

Story Vault: The Push

Indulging in the archives a little, lately, but normal blogging will resume shortly.

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A lot of people want to be writers. The desire to express a story, and get paid for it, is an attainable dream. After all, there are no qualifications needed and no expensive tools required. All you need is a pen and paper, and your creativity to come up with a good story (that’s the hard part). Yet for the majority of new or aspiring writers, the most commonly heard phrase is: “I don’t have time to write”.

And they’re right. They don’t have time to write. It doesn’t matter who they are and what they do (frazzled single mother of four, hard working corporate exec, fresh faced graduate), the fact is that they want to write but they don’t have the time to fit it into their schedule. This is perfectly acceptable and reasonable. A lot of professional writers and lecturers, and perhaps even blogs, will say that the phrase “I don’t have time to write” is a poor excuse for not actually sitting down to do the work.

This line of thinking is an easy superior position to take. It’s unfairly focusing on the person’s perceived lack of commitment to stick to their goals. Professionals can sniff at the wannabes that the difference between writers and those who want to write is that writers write (I’m paraphrashing Martin Amis here). There is no question that this statement is true but just because someone says “I don’t have time to write” doesn’t mean that they’re slacking off from actually scribbling something down.

People work their ass off to make ends meet, pay their bills, feed their kids, love their partners - y’know life - and this kind of demand can drain the creative energy that’s necessary to write. In this instance not having the time to write is genuinely true and fair: “I’m exhausted, I’ll get to it next week.” However, the phrase is misleading and subconsciously damaging. It’s time for the phrase “I don’t have time to write” to be turned into a question: “How do I find the time to write?” The answer is The Push.

The Push is the extra drive and commitment necessary to turn the writing hobby into a career (or at least a regular hobby). It exists on two levels: one for the aspiring writer and the other for the professional. The aspiring writer needs to find The Push in order to discover their writing routine. The professional writer needs The Push when he’s obsessively checking emails every thirty seconds and staring in front a blank page for two hours. One is trying to find the time to write, the other is trying to make the best use of the time that they’ve created.

To read the rest of the post, follow the link.

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