One of the key resources of this website will be the creation and categorizing of beat sheets! These handy tools dissect movies of all kinds — both Indie and Blockbuster — according to the 15 structural beats outlined in my book. I call it the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (AKA the BS2) and it’s a great way to find clues in story structure for the movie you’re working on.
I’m about to start the ball rolling with BS2’s for Miss Congeniality, Wedding Crashers and the Sundance winner Maria Full of Grace, and believe it or not, all fit perfectly into the form — most movies do!
I hope you will feel free to add to this collection, submit your beat sheets as “Comments” and we’ll post them with your name to see if we agree with your assessment.
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One of my favorites. So good, they made it twice.
The Longest Yard
Set-up (1-10): Opening Image: Burt reclines in his mansion watching football on TV.
Theme: Burt rejects the advances of his girlfriend and she calls him a whore because he’s an ex-pro football player whose been bought by college, the pros, “and me!†Burt has done whatever he had to to get ahead. The question is did he buy-in when opportunity knocked, or did he sell-out.
Save the Cat: Burt flees the rant of his girlfriend and takes off in her sports car. She calls the police claiming her car is stolen and a pursuit starts. Burt escapes the inept cops but instead of gloating, he stops the car, dumps it into a bay of water, waltzes into a bar and allows the police to find him.
Six Things to Fix (1-10):
(1) Anger management – He slaps girlfriend.
(2) Self-centeredness.
(3) Self-loathing – he got caught fixing a pro game.
(4) Must deal with prison’s lead guard who hates him on sight.
(5) No women in prison.
(6) Get out of prison alive.
Catalyst (12): Eddie Albert is the prison warden, he owns a semi-pro football team featuring the prison guards as players. He asks Burt, a former pro quarterback, to help coach his team. Burt declines.
Debate (12-25): Because Burt refuses to coach, Eddie puts him on swamp detail where the lead guard harasses him. The other inmates wonder what a famous athlete like Burt is doing in prison — especially in the swamp. Burt just wants to do his 18 months and be left alone. The lead guard attacks him and successfully goads him into retaliating.
Break into Two (30): Eddie has a sit-down with Burt and informs him that because he assaulted one of the guards, his original months long sentence will now extend years — unless he agrees to coach the warden’s team. Burt takes the deal.
B-Story (30): The love story is with Burt and the other inmates. Through them he will find his way to redemption.
Fun and Games (30-55): The inmates form a team to play the guards to help the latter prepare for the upcoming semi-pro season. The fun and games here are recruiting the rogue’s gallery of players and the ensuing hijinks during the practices on the field.
Midpoint (55): The inmates’ team lacks talent until they persuade the black inmates to join them. Now, they have a chance to actually beat the guards and get some payback for all the roughhousing the screws deliver day-in-and-out.
Bad Guys Close In (55-75): One the inmates spies on the progress of the inmates team and reports to the lead guard who tricks the informant into believing Burt knows he’s an informant and will tell the other inmates — signing his death warrant.
All is Lost (75): The informant tries to get Burt first by setting a deadly booby trap in his cell but it’s Burt’s cellmate and friend who gets killed. A significant “whiff of death.â€
Dark Night of the Soul (75-85): The inmates play the guards well — too well. At half-time, the warden, tells Burt to lose game or face incarceration during the best years of his life. Burt, reluctantly, does what he’s told. The other inmates realize what he’s doing and feel betrayed, however Burt won’t tell them why he’s throwing away the game.
Break into Three (85): Burt consults one of the team’s assistants, an elderly inmate who many years ago had a short prison term lengthened when he attacked a guard (who had it coming). “Was it worth it?†Burt asks. The reply is a definite “yes!â€
Finale (85-110): Burt goes back into the game — this time to win. The other inmates won’t block tackles for him at first, but when they realize he’s earnestly trying to score, they become a tight unit again. Finally, there is time for only one final snap, the inmates are down by five points, and have the ball is on their opponents’ one yard line. Burt calls a quarterback draw and sneaks over the goal line to victory.
Six Things to Fixed
(1) Anger management – After a few scraps in prison, Burt calms down. The murder of his assistant may have prompted a revenge subplot but it never happens.
(2) Self-centeredness – Burt becomes a team player by choice.
(3) Self-loathing – he earns self-esteem by thinking of others before himself.
(4) He must deal with prison’s lead guard who hates him on sight.- the guard ends up respecting Burt for playing to win even when he knew the consequences.
(5) No women in prison.- Burt has dalliance with the warden’s secretary Bernadette Peters
(6) Get out of prison alive – After the game, Burt strolls across field toward the stadium exit — the spectators exit. The warden demands Burt be shot before he escapes and he nearly is before it’s revealed he’s retrieving the game ball to give to the warden. We get the idea Burt will survive his entire stretch in the joint.
Final Image (110): Burt heads out of the stadium, Pops, the elderly prisoner joins him.
This is great stuff! Love it!
Braveheart Beat Sheet
Movie Title Genre: Drama
Logline: William Wallace, a brave commoner, fights the ruthless King of England to win the freedom of the Scottish people
1.Opening Image: Beautiful emerald grass covered mountains rising up nobly surrounded by the Scottish mists, riders on horse back head towards a building in the distance.
2.Theme Stated: Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it: Can William live in peace and raise a family in Scotland and still have the courage to follow his heart?
3.Set-up: Young William loses his father and brother in a skirmish, is raised away by his educated Uncle. Years later he returns and witnesses the English interrupting a wedding for prima noctae, Sees Hamish, his childhood friend grown into a big broad man of brute strength. Sees beautiful Marianne, the little girl who gave him the purple thistle at his father and brother’s burial long ago, now grown into a beautiful woman. Sees Old Campbell, Amish’s dad and McClananough, Marianne’s father still itching for battle against the hated English
4.Catalyst: William’s secret wife Marianne is murdered by the English, William retaliates by killing the English involved with the help of his friends and they see him as their “delivererâ€
5.Debate: Will William go to war for Scotland?
6.Break into Two: Another clan joins up with William’s group and a small army is formed, William formally attacks and burns the stronghold of the English Lord that claimed prima noctae at the wedding celebration’s
7.B Story: William romances the princess of England
8.Fun and Games: The battlefield, the Scots fighting and beating back the English. The crazy Irish Stephen and his antics when he joins the inner circle.
9.Midpoint Scotland wins first battle and William is knighted he meets Robert the Bruce whom he likes and Bruce assures William of his support, though the ceremony is dampened somewhat by the Scottish Lords political bickering over Scotland’s crown.
10.Bad Guys Close The king plans a surprise attack on William and unbeknownst to William the King of England has ruthlessly bribed the nobles including Robert’s family to convince them not to fight against the crown.
11.All is lost: They lose the battle at Faulkir and William realizes that Robert the Betrayed him and he lays down on the battlefield defeated and waits to die. Robert rescues William
12.Dark Night of the Soul: Old Campbell is mortally wounded, William is dejected as he sits among the dead and dying on the battlefield and Robert the Bruce realizes what his betrayal has cost his countrymen as he walks among the bloody battle field.
13.Break into three: William kills some of the Scottish Nobles who betrayed him on the battlefield. Then he regroups his army and continues his battles. Tales of his courage grows as common folk tell tall tells about William.
14.Finale: William is finally betrayed and so is Robert the Bruce, by the ultimate Scottish Manipulator, Roberts’s leper decaying father who is in his own way as Ruthless about securing his family fortunes as Edward Long shanks. William is drawn and quartered in front of the townsfolk of England and dies a brave but horrible death.
15.Final Image: Scottish army led by Robert the Bruce with Amish, Stephen and McClanough out front, charging into battle against the English army who weren’t expecting a fight, but negotiations. The lone Sword standing upright in the ground with a red scarf dangling from it’s hilt thrown by Hamish (who had demonstrated earlier his brute strength in throwing large stones
I welcome coments on the beat sheet to Witness ;not sure if it is all correct. Thanks
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Witness Beat Sheet
Movie Title Genre: Drama
Logline: A hardened cop risks his life to save a little Amish boy who witnesses a murder.
1.Opening Image: Amish people, wearing the traditional clothes are walking in tall green grasses and buggies are riding down the graveled lane towards a white washed farm house
2.Theme Stated: (shown) Can the Amish and modern world exist together in harmony?
3.Set-up: Amish country, Eli Rachel’s father-in law, Samuel, Rachel, newly widowed and mother of 8 year old Samuel (The Lapp family), Daniel, Rachel’s suitor and Amish all together at the funeral. Rachel decides to take a trip to visit her sister after the funeral.
4.Catalyst: Amish boy sees a murder in the men’s bathroom at the train station in Philadelphia. Book, the lead detective and his partner, Carter enters the scene to investigate.
5.Debate: Boy has to stay and testify for the murder trial, Mother wants to leave the city. Once Book, the detective is shot, after confiding in Schaffer, he realizes he has been betrayed and he has to figure out how to protect the boy, mother and himself.
6.Break into Two: Book escapes to Lancaster County into Amish Country.
7.B Story: Book and Rachel start to develop feelings for each other, through her nurturing his gunshot wound and from his sacrifice to himself to protect them both. He also begins to develop a tentative bond with Old Eli Lapp
8.Fun and Games: Book and Eli milking the cow, Book and Rachel dancing by lantern light to Sam’s Cook tune. The Amish Barn raising,
9.Midpoint: Book sees Rachel bathing, and wants her but he doesn’t take her and goes to bed dejectedly. He realizes the costs of their growing passion will be too high for them both.
10.Bad Guys Close In: Book finds out that his partner Carter has been murdered. He knows that Schaffer and McFee are responsible
11.All is Lost: Book loses his temper out of frustration and a feeling of helplessness over the death of his partner and beats down some young people who were heckling the Amish people. His actions draw the attention of the local sheriff, though Book doesn’t get caught. Eli Lapp’s buggy is recognized and it is a matter of time before Book is found.
12.Dark Night of the Soul: Book and Rachel share a passionate embrace. It is a good bye as they both realize that his leaving is imminent and they can never be together.
13.Break into three: Car with Schaffer, McFee and Fergie, the murdering cops approach the top of the Lapp farm drive in the early hours of the morning. The three men park the car and walk ominously towards the farm.
14.Finale: Showdown with Book McFee, Schaffer and Fergie, Book manages to kill McFee and Fergie and capture Schaffer the ringleader. The Amish people stand behind him as he confronts Schaffer who becomes visibly powerless.
15.Final Image: Book driving away from the Lapp farm, passing by Daniel, as he heads to the farm to court Rachel. (Theme answered) In love, when two worlds are so very different, they cannot exist together in harmony.
Angels in the Outfield Beat Sheet
Movie Title: Angels in the Outfield
Genre: Family drama
Logline: A foster boy sees real angels who help a losing baseball team win the pennant.
1.Opening Image: Roger and PJ, two foster kids are riding their bikes down the road, the Angels baseball stadium looms in the background.
2.Theme Stated: Can miracles happen if you believe. (stated over and over, “It can happen by PJ)†If the Angels who are in last place win the pennant, then Roger can have a Daddy again. This is his wish after his father leaves him in foster care.
3.Set-up: Bad tempered manager of the Angels, George Knox played by Danny Glover who doesn’t care about his losing baseball team, antipathy between George Knox, and the arrogant sports announcer, Ranch Wilder. Roger, PJ, Maggie the foster care mother. Rogers, father who can’t take care of him.
4.Catalyst: Roger’s father turns him over temporarily to foster care and the little boy prays that if the baseball team Angels win the pennant he can get his daddy
5.Debate: Can the Angels do it win the pennant?
6.Break into Two: Roger and PJ, the two foster kids get to go to a baseball game with their class and Roger has his picture taken with the disgruntled baseball manager George Knox.
7.B Story: The Angels Manager George Knox,Doesn’t care about kids but finds himself caring about the two foster kids instead of just thinking of them as good luck charms when his team starts to win. He develops a relationship with Roger and starts to spend time with him outside of the baseball game.
8.Fun and Games The angels are winning with the help of some real angels; the antics on the baseball field as the losing team finds themselves endowed with extra powers thanks to a little heavenly help.
9.Midpoint: Roger has to miss a game and go to a court hearing and the Angels baseball team loses.
10.Bad Guys Close In: Ranch Wilder, the sports announcer finds out the secret of the ‘Angels and sends it to the newspaper jeopardizing George Knox’s job as manager of the team Sports
11.All is Lost: Manager George Knox is told by the ball club owner that he has to announce he doesn’t believe in angels at a press conference or lose his management job.
12.Dark Night of the Soul: Roger loses his faith when his father gives over his custody permanently to the state at the court hearing. He stops caring about the baseball team
13.Break into three: The press conference, George Knox does not renounce the angels, the team bands together, Maggie, the foster mother speaks up, the ball club owner, says he believes in Angels and hope they are on our side. Everybody’s faith is renewed and they are ready to continue the season.
14.Finale: The Angels win the pennant, the baseball manager, George Knox adopts the two little boys and they have a daddy.
15.Final Image: The baseball manager and two little boys hugging, andChristopher Lloyd’s angel character appears outside of the window and the younger boy PJ can finally see them.
Hey Blake,
Just struggled through a crowded city here in the UK carrying a board, a fresh pack of index cards, and a box of push pins.
Damn, it felt GREAT! (And wasted a ton of time!)
Thanks for a great, practical book and a LOT of inspiration.
Simon
I’m just grappling with this, I’m in pre-production on a film, and I would REALLY appreciate anyone attempting a BS2 on Seven Samurai! In return, here’s our secret to mobile boards – we use a folding piece of cardboard A4 and mini mini post-its. That way you don’t have to cart corkboards across London. Unless that’s your hobby.