Act 1

So now you know the basic premise of your story and it’s time to lay out the events that are going to unfold. Start to tell the story, in broad events. Write down the events that you know have to happen to tell your story. Think about what you need to develop the plot, the conflict and the characters. Does the story make sense? Are there obvious turning points in the story where the conflict really begins then where it escalates? Which bit gets the hero up the tree? Which part starts him coming down? Are you throwing enough rocks at him? To help explain how we will lay this out I got a useful beat sheet from Adam, who got the ideas from http://www.blakesnyder.com/ For this example the script’s final length will be 110 pages. These are all approximates but try to stick close to them. In a film script each pages represents approximately a minute of screen time which is how this plays out. Today we’ll lay out the first act.

1) Opening Image (p1) The first impression a reader or viewer will get of your film. Set the mood, set the scene. This can create a contrast with the final image if you like showing how the hero overcame whatever they overcame. In Broken Arrow John Travolta and Christian Slater are boxing, which is reflected when they try to kick each others butt in a real fight during act 3. In a horror film someone will usually get killed or the scene will be set for why the killer is a killer. In a creature feature we always get someone getting killed by the creature. Make it cool.

2) Theme Stated (p5) Theme is stated. Every film has a theme, something it is saying. Usually by the hero learning something. How many films have the loner cop learn to trust a partner again? Or sci-fi horror saying that genetic engineering is wrong? Just drop a hint about what it is and the rest of the film is an exploration of this theme. It could be as simple as a quick comment from one person to another. The good old “I don’t need a partner. I work alone,” as the cop is given a partner.

3) Set-up (p1-10) Set up the hero of the story, set up what is at stake, set up the goal. Plant hints about the characters. Watch The Rock and you’ll see Nicholas Cage trying to disarm a bomb that starts to release gas which is so potent cockroaches explode. He messes up. Instantly we know what he will have to do later in the film and that he will have to get over his lack of confidence in these things. We see what he does, we see his weakness, and when his LP arrives we see that he is a nerd, definitely not at home making an assault on The Rock. This is the hero before the adventure. Set them up well so that we can notice them change as the script progresses. The Rock also sets up what happens when the gas they are stealing goes off when it breaks and they have to leave a man behind.

4) The Catalyst (p12) The moment things start to happen. In The Rock they start to take Alcatraz. In Red Eye they get on the plane and the guy starts to change, in Phone Booth he picks up the phone.

5) Debate (p12-25) This is where the hero is often convinced they should go on the journey. Nicholas Cage doesn’t want to go to The Rock, the girl in Red Eye tries to find a way not to make the phone call.

6) Break Into Act 2 (p25) This is a quarter of the way into the script. When Nicholas Cage gets onto Alcatraz, when the guy says he will kill the girls Dad in Red Eye, the whole tone of the film changes. You have built the foundation, we know the players, we know the problem, and now things start to happen. It’s like the world changes.

Now look over what you had written before. Have you set everything up? Do you have a strong start to the story? Have you revealed the characters weakness and their desires? If not then go back and start tweaking. That’s why we’re doing this before we start writing.

Good luck!