I’ve decided to start a series of bite size blog posts based more on the technicalities of screenwriting and the processes a writer has to go through before, during and after a screenplay draft.
To start this off, I am going to look at the beat sheet, a basic outline of a screenplay working through each moment in time and stringing them together. You would then bulk out the beat sheet with your full action and dialogue.
I have always believed that over planning and masses of paperwork hinder creativity and stop any spontaneity or new ideas. However you do need some structure to make sure you’re not waffling on or even rushing through the scenes and events. Ultimately, your screenplay isn’t your endless streams of thought splurged out onto the page; it is meant to be a coherent story. Limiting yourself and giving yourself boundaries will in the end help you keep on track with your theme, story arcs and building your characters.
You may wish to write your beat sheet as a table or in list/bullet point form. Whichever is the most useful to you! Blake Snyder introduced this table like form which could make it simpler for you to be more specific in your planning.
Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet (Image: Blake Snyder)
(Image: eyesondeck.typepad.com)
Beat sheets can also smooth out any confusion in your story and explains your plot in a nutshell to producers and editors. Many people admit that these documents are very dull and frustrating to read especially if they’re outlining a feature film or an extensive amount of episodes. They are very handy however for you and others to know where your film/episode is going in a shorter amount of time. It outlines everything and each individual scene’s action.
You may prefer to write a full treatment instead and your own scene by scene outlines. However if you want a shorter and concise plan, a beat sheet may be the best way to go!
Coming next week…Problems with Dialogue.
Legible Scribbles 