BEAT SHEET: Toy Story 2

There's a lot of characters in this movie to keep track of. Here are the main characters:

1. Opening Image

Space:
A lines bursts through the darkness… approaches… It’s Buzz flying, streaking through space

2. Theme Stated

On A Planet:
Buzz has an adventure, fighting enemies to steal a battery (Zurga’s energy source). But Buz gets killed by Emperor Zurg.

Andy’s room:
This Buzz adventure isn’t real. It’s a video game that Rex was playing & lost. Rex’ GOAL is to beat Zurg.

Woody can't find his hat. Toys look for it. Woody needs this hat because he's going to a cowboy camp with Andy.

Woody’s GOAL is alone time with Andy with none of the other toys around. Woody is depressed. He doesn’t understand the true value of friendship at this point.


3. Set-Up

Rex accidentally turns on the TV which has a commercial with the annoying Toy Collector. Rex quickly turns the TV off.

Woody’s hat is found; slinky dog says the real dog (Buster) had it.

Andy enters, plays with Woody in a game of Bo Peep (Woody’s girlfriend) in danger with Buzz being heroic and saving the day. However, Woody's arm is torn in the process.

Andy goes to camp without Woody, who is left behind with the other toys.

Dream Sequence (Woody’s Fear of abandonment):
Andy comes back early and is about to play with woody, but remembers that Woody’s arm is broken. Andy throws him away.

4. Catalyst - Inciting Incident

Woody talks to Wheezy, who is broken. He can't squeak and feels hopeless.

Yard sale (every toy’s nightmare):
Mother takes Wheezy away to sell him at the yard sale.

5. Debate

Woody’s Decision:
Woody wants to rescue Wheezy. He rides Buster to the yard sale to save Wheezy.

Yard sale:
Woody goes saves Wheezy but falls off Buster. A girl picks up Woody. She wants to buy him but he’s broken.

Al, the Toy Collector, sees Woody and tries to bargain with mother to buy it. Mother won't sell Woody, so Al steals Woody.

Buzz runs out to rescue Woody but Al rides off in his car, leaving behind a feather.

The toys use etch a sketch to draw the man who kidnapped Woody. They recognize the man from a commercial that Rex had accidentally turned on at the start.

Buzz/Toys’ Decision:
It’s too far to travel to get Woody, but Woody had saved Buzz’ life. So he will make the trek A few toys decide to go with Buzz (Slinky Dog, Mr. Potato Head, Hamm and Rex)

6. Break into Two

Al’s home:
Woody is with other cowboys toys (Jessie, Stinky Pete and Bullseye). He watches a movie with him as a toy star. Cowboys were important until space toys came.

Woody likes it there but learns they are all being sold to Japan. However, Jessie is upset because Woody wants to escape and w/o Woody she will end up back in storage. The Japanese collectors only want the collection if Woody is with them.

Al calls a man to repair Woody’s arm.

Buzz and crew:
The team walks many blocks.


7. B Story

Al’s house:
As Al sleeps, Woody tries to get his arm, which is in Al’s pocket. If he can get it then he can escape.

But the TV turns on and Al wakes up, foiling Woody’s plan.

Woody blames Jessie, thinking she turned on the tv on purpose—to keep him there.

8. Fun and Games

Buzz and crew:
They reach Al’s toy store but it's across the street. They must cross. They use orange cones as cover as they waddle across the street. Cars crash as they swerve around cones. Pile up of vehicles.

Toy Store:
While the team looks for Woody, Rex finds the instruction (cheating manual) on how to beat Zurg. He grabs book. He’s getting closer to his goal. 

Woody:
Woody is getting fixed up, cleaned up, looking like new. shined up and all. The good life… But the man erased the name "Andy" from the bottom of his foot.

Toy Store:
Buzz meets a series of himself  and one of them (Buzz 2), thinks Buzz is AWOL. Buzz 2 is angry and they fight.

The other toys ride in a car with Barbie to guide them. Rex is so excited, the book describes a way to defeat Zurg. He  drops the book in Barbie’s way and they crash, but regroup and keep going when they see Buzz (but it’s not Buzz, it’s Buzz 2).

9. Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal

Toy Store:
The toys pick up Buzz 2 while Buzz (who lost the fight) is trapped in a box.

Al’s home:
Woody comes back happy that Andy will like his new look, which makes Jessie upset.

Jesse tells her story. She had a girl owner but the girl got older and hung out with her friends instead. Jessie fell under the bed and was left there for a time. The girl found Jessie under the bed and donated her. Jessie was no longer wanted (abandoned).

Woody changes his mind:
Woody considers staying. Stinky Pete tells Woody that kids don’t stay young forever and says that Woody should stay with them where they will forever be loved as collectors items. Woody has a chance to escape but doesn’t.


10. Bad Guys Close In

Toy Store/Office:
Buzz 2 and crew are in the office. Rex tells Buzz 2 how to beat Zurg (there’s a secret entrance in the shadows) and Buzz 2 takes notes (he wants to know how to defeat Zurg also).

Al walks into the office. Buzz 2 learns that Al kidnapped Woody. And since the Buzz toys are heroes, Buzz 2 is now in on saving Woody.

In Store:
Buzz (our Buzz) escapes from the box.

Toy Store/Office:
Al faxes a picture of Woody. He makes a call and says he will be leaving today for Japan. The toys hop in Al’s bag.

Toy Store:
Al walks through the store. Buzz sees him, in pursuit. With the door close, Buzz uses boxes of toys to open the automatic door. One of the boxes is Zurg—the enemy is awakened and leaves the box in pursuit of Buzz.

Car parked in front of Al’s building:
Al leaves & enters building but leaves the bag in the car. Buzz 2 and crew escape the car.

Al’s Building (across from Toy Store):
Buzz 2 and crew sneak through a vent (goal 23rd floor) to enter building; and Buzz 2 notes that the tunnels (vents) are through the shadows to the left, which is an instruction from Rex’ book on how to defeat Zurg.  They travel through the vents, using a method similar to the game from the opening sequence. This scene is a call back that video game opening of the story.

Buzz uses cones to sneak across the street to the building. He sees the vent opening and takes it.

Al’s home:
Al packs to leave tonight.

Woody is excited about it because he has decided to stay with his new friends.

11. All Is Lost

Elevator shaft:
Buzz 2 and crew have trouble climbing up. Buzz uses anti-gravity and they fall onto top of elevator (he thinks anti gravity worked but didn't) they go through a tunnel/vent.

Buzz is underneath the elevator.

Al’s home:
Woody plays with his new friends.

Buzz 2 and crew hear Woody laying and think woody is being tortured. They enter the room.

Buzz shows up. Buzz and Buzz 2 argue who is th real Buzz. Buzzy shows the bottom of his foot with Andy's name written on it.

The team back together, they are excited to take Woody with them BUT Woody tells them he's staying. Sad, they leave Woody behind.

12. Dark Night of the Soul

Woody:
Depressed, Woody scrapes the paint off the bottom of his shoe to reveal Andy’s name. He watches his toy-self (an olde woody type toy) on TV singing a song about love with a boy holding him. This reminds him of Andy.

Woody changes his mind again and decides to go home. But he can’t leave his new friends. So he asks them to come too.

Stinky Pete has no desire to go with Woody. He locks the vent to keep Woody and the others from leaving. This is when Woody realizes that Stinky Pete, not Jessie, turned on the TV that awoken Al and kept him from escaping.

13. Break into Three

Al’s home:
Woody yells for his crew. They run back to get him but…

Al enters the room, packs up Woody, Jessie, Bullseye & Stinky Pete and leaves.

The team watches. They must rescue Woody!

14. Finale - Confrontation

Al in the elevator with suitcase.

On top of the elevator:
The toys runs through tunnels and meets up with Zurg. Buzz 2 battles Zurg, allowing the others to try and get to the suitcase.

In Star Wars fashion, Zurg tells Buzz 2 that he is his father. Nooooooo! Buzz 2 is about to be defeated. But Rex is there; he stayed to talk Buzz 2 into believing that he can defeat Zurg. Pep talk! Then Rex spins around and his tail accidentally sweeps under Zurg, knocking him off the elevator.

Rex finally defeated Zurg. His GOAL is realized!

The team almost gets Woody, pulls him from suitcase but Al yanks Woody back. Al leaves building.

Mr. Potato Head throws his hat to keep the elevator door open. They leave.

Buzz 2 stays with Zurg because Zurg said that he was his dad so they play ball and learnto be a family.

Car:
Team hops in a pizza car. They use teamwork to drive the car to airport. They meet 3 toy ornaments.

Airport:
They hide in pet carry-on cage and crawl behind some random dude as they over to the checkout desk where the suitcase is placed on a conveyor belt. 

They hop on conveyor and enter a room filled with moving belts with lots of suitcases. 

Buzz finds the suitcase. But Stinky Pete is there and punches Buzz. Woody joins in the fight. The team flashes Stinky Pete with cameras they had previously found in a wrong suitcase.

Stinky Pete’s fate:
They stuff Stinky Pete in a girlie Barbie bag with a Barbie doll. The Barbie doll tells Stinky Pete that the girl, who will soon own him, likes to put makeup on dolls. Stinky Pete is not happy.

The team is not done yet:
Jesse is stuck in a suitcase that is being taken to an airplane. Buzz and Woody on Bullseye. They gallop to plane. Woody gets on plane to rescue Jesse. The two open a bottom hatch.

Buzz on Bullseye ride beside the for the rescue, as Jessie and Woody jump.

15. Aftermath

Andy’s home:
Andy comes home and likes his new toys of Jessie and Bullseye. With Woody fixed, he’s happy he didn’t take Woody to camp or else Woody’s arm might have fallen off. He leaves the room.

Jessie and Bullseye are happy to have found a home.

Looks like a romance might be brewing between Buzz and Jessie.

Hamm is playing the video game. Rex doesn't want to play because he’s already defeated Zurg.

Al’s new commercial comes on TV. Al is really sad.

Mrs. Potato Head adopts the 3 toy ornaments that the team met in the pizza car when driving to the airport. 

Woody is not worried about Andy growing up because he has a friend in Buzz. The importance of friendship is realized.

16. Final Image

Wheezy, now fixed, sings "you have a friend in me".

BEAT SHEET: The Revenant

Protagonist: Glass
Antagonist: Fitzgerald

The first act is tad long.

1. Opening Image
	Glass sleeps with wife & young son beside him
2. Theme Stated
	Son is all Glass has left: Soldiers burned his Indian home, killing Indians including Glass' wife. His son is alive. Fast forward to present: Glass and his son hunt--they fire a shot Fitzgerald: Concerned about the pelts and the sound of the gun fire from Glass hunting in the woods (because the sound could alert others).
3. Set-Up
	Group of French traders and Indians attack the Glass/Fitzgerald team for the pelts. The survivors grab pelts and flee on boat. But they're sitting ducks. New Plan sets off Fitzgerald: Glass says they should ditch the boat & go on foot. Captain orders them to leave the pelts behind. Fitzgerald is angry, he won't leave his pelt behind. Money is all he cares about. We learn of his prejudice against Indians and his suspicions on whether Glass killed soldiers in the past in favor Indians
4. Catalyst - Inciting Incident
	Glass goes hunting by himself and gets brutally attacked by a bear.
5. Debate
	It doesn't look like Glass will survive. Initial Plan: Fitzgerald thinks they should do a mercy kill Captain chooses to carry Glass. So they comply but they can't carry Glass up they mountain. Captain is tempted to kill Glass but can't so… Ultimate Plan: Captain will pay money to whoever stays with Glass, waits till he naturally dies & buries him. Fitzgerald stays behind for the money. Glass' son stays too along with another man, Bridger.
6. Break into Two
	Night time comes, Glass' son talks to him, stays by his side. Glass dreams of his wife (fortifying the importance of family) Fitzgerald: Digs a grave We learn of his dislike for Indians. He was scalped and survived. Has a scar and bald patches.
7. B Story
	Fitzgerald/Glass: Fitzgerald offers Glass a chance to die (no more suffering), all he has to do is blink. Glass seems to blink & Fitzgerald smothers him BUT Glass' son returns. Fitzgerald and son fight and the son is killed. Bridger: Returns. Fitzgerald lies to him. Tells him the son is missing and he saw the bad guys. They must leave. But Glass is alive. Bridger, unsure & scared of the bad guys coming. He gives Glass his water kanteen and takes off leaving Glass alive in a grave.
8. Fun and Games
	Glass: Survival mode. Wants revenge for his dead son. He treks, alludes bad guys. Fitzgerald/Bridger: Bridger is suspicious. Fitzgerald tells Bridger he lied. No Indians on their trail. Bridger decides to continue with this lie because Glass is probably dead.
9. Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal
	Glass meets a a stranger who turns out to be a good guy Indian, who feeds Glass. Not everyone is bad. There is good in this world.
10. Bad Guys Close In
	Fitzgerald: Returns to fort with Bridger. Tells his lie to Captain that they buried Glass. Gets paid. Bridger remains silent but allows the lie, doesn't take his share of the money. Glass/Friend: Bad weather rolls in. Friend builds a hut to save Glass. He wakes up, his friend is gone
11. All Is Lost
	Glass: Finds his friend dead and the French traders who are the villains here. He escapes with a horse but drops his kanteen. Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald wants to get paid for skinning even if they had to leave the pelts behind. Captains says they are waiting for some men to come and then they will go back and get those pelts. Until then no one gets paid.  Plus, Fitzgerald spent more than he would have made.
12. Dark Night of the Soul
	Fitzgerald: Drunk, passes out in the snow. Glass: Dreams of his wife (he gets his strength from her). But then is attacked. Flees on horse, goes over a cliff and horse dies. Now he's on foot in the snow. Almost mirrors Fitzgerald in the snow except Glass walks & Fitzgerald passed out. Nice opposing images here.
13. Break into Three
	French traders arrive at fort looking to deal. They have the kanteen. Fitzgerald knows Glass is still alive. The others think it's Glass' son (who they didn't know was murdered) Glass shortly arrives at the fort
14. Finale - Confrontation
	Fitzgerald is missing and he stole the money in the captain's safe. Bridger is arrested though Glass vouches for him. Glass and the Captain go after Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald kills the captain. Glass uses the dead body as a ploy and shoots Fitzgerald. Glass and Fitzgerald in a brutal battle. Glass bests him, but Fitzgerald is still alive (barely). Fitzgerald says "You came all this way just for your revenge, huh? Well you enjoy it, Glass...'Cause there ain't nothin' goin' bring your boy back."
15. Aftermath
	Indians show up. Instead of finishing off Fitzgerald, Glass pushes him down the river where the Indians finish him off--scalping. They let Glass live.
16. Final Image
	Glass' face as he looks out into the image of his wife smile and walk away.

BOOK REVIEW: The Screenwriter's Bible by Trottier

When I first had an interest in screenwriting, I wanted to learn as much as I could. Someone referred this book to me and so it was the first book I purchased. “The Screenwriter’s Bible” is an essential tool. It is a must have for those who want to get involved in screenwriting.

A screenplay is a template for your story used to not just tell the story, but indicate which characters are talking, where they are, day or night for lighting purposes etc.

This book explains how to format. It’s the kind of book you will use regularly. If you have two people talking on the phone and you’re not sure how to format that, well “The Screenwriter’s Bible” has the answers. It will quickly become your instruction manual of sorts.

Rebecca Movie Beat Sheet

1. Opening Image
	Manderley: barred gate to the drive
2. Theme Stated
	Mrs. de Winter stops Maxim from jumping off a cliff. He's angry, acts like suicide wasn't attempted. She's a clumsy, unsure woman, who works for a rich woman.
3. Set-Up
	Maxim is taken with her, but she services as a companion and tries to keep her place. During their conversations, he closes off with the subject of drowning. She learns later that his wife (the beautiful Rebecca) was drowned & he's broken up over her death. They continue to date while her employer is sick & she pretends to be taking tennis lessons.
4. Catalyst - Inciting Incident
	The employer wants to leave town
5. Debate
	She desperately attempts to call Maxim before she leaves. He asks her to marry him. She says yes.
6. Break into Two
	She quits her job. The snobbish employer tells her that she could not handle being the mistress of Manderley. She and Maxim get married.
7. B Story
	The married couple arrive at Manderley - an enormous estate.
8. Fun and Games
	She meets Mrs. Danvers - an ominous head house keeper, who intimidates her. Mrs. Danvers makes constant mention of Rebecca, whose room is locked. She finds a cottage by the dock, which belongs to Rebecca. Maxim is angry about her finding the cottage, forbids her to go back there. She continues to be intimidated by Manderley. Jacks (Rebecca's cousin) pays a visit & doesn't want her to tell Maxim that he was there. She gets the courage to see Rebecca's amazing bedroom. Mrs. Danvers shows it to her, speaks of Rebecca with an obsessive reverence.
9. Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal
	She finally gets the nerve. Tells Mrs. Danvers that she's Mrs. De Winters now.
10. Bad Guys Close In
	She plans a masquerade party. Mrs. Danvers suggests paintings for her to plan her dress around. Mentioning one specific painting. She plans her dress exactly like the painting. Maxim is angry & tells her to change. It's the dress Rebecca wore. Mrs. Danvers set her up.
11. All Is Lost
	The sail boat that was Rebecca's was found, and so was a body.
12. Dark Night of the Soul
	She confronts Maxim in the cottage. Maxim confesses: the body washed up yrs ago wasn't Rebecca. Her body is in the boat where he put her. And here comes the whammy: he hated Rebecca. That his marriage with Rebecca was a fraud & that Rebecca was sleeping with Jack. Rebecca said she was pregnant that night, taunting him. He hit her, she accidentally fell and died.
13. Break into Three
	Police get involved.
14. Finale - Confrontation
	There's an inquiry. An expert says the boat was scuttled. Murder, suicide? Jack believes Maxim killed Rebecca due to a letter Rebecca sent him the day she died. The letter says she has something important to tell him. Police speak to the doctor & learn that Rebecca was dying from cancer (not pregnant). Maxim realizes that Rebecca planned to have Maxim kill her by lying about being pregnant from another man. Since she was going to die anyway.
15. Aftermath
	Mrs. Danvers burns Manderley down & herself along with it.
16. Final Image
	Rebecca's bed engulfed in fire.

Black Swan Movie Beat Sheet

1. Opening Image
	Ballerina (Nina) on stage under a single light.
2. Theme Stated
	Nina is dancing a dark piece where she's being pursued.
3. Set-Up
	Nina sits in front of her mirror, mentions it was a dream to her mother. While on the train she sees someone who looks like her. She goes to work as a ballerina, where she trains.
4. Catalyst - Inciting Incident
	During practice, Thomas shows up. All the girls are on their best. He wants a new lead to star in swan lake as a black & white swan.
5. Debate
	Nina has a chance at the lead, will compete later. Nina catches the aging ex-lead (Beth) leave in a rage. She tries out for Thomas but fails at creating the passion of the black swan. On the way home she again sees a woman who looks like her. She breaks her toe nail while at home. She talks to Thomas to get the job, he says she's not the black swan, tries to kiss her, she bites him. Thomas gives Nina the lead role.
6. Break into Two
	"whore" is written on the glass for her to see.
7. B Story
	View of Nina & her mom's relationship: Mother is overbearing, treats Nina like a child. She bakes a cake & Nina eats it to keep her mother from being upset.
8. Fun and Games
	Celebratory event hosted by Thomas. She hallucinates that the skin on her finger is peeling. Beth calls Nina a whore. Thomas suggests Nina masturbate. Mother finds more marks on Nina & is concerned that she hasn't outgrown scratching herself. She masturbates and stops when she sees her mother sleeping in her room. Beth is in the hospital, she walked in front of a bus. Nina visits a sleeping Beth, her leg is broken. Nina is shaken up. Nina finds a metal pipe for the purpose of keeping her bedroom door closed and keeping her mother out (transitioning from her mother). Thomas still working with Nina to get the black swan, makes a pass at her, seduces her and he tells her that she needs to seduce him, not the other way around. She's not getting it done. Nina hallucinates seeing herself, nails bleed, more scratches on her back.
9. Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal
	Against her mother's wishes, Nina goes out with Lily
10. Bad Guys Close In
	Nina & Lily hang. She drinks, meets guys, takes ecstasy. Lily seduces Nina. She takes Lily home, mother is angry, they make love in the house.
11. All Is Lost
	She wakes up late.
12. Dark Night of the Soul
	Lily tells Nina that she didn't sleep with her. Nina had hallucinated it. She continues her practice when suddenly she sees her double in the reflection. She's unhappy that Lily is her replacement. Feels threatened.
13. Break into Three
	Alone, night before the performance, she practices & she's sees her double in the mirror.
14. Finale - Confrontation
	More hallucinations: Thomas & Lily having sex, with Thomas turning into a dark creature from her dream at the beginning. Another of her visiting Beth, who stabs herself with a nail file. Her rash looks like black feathers growing out, her toes webbed - physical transformation into a black swan as per her mind. She performs on stage, opening night. She kills Lily, thinking it's a hallucination of herself, or does she? Then performances the black swan brilliantly as she transforms into a swan on stage in her own mind
15. Aftermath
	Nina goes back to her room to put on her white swan makeup, realizes that Lily isn't dead, she stabbed herself in the stomach, basically killing the white swan part of her. She performs, finishes the last act as the white swan and dies from the self- inflicted wound.
16. Final Image
	Her euphoric face as she lay dying after her perfect performance.

The Silence of The Lambs Movie Beat Sheet

1. Opening Image
	A tree (with no leafs) in the woods - foggy, fall-like weather. (A sweaty Clarice soon climbs up into view)
2. Theme Stated
	Clarice (FBI trainee) is assigned the task of talking to Hannibal in an effort to get information on a serial killer - Buffalo Bill.
3. Set-Up
	Clarice is warned to not let Hannibal inside her head. She goes to the asylum to see Hannibal & to get him to fill out a questionnaire. He challenges her & she fights back, questioning his courage. Hannibal still won't help her.
4. Catalyst - Inciting Incident
	Another inmate tosses sperm at her
5. Debate
	Appalled, Hannibal still refuses to fill out the questionnaire BUT he does offer her a hint to catching Buffalo Bill & to advance her career. She follows the clues, which lead to a dead body. Clarice now knows that Hannibal could help her the rest of the way.
6. Break into Two
	Hannibal agrees to continue to help her, but he wants a room with a view in exchange, and time is running out as the killer searches for his next victim.
7. B Story
	Buffalo Bill captures his next victim.
8. Fun and Games
	The hunt is on as Clarice investigates: autopsy of past victim, finds an exotic moth, meets with moth experts. The latest victim is the daughter of a Senator.
9. Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal
	The FBI agrees on terms to make Hannibal's stay more pleasant BUT only if the Senator's daughter lives & Buffalo Bill is caught. Hannibal agrees to help BUT only if Clarice opens up to him. Quid pro quo.
10. Bad Guys Close In
	Hannibal tells her that Bill was probably rejected for transsexual operation, but she gives up some personal information on her running away as a child. Bill pressures his victim. The chief psychiatrist tells Hannibal that the FBI is lying to him. We learn that the offer Clarice made was phoney by the FBI and the Senator is angry. Hannibal is being tranferred. The Senator agrees to it. He provides information to her.
11. All Is Lost
	Clarice is desperate. She needs information & has little time to get it as Hannibal is moments away from being transferred. Time for Quid pro quo.
12. Dark Night of the Soul
	She's forced to tell her most personal secret regarding the slaughter of the lambs. After Clarice leaves, Hannibal kills the guards.
13. Break into Three
	Hannibal escapes posing as an injured officer.
14. Finale - Confrontation
	Buffalo Bill sews skin from previous victim. Clarice figures out that the moth victim is the first one & therefore Buffalo Bill knew her. She follows her lead while the FBI follows a false lead that Hannibal gave to the Senator. She questions Buffalo Bill, figures out he's the killer, confronts and kills him, saving the girl.
15. Aftermath
	Clarice graduates. She gets a call from Hannibal, who has the Chief Psychiatrist in his sights. The psychiatrist is on the run, hiding from Hannibal.
16. Final Image
	Hannibal walking through the crowd on an island with palm trees on a sunny day.

Some might place Clarice’s slaughtering of the lambs revelation at the end of the “Bad guys close in” beat, but I feel it works perfectly in the “Dark night of the soul” as she clearly doesn’t want to reveal this and is a poignant moment in the story.