It can be edited, deviated from, or referred to throughout as a useful albeit flexible “skeleton”.Ī beat sheet gives you guideposts to hit, a sense of pacing - Is this too long? Too short? Too much? - and the ability to work in genre tropes, e.g. However, you don’t need to only use a beat sheet at the beginning of your writing process. Beat sheets are a simple guide to make the process easier. To start planning organising visual moments in a logical and emotionally powerful way. Beats will eventually evolve into scenes in the next writing phase. So if it happens in action, this is a “beat” you need to write. Yes, a beat sheet is simply a condensed blueprint for the final script, whether that be a feature, television show, short film or more. Nothing too detailed, but you will be able to get the idea from your beats.Īll of the above in short, concise, often bullet-pointed lines. Your character moments, twists, and arcs. Your three acts/general structure you can label it if you need to. Other minor moments within those scenes (but never a requirement. In essence, it’s an effective method to layout the major and minor moments (or “beats”) and get a bird’s eye view of your plot, characters, and the overall structure of what you’re intending to write.Īnd it can be used for anything: TV, film, short films, jokes, speeches, you name it. So let’s beat this out… What’s a beat sheet, simply?Ī beat sheet is a tool that writers use to outline a series of moments - dramatic, humourful, romantic, action-packed, etc - that maps out your story from start to end. Whether it’s for TV, streaming content or a feature film, a beat sheet isn’t too complicated if you understand its overall purpose and keep it simple. How do you write one for a feature screenplay versus a television show?Īnd when is my beat sheet one beat too much?ĭon’t worry - I’ve got you. - A Top 10 from this year's pool of Finalists will receive written feedback from one of this year's industry jury members.Over the years, I’ve received numerous questions about the somewhat mysterious and infamous “beat sheet”.- An exclusive invitation to a Finalist+ workshop to position yourself and your writing to the industry. - Accepted into the ScreenCraft Development Program.- Personal Introduction to top literary managers.ScreenCraft has a proven track record for getting writers signed with managers, agents, and staffed in writing rooms. The Grand Prize Winners will also be welcomed to the ScreenCraft Writer Development Program and receive personal introductions and calls with one or more top Hollywood literary manager(s) who are looking for talented emerging TV writers. Each Grand Prize winner will receive from their respective mentor: a personalized round of notes, virtual meeting, and project development insight. One by Anna Konkle (Pen15), one by Katherine Collins (Lost in Space, Handmaid's Tale), and one by Lisa Zwerling (The Rook, When We Rise, Betrayal). As part of an overall deal with ABC Studios, Zwerling executive produced Betrayal and co-executive produced FlashForward.ģ Grand Prize winners will be selected for this year's competition. Zwerling, who got her start on the NBC series ER, previously had an overall deal with Universal TV and wrote drama project Midnight Sun, which went to pilot at NBC starring Julia Stiles. Writer-producer Lisa Zwerling (Betrayal) of Carpool Entertainment has signed an overall deal with Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content Studios, to develop, write and executive produce programming for network, cable and streaming platforms. In 2015, Katherine joined the writing staff of NBC’s Blindspot before becoming a writer and producer on all three seasons of the Netflix series, Lost in Space, Katherine is currently a writer and co-Executive Producer on The Handmaid’s Tale. She went on to write for TV with Endgame Primeval: New World and Motive. The series won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series and was nominated for four primetime Emmy's, three WGA Awards, and three Critics Choice Awards.Ī screenwriting graduate of UBC, York University, and the CFC, Katherine spent her early years writing while punching the clock at Canada’s largest private investigation firm. She made her directorial debut in the second season. Anna Konkle is the co-creator and co-star of the critically acclaimed Hulu series “Pen15,” produced by Odenkirk Provissiero and The Lonely Island.
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