Tuesday, February 28, 2012

See How AVATAR and THE TERMINATOR Use the 120 Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of AVATAR and THE TERMINATOR by Todd Klick,
using the Something Startling Happens story beats:
MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
AVTR: Jake says, “When I was lying in the VA hospital, with a big hole blown through my life...”
TERM: Strange lightning frightens a garbage man        
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
AVTR: Jake sees his dead twin brother
TERM: Roughhousing punks see a naked man walk towards them        
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
AVTR: They want underqualified-Jake to take over for his scientist-brother
TERM: The Terminator kills a punk  
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
AVTR: The sergeant says, “If you lose your masks, you’ll be dead in four minutes”
TERM: Strange lightning scares a homeless man; a naked man, in pain, appears  
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
AVTR: Jake rolls onto the new planet for the first time—a jaw dropping experience for him
TERM: The naked man asks what year it is, which makes the cop’s jaw drop  
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
AVTR: Jake depends on his wheelchair to get around (object as FRIEND)
TERM: The naked man keeps the gun (object as FRIEND)   
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
AVTR: Norm shows Jake around (FRIEND)
TERM: The naked man finds clothes to wear (object as FRIEND)  
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
AVTR: Jake see his own Avatar for the first time, which looks like him!
TERM: The naked man (Kyle) steals a shotgun and eludes the cops!  
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
AVTR: Jake asks the other scientists a question (pursuit of knowledge)
TERM: Kyle and The Terminator pursue Sarah Connor  
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
AVTR: Norm discusses Na’vi with Grace
TERM: Sarah chats with her disgruntled customers  
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
AVTR: The scientist warns grunt-Jake to “try and use big words” around Grace
TERM: The Terminator grabs a bullet—a warning that he’s about to do something bad 
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
AVTR: Grace warns Parker, “I need a researcher, not a jarhead dropout!” 
TERM: The Terminator shoots the gunshop owner  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
AVTR: Grace submits to Parker’s demand to “get results”
TERM: The Terminator shoots a woman; she falls dead  
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
AVTR: Angry Grace approaches Jake
TERM: Sarah watches the news, which says someone with her name was murdered  
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
AVTR: The scientist says grunt-Jake’s brain has “gorgeous activity” (whew, that was close—he’s not dumb after all)
TERM: A machine rolls right passed Kyle (Whew, that was close—it didn’t see him)  
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
AVTR: Handicapped Jake, in his new avatar-body, hopes his new legs work ok
TERM: Kyle’s friend is killed  
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
AVTR: Handicapped Jake can wiggle his toes and stand in his avatar body!
TERM: Kyle’s car turns upside and starts on fire!  
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
AVTR: Jake/avatar heads out the door, which is big trouble for the scientists!
TERM: Sarah gets an obscene fall call  
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
AVTR: Jake/avatar runs into threatening Grace/avatar
TERM: Ed the cop finds out two women by the name of Sarah Connor were killed  
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
AVTR: “I thought you’d never ask,” tough Jake says to Trudy, when she asks for a door-gunner
TERM: Sarah gets ready for a date  
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
AVTR: Jake talks with tough Colonel Quaritch for the first time
TERM: Sarah’s date cancels on her  
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
AVTR: Col. Quaritch: “A recon gyrene in an avatar body is a potent mix. Such a marine can provide the Intel I need”
TERM: A reporter says: “These two killings occurred in the same order listed in the phone book”   
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
AVTR: Col. Quaritch wants Jake to go undercover for him
TERM: No one’s answering at Sara’s place  
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
AVTR: Grace tells Jake to “keep his mouth shut and let Norm do the talking”
TERM: Sarah hears that another woman by her name was killed  
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
AVTR: They land in the “hostiles’ territory”
TERM: Sarah finds out she’s the next name on the list  
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
AVTR: Jake/avatar swings his gun towards the lemurs who suddenly appear
TERM: Sarah sees a man following her!  
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
AVTR: Jake/avatar takes a look around while the scientists do their thing
TERM: Sarah tries to call the police  
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
AVTR: Jake/avatar runs at the rhinoceros-looking animal, showing he has courage for the big quest ahead
TERM: The boyfriend grabs a lamp to fight The Terminator  
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
AVTR: Jake/avatar learns that some animals are hostile as he prepares for the big quest ahead
TERM: Sarah calls her roommate for help  
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
AVTR: Jake/avatar needs to survive the attacking animal
TERM: Sarah says, “I need you and Matt to come and pick me up”  
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
AVTR: The attacking animal closes in on Jake/avatar!
TERM: Sarah spots the strange man who was following her earlier!  
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
AVTR: Jake/avatar is in the jungle by himself with no gun
TERM: The Terminator closes in on Sara  
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
AVTR: The scientists can’t find Jake/avatar—oh no!
TERM: The Terminator points the gun at Sarah’s forehead (Oh no!)  
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
AVTR: Jake/avatar uses a torch to ward off the pursuing animals
TERM: Kyle shoots The Terminator  
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
AVTR: Jake/avatar fends off animals with his torch (BAIT), as other animals sneak around him (SWITCH)
TERM: We think The Terminator died in the explosion (BAIT), but he leaps out of the flames (SWITCH)  
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
AVTR: Neytiri, who had been hiding, seeks to kill the pursuing animals
TERM: Kyle and Sara drive away (HIDE), while The Terminator SEEKS them  
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
AVTR: Jake/avatar realizes he’s in way over his head in the jungle
TERM: Sarah finds out she’s been “targeted for termination”—she’s in over her head  
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
AVTR: Jake/avatar thanks Neytiri for saving him
TERM: Kyle saves Sara from the cops, and then continues telling her what’s going on  
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
AVTR: Jake/avatar and Neytiri bond because Jake has “a strong heart.” They walk together further into the jungle
TERM: Kyle pulls over the car and tells Sara more about what’s going on  
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
AVTR: We see that Neytiri is used to running along high tree limbs
TERM: Reese says he feels pain, and he’s not sure if he can stop The Terminator  
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
AVTR: Seeds of the Sacred Tree float towards Jake (ROSE), but he swats them away because he thinks they’re dangerous (THORN)
TERM: Cops search for Kyle and Sara (THORN), but Kyle and Sara find a car to hide in (ROSE)  
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
AVTR: Armed Na’vi warriors surprise Jake/avatar 
TERM: Kyle reveals that a nuclear war destroyed everything     
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
AVTR: They take Jake/avatar towards the Sacred Tree
TERM: Kyle says that the machines decided humans’ fate in a microsecond  
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
AVTR: Jake is taken into the heart of the Na’vi tribe
TERM: Sarah learns that her son, John Connor, saved the human race  
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
AVTR: Jake/avatar offers to shake the chief’s hand
TERM: Kyle shoots at The Terminator while driving  
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
AVTR: The Na’vi find out Jake is a warrior
TERM: Sarah realizes they’re driving towards a wall!  
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
AVTR: Neytiri leads Jake to a tribal campfire
TERM: The police escort Sarah to the station  
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
AVTR: Neytiri shows Jake where they sleep for the night
TERM: The police let Sarah know that her roommate was killed   
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
AVTR: Parker wants Jake to find out what “the blue monkeys want”
TERM: The Terminator doesn’t feel pain  
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
AVTR: The Nav’i’s tribe lives right above the richest unobtainium deposit and the corporation wants it
TERM: The cops think Kyle is crazy  
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
AVTR: Parker chats with Jake and wins him over to his way of thinking
TERM: Kyle engages the enemy: the disbelieving psychologist  
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
AVTR: Jake submits to Grace’s request to “not do anything stupid”
TERM: The Terminator takes out his damaged eye          
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
AVTR: Tsu’tey tells Jake/avatar to “go away”
TERM: The Terminator grabs guns and continues his hunt for Sarah     
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
AVTR: The scientist realizes Col. Quaritch and Parker are conspiring with Jake 
TERM: It dawns on Sarah that Kyle might be crazy     
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
AVTR: The scientists are moving Jake further away so Col. Quaritch can’t micro-manage him
TERM: Sarah learns that Kyle is definitely crazy        
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
AVTR: Norm: “We can’t see anything. Trudy: “Ain’t that a bitch”
TERM: The Terminator says he’s looking for Sarah Connor (so he can kill her)         
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
AVTR: Jake: “Grace didn’t miss a thing. She knew I was talking to the Colonial”
TERM: The cop yells “Gunshots!”         
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
AVTR: Jake/avatar meets his first dragon-like predator (banshee)
TERM: The Terminator is killing all the cops inside the police station        
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
AVTR: Jake is deceiving the scientists by withholding his true military intentions
TERM: Sarah hides under the table       
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
AVTR: Neytiri calls Jake/avatar a “moron”
TERM: It’s not The Terminator coming through the door—it’s Kyle!           

And so on...   

To learn much more about all 120 minute-by-minute beats, and how to apply them to your screenplay, TV pilot, novel or graphic novel, order Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know at Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobles. http://shop.mwp.com/products/something-startling-happens-the-120-story-beats-every-writer-needs-to-know

And try the #1 Bestseller, The Screenwriter's Fairy Tale: The Universal Story Within All Movie Storieshttp://www.amazon.com/The-Screenwriters-Fairy-Tale-ebook/dp/B007U6D0CM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348519200&sr=1-1&keywords=the+screenwriter%27s+fairytale+the+universal+story+within+all+movie+stories

Todd Klick Writing Serviceswww.toddklick.com

Friday, February 24, 2012

How PIXAR Uses the 120 Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of UP by Todd Klick, using the Something Startling Happens' story beats.
MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
The narrator says, “Who would dare set foot on this inhospitable summit?”   
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Scientists accuse Muntz of fabricating the skeleton and strip him of his membership     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Carl slams into the stump
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Ellie yells at Carl for trespassing
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
Carl falls through the floor, and breaks his arm!
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Ellie shows Carl her adventure book (FRIEND)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Ellie and Carl get married and work on their house (FRIEND)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
All the clouds turn into babies!
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Ellie and Carl put money in the jar so they can go to Paradise Falls
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Carl thanks the travel agent for the tickets she sold him
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Ellie dies
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Carl lives a lonely existance without Ellie 
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Carl gives up all his efforts of leaving the house and sits on the porch instead
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Carl receives an ad from Shady Oaks retirement home
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Carls expects to open the door to the construction company boss, but it’s a boy scout instead (Whew!) 
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
The boy scout won’t leave Carl’s porch
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
The truck backs into Carl and Ellie’s mailbox
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Carl strikes the construction worker and it draws blood
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
A police car shows up; the judge orders Carl into a retirement home
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Carl makes a promise to himself and crosses his heart
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Thousands of balloons spring out of Carl’s house and lift it into the air
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Carl says, “I’ll send you a postcard from Paradise Falls!”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
The house flies at a dangerous height
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Carl hears a knock on the door—Scared Russell is on the porch!
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Scared Russell runs into the house
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
They’re headed towards a big lightning storm!
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Carl tries to steer away from the storm
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Carl and Russell prep for their trip to South America
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Carl wants to drop off Russell so he {Carl} can continue on
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Carl needs to go higher or they will wreck!
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Carl and Russell dangle over a cliff!
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
Russell can’t climb the rope, which causes Carl great anxiety
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
Carl is stuck on the wrong side of the rock (oh no!)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Russell walks along with Carl
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Dogs chase the bird (BAIT), but Carl’s hearing aide scares them away (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Russell spots an animal’s tracks (HIDE), and Russell goes looking for it (SEEK)
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
The bird is HUGE. Russell may be in over his head
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Russell and the bird play
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
The bird follows Carl and Russell
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
Russell secretly feeds the bird chocolate so it keeps following
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
The dog has a talking collar (ROSE), but Carl thinks it might be radioactive (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
The hidden bird tackles the dog  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
“Squirrel!”
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
The dogs discover that there’s a boy with their dog friend
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Russell yells at everyone
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Carl realizes he can’t escape the dog and bird
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
Russell points to the tent he made for Carl
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Carl learns that Russell’s dad and stepmom don’t care for him
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
“What have I gotten myself into?” Carl asks Ellie
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
The bird is taking the food
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
The mean dog asks Dug where the bird is
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Carl gives into the dogs   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
Many mean dogs surround Carl   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Russell realizes the old man is his hero, Charles Muntz!   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
The mean dogs put “the cone of shame” on Dug   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Muntz played gin rummy with President Roosevelt, but he would cheat   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
Muntz says thieves have come to steal what’s rightfully his   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Muntz learns that Russell lured the bird with chocolate   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Muntz believes Carl is decieving him about why he’s here   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Muntz sees the bird on Carl’s house and sets the dogs on them!   

And so on...

To learn much more about all 120 minute-by-minute beats, and how to apply them to your screenplay, TV pilot, novel or graphic novel, order Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know at Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobles. http://shop.mwp.com/products/something-startling-happens-the-120-story-beats-every-writer-needs-to-know

And try the #1 Bestseller, The Screenwriter's Fairy Tale: The Universal Story Within All Movie Storieshttp://www.amazon.com/The-Screenwriters-Fairy-Tale-ebook/dp/B007U6D0CM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348519200&sr=1-1&keywords=the+screenwriter%27s+fairytale+the+universal+story+within+all+movie+stories

Todd Klick Writing Serviceswww.toddklick.com

Thursday, February 16, 2012

STAR WARS & HARRY POTTER Share The Same Universal Story Beats!!!

Minute-by-minute analysis of STAR WARS and HARRY POTTER by Todd Klick.

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
SW: Text informs us that “Its a period of civil war...”
HP: An old wizard walks alone on a spooky night and steals lantern light       
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
SW: Space ships fire at each other
HP: Dumbledore says “the bad” rumours are true    
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
SW: C3PO says, “We’re doomed”
HP: The baby will be left with “the the worst sort of muggles imaginable”
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
SW: Stormtroopers burst through the door
HP: Harry’s mean aunt screams at him to get up
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
SW: Darth Vadar, a striking dark figure, boards the alliance ship
HP: The relative’s treatment of Harry is stunningly mean
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
SW: C3PO and R2D2 argue (FIST)
HP: Harry’s uncle scolds him (FIST)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
SW: C3PO and R2D2 argue even more (FIST)
HP: Harry talks with a snake (FRIEND)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
SW: Darth Vadar accuses Princess Leia of being traitor!
HP: The escaping snake makes all the children scream!
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
SW: “Send a detachment to retrieve {the plans},” Darth says
HP: Harry pursues the letter that his cousin stole from him
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
SW: R2D2 and C3PO discuss the “mission” R2D2 is on
HP: Harry’s aunt and uncle chat outside the house
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
SW: C3PO walks alone in the hot dry desert (a warning that he might rust)
HP: Hundreds of owls land outside Harry’s relative’s house—a warning that they better let Harry open the letters
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
SW: Sand creatures shoot R2D2
HP: Hundreds and hundreds of letters pour into the house—a harsher warning that they better let Harry open his letters  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
SW: Sand creatures carry the immobilized R2D2 away
HP: Harry’s family submits and moves to a secluded island
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
SW: R2D2 sits helplessly as a vacuum tries to suck him inside
HP: Harry’s uncle points his shotgun at Hagrid
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
SW: C3P0 finds R2D2 (whew, that was close—he thought he’d never see him again) 
HP: Hagrid pulls something out of his coat, but it’s only an umbrella (whew!)
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
SW: C3PO says, “We’re doomed.”
HP: Hagrid wants to take Harry to the wizardry school, which causes Uncle Vernon great concern
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
SW: Sand creatures lead droids outside to be sold
HP: Harry learns that his parents didn’t, in fact, die in a car crash
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
SW: Luke meets the trouble-making duo, R2D2 and C3PO
HP: Hagrid puts a piggy tail on Harry’s cousin
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
SW: Uncle Owen threatens Luke to get his chores done
HP: Harry enters a threatening bar
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
SW: Luke works hard to fix the droid
HP: Harry urges Hagrid to tell him why he’s famous
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
SW: Princess Leia’s hologram message carries bad news
HP: Hagrid taps the wall and the bricks reconfigure to show Harry Diagon Alley!
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
SW: “She’s a person of some importance,” C3PO says to Luke about Leia
HP: The “Nimbus 2000 is the fastest model yet!”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
SW: The hologram disappears!
HP: The ugly looking goblin shoots Harry a scary look
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
SW: Uncle Owen and his wife exchange concerned glances when Luke mentions Obi-Wan (they’re scared Luke might find out who he is)
HP: The goblin leads Harry into the bowels of a scary cavern
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
SW: Uncle Owen tells Luke he must stay for another year, which causes Luke great distress
HP: Harry stares at the ominous looking package
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
SW: Luke discovers that R2D2 has left!
HP: Harry waves his new wand and the files fly out!
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
SW: Luke has to find R2D2 (Luke’s Mini-Quest before he heads off to battle the Death Star)
HP: Mr. Ollivander tries to find the correct wand for Harry
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
SW: Luke drives the land cruiser to look for R2D2 (he needs him for the Big Quest)
HP: Mr. Ollivander preps Harry for his life as a wizard
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
SW: Ben Kenobe saves Luke (he needs him for the big quest)
HP: Hagrid preps Harry about Voldemort
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
SW: Injured Luke needs help
HP: Harry needs to know what Voldemort did
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
SW: Ben shows distress when he hears Luke say “Obi-Wan”
HP: Evil Voldemort is still out there
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
SW: C3PO shows great anxiety when he discovers that his arm is ripped off
HP: Harry realizes Hagrid’s no longer there to help him
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
SW: Luke wishes he could’ve met his father (which concerns Obi-Wan, who knows the truth)
HP: Harry has to somehow run through a solid wall (oh no!)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
SW: Luke’s friend Obi-Wan tells him about the Dark Side
HP: Harry makes friends with Ron
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
SW: Princess Leia’s hologram pops up (BAIT), but she carries bad news (SWITCH)
HP: Ron thinks he’s sitting with a regular boy (BAIT), but discovers it’s the famous Harry Potter (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
SW: Luke wants to go home (HIDE), but Obe-Wan (SEEKS) his help
HP: Harry wonders (SEEKS) where the picture of Dumbledore went (HIDES)
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
SW: Luke realizes he must learn the ways of the force (he may be in over his head)
HP: Ron can’t make his magic spell work—he’s in over his head
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
SW: Darth Vader reconnects with Tarkin
HP: Harry reconnects with his friend Hagrid
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
SW: Darth Vader and Tarkin agree on a plan of attack
HP: The boats take the kids towards the school
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
SW: Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s house is on fire
HP: We see that Professor McGonagall has authority at the school
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
SW: Luke finally reaches home (ROSE), but finds his aunt and uncle burned to death (THORN)
HP: Harry likes the school (ROSE), but dislikes unsavory students like Malfoy (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
SW: Luke tells Ben he wants to become a Jedi
HP: The opening doors reveal a surprisingly huge hall filled with young wizards and floating candles!    
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
SW: Obi-Wan tells Luke (about Mos Eisley Spaceport), “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious” (they may die there)
HP: Dumbledore reveals that the 3rd floor will cause “a most painful death”
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
SW: Obi-Wan can change stormtroopers’ minds with the force
HP: Harry feels pain in his scar when Snape looks at him
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
SW: Luke enters the dangerous cantina with Obi-Wan
HP: Loner Harry stands in front of the entire student body
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
SW: The bartender reveals his prejudice by telling Luke (concerning the droids), “we don’t serve their kind here”
HP: Harry learns that Dumbledore approves of him going to Gryffindor
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
SW: Obi-Wan takes Luke away from the fight
HP: Percy gives Harry information about Snape (Harry’s escort towards useful information)
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
SW: Han tells Obi-Wan and Luke that his spaceship is fast
HP: Harry is told about the changing stairs
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
SW: Han wants way too much money to fly Luke and Obi-Wan to Alderaan
HP: The scary pictures move
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
SW: Weapon-carrying Stormtroopers look for Obi-Wan and Luke
HP: Harry sits by himself, still the outsider
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
SW: Han shoots Greedo, which draws the attention of the other bad guys
HP: Professor McGonagall scolds Harry and Ron for being late
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
SW: R2D2 and C3PO hide from the Stormtroopers
HP: The students listen quietly to intimidating Snape       
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
SW: Jabba wants his money from Han
HP: Snape intimidates Harry with questions he doesn’t know the answers to      
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
SW: Han learns that Jabba will give him more time to pay his debt
HP: Harry and Ron realize that the “mail’s here”       
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
SW: Stormtroopers fire at Han Solo
HP: Harry learns that someone broke into Gringotts      
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
SW: Han talks with Chewbacca while Imperial Troopers chase them
HP: Ron says “up” but the broom whacks him in the face instead       
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
SW: Obe-Wan: “I felt a great disturbance in the force”
HP: The teacher says to the wounded student: “Oh dear, it’s a broken wrist”     
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
SW: Tarkin says he will blow up Alderaan
HP: Harry and Malfoy duel on their brooms      
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
SW: Tarkin deceives Leia into thinking he won’t blow up Alderaan if she tells him the rebel
base’s location
HP: Malfoy spins and keeps the object from Harry   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
SW: Tarkin blows up Alderaan!
HP: Harry learns that he’s the new “Seeker”!  

And so on...

To learn much more about ALL 120 minute-by-minute beats, and how to apply them to your screenplay, TV pilot, novel or graphic novel, order Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know at Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobles. http://shop.mwp.com/products/something-startling-happens-the-120-story-beats-every-writer-needs-to-know


And try the #1 Bestseller, The Screenwriter's Fairy Tale: The Universal Story Within All Movie Storieshttp://www.amazon.com/The-Screenwriters-Fairy-Tale-ebook/dp/B007U6D0CM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348519200&sr=1-1&keywords=the+screenwriter%27s+fairytale+the+universal+story+within+all+movie+stories

Todd Klick Writing Serviceswww.toddklick.com

Sunday, February 12, 2012

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS Follows the Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute story beat analysis of MIDNIGHT IN PARIS by Todd Klick
MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
Gil and Inez argue about Paris. He loves it, she doesn’t    
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Gil chats with Inez’s parents, who aren’t fans of Paris either     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Inez and her parents glare at Gil over his opposing political views
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Gil doesn’t want to hang out with Inez’s friends Paul and Carol
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
Inez makes the jaw dropping statement that she had a crush on Paul in college
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Gil and Inez hang out with Paul and Carol (FRIEND)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Inez and Paul make fun of Gil and his novel idea (FIST)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
Paul makes the startling statement that Paul is flawed because he can’t cope with living in the present
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
The couples follow a tour guide as they pursue art knowledge
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Gil and Inez discuss his lie about reading a biography on Rodin
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Paul warns Gil that alcohol “fuels the desire but kills the performance”
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Inez warns Paul about getting lost if he walks alone  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Paul gives in and realizes he’s lost
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Drunk French strangers insist Gil jump in their car with them
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
The French strangers turn out to be fun (Whew, that was close!) 
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Gil stares uncomfortabley at everyone dressed in ‘20s attire—something doesn’t seem right
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Gil meets a couple named Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, which blows his mind
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Gil is realizing that something really strange is going on
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
The Fitzgerald’s invite Gil to a seedier party
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
At first freaked out, Gil now smiles and has a great time
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Gil meets Hemingway!
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Hemingway tells Fitzgerald that he’s a writer who needs time to write
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
Hemingway verbally attacks Fitzgerald and tries to get Gil in the middle of it
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Hemingway says he hates Gil’s novel, even though he hasn’t read it
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Gil doesn’t know where he’s supposed to meet Hemingway
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
The restaurant where Gil met Hemingway is no longer there! It’s a laundrymat!
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Inez wants Gil to go to the furniture shop with her
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Gil takes Inez to the spot where he had the amazing adventure
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Gil and Inez wait for the old car to pick them up
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Gil says to himself that “maybe I need to see a neurologist”
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Hemingway tells a distressing story about war
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
Gil is anxious about meeting Gertrude Stein
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
Gertrude Stein criticizes Picasso’s painting (Oh no!, he thinks)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Adriana says she likes Gil’s writing
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Adriana tells Gil she loves the past, too (BAIT), but she loves a different time period (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Adriana is coy about talking about herself (HIDE), but Gil is interested (SEEK)
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
Gil is smitten with Adriana. He’s in over his head
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Adriana tells Gil she’s fallen madly in love with his book
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Gil heads out with Hemingway, Picasso and Adriana
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
The Parisian girl tells antiques
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Gil is happily lost in Cole Porters music (ROSE), but Inez interrupt him (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Inez shushes Gil—she’d rather hear Paul speak 
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Gil reveals his impressive inside information about the Picasso painting they’re looking at
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Inez’s father wants to have Gil followed
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Gil goes out of his way to find Adriana
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Hemingway intends to steal Adriana away from Picasso, which Gil is jealous about
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
Adriana leads Gil on a walk by the river
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Gil shares his knowledge of Paris’s specialness with Adriana
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
Drunk Zelda is about to throw herself into the water
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
Gil says he’s been taking valium since getting engaged to Inez
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
Adriana and Gil talk about his engagement
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Gil gives in and sits with Salvadore Dali   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
Gil is suddenly surrounded by three great surrealists   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Gil tells the surrealists he’s from another time in the future   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Inez resists Gil’s sexual advances because Paul wants to take them to an Inn for lunch   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Gil asks the tour guide if it’s possible to love two woman at once   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
Inez’s father hires a detective to follow Gil   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Adriana has left Picasso and flown to Africa with Hemingway  
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Gil deceives Inez so he can get out of a weekend trip with her and her family   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Gil sees the parisian antique dealer he saw before, and has a meaningful connection with her   

And so on...

To learn much more about all 120 minute-by-minute beats, and how to apply them to your screenplay, TV pilot, novel or graphic novel, order Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know at Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobles. http://shop.mwp.com/products/something-startling-happens-the-120-story-beats-every-writer-needs-to-know


And try the #1 Bestseller, The Screenwriter's Fairy Tale: The Universal Story Within All Movie Storieshttp://www.amazon.com/The-Screenwriters-Fairy-Tale-ebook/dp/B007U6D0CM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348519200&sr=1-1&keywords=the+screenwriter%27s+fairytale+the+universal+story+within+all+movie+stories

Todd Klick Writing Serviceswww.toddklick.com

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Oscar-nominated MONEYBALL Follows The Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute story beat analysis of MONEYBALL by Todd Klick

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
Tense playoff game. A’s take 1-0 lead    
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
The As cause two errors     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Billy Beane listens to the tense game alone
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Billy’s team loses
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
Billy freaks out and stomps his radio
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Billy and the team owner commiserate (KISS)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Billy and the owner fight about money (FIST)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
Billy's friend screws him over and he looses a key player
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
The A’s scouts pursue cheap but good players
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Billy says, “Guys, you are just talking—la, la, la” (they’re discussing which player to pick
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Billy warns the scouts—they don’t know what the problem is
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Billy warns the scouts again, saying: “The runt of the litter dies”  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Billy submits to his scouts’ request to let them do their job
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
The Indian’s secretary comes to get Billy for a key meeting
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Billy chuckles when the negotiator takes a dig at him (Whew, that was close—he could have lost the other execs’ respect) 
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
The execs reject all Billy’s offers, which causes him deep concern
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Billy can’t get one deal make, which turns his world upside down
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Billy confronts Peter
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
Billy says to Peter, “I don’t give a rat’s ass what your name is”
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Meek Peter speaks his mind to Billy
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Peter tells Billy that losing Damen opens up a lot of interesting possibilities
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
The scout says, “Very rare do you come upon a young man like Billy...”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
Young Billy will have to pick between college and pro ball
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Billy’s parents put the big decision on his shoulders
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Billy takes a big risk by buying Peter from the Indians
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
Peter evaluates 51 players instead of the expected 3
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Peter sets up his computer and goes to work
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Peter prepares Billy for finding value in players nobody wants
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Peter continues to prepare Billy for finding undervalued players
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Art needs to talk to Billy
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Art wants his contract extended
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
Billy rejects his scouts’ choices, which ups their anxiety
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
“Billy, that’s trouble,” the scout says to Billy’s player choice
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Peter gets Billy’s back by saying: “Because he {the player Billy chose} gets on base”
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Billy says, “He can’t throw and he can’t field (BAIT), “but what can he do? He gets on base (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Billy says, “This is not a discussion (HIDES), but his scout SEEKS to change his mind
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
None of the guys Billy chose can play first base (he may be in over his head)
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Billy says to out-of-work Scott, “The good news is, we want you at first”
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Billy tells Scott that they’re going to teach him to play first base
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
Scott hugs his wife and daughter, happy to be hired
We see how Billy’s ex-wife lives with her new husband
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Billy chats politely with his ex-wife and her husband (ROSE), but it’s extremely uncomfortable for all of them (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Billy is surprised to hear that his daughter has a cell phone 
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Billy’s daughter’s beautiful guitar playing surprises him
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Billy’s learns that his daughter is a great singer
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Young Billy strikes out and fails as a player
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Peter tells Billy about “The Greek God of Walks”
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
The head scout escorts Billy to the conference room to talk
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
The head scout is telling Billy that he’s discounting what scouts have done for 150 years
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
Billy informs his head scout that he doesn’t know if a kid is gonna be a good or bad player
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
Billy fires his head scout
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
Billy’s new players look bad, and Art the coach isn’t happy
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Art gives into Billy   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
Billy says to Peter: “This better work”   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
One player has knee braces, one’s a partier, one’s old and one lacks confidence—this doesn’t appear to be a good team   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Chad sideswipes Billy by saying he’ll be praying for him   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Billy tells Peter that he’s going into the clubhouse—he doesn’t watch the games   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
The radio announcer says, “It’s the third Ranger to be hit today”—difficult words for Billy to hear on opening day   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Art and Billy butt heads over the team’s direction   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Billy lies when he tells Art: “Good talk. Every time we talk I’m reinvigorated by my love of the game”   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
The guy who came up with the Moneyball theory was a security guard at a pork and beans company   

And so on...

To learn much more about all 120 minute-by-minute beats, and how to apply them to your screenplay, TV pilot, novel or graphic novel, order Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know at Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobles. http://shop.mwp.com/products/something-startling-happens-the-120-story-beats-every-writer-needs-to-know


And try the #1 Bestseller, The Screenwriter's Fairy Tale: The Universal Story Within All Movie Storieshttp://www.amazon.com/The-Screenwriters-Fairy-Tale-ebook/dp/B007U6D0CM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348519200&sr=1-1&keywords=the+screenwriter%27s+fairytale+the+universal+story+within+all+movie+stories

Todd Klick Writing Serviceswww.toddklick.com