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

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