Thursday, April 18, 2013

SKYFALL Hits the 120 Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of SKYFALL by Todd Klick,
using the Something Startling Happens story beats:

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!     
James Bond finds a gravely wounded MI6 agent/the hard-drive is gone  
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD   
Bond and his co-agent, Eve, chase the Bad Guy Agent       
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET       
Police chase after Bond/Bond crashes into Bad Guy Agent's car   
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH      
The Bad Guy Agent shoots at Bond and kills the police   
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER     
Bond chases the Bad Guy Agent on the rooftops of the Grand Bizarre and jumps his motorcycle through a stained glass window!   
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST     
Eve follows after Bond to help him   
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2     
Eve chases after the train Bond jumped on   
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS  
The Bad Guy Agent shoots Bond in the shoulder!   
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT      
Bond pursues the Bad Guy Agent with a backhoe/Eve tells M: "007 still in pursuit!"    
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION    
M asks Eve: "What's going on?" Eve gives M an update   
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING    
Eve warns M that she doesn't have "a clean shot"   
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING    
M warns Eve that she better "take the bloody shot"
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION     
Dead James Bond falls over a waterfall and sinks into the river   
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH    
M writes dead Bond's obituary   
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!    
As they walk into the Chairman's offices, M tells Turner: "It's like being summoned to the headmaster's study"
Turner assures her: "It's the new chairman. Standard procedure" (whew, that was close!)   
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN     
The British government wants M to retire   
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN    
A hacker has broken into MI6's computers   
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN     
The hacker blows up MI6's offices!  
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT     
A scorpion threatens to sting Bond's hand   
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK      
Bond flicks off the scorpion and covers it with the shot glass  
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT     
Bond learns that MI6 was bombed   
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED     
M: "I'm going to find whoever did this"   
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF    
Bond glares at M and says, "You should have trusted me to do the bloody job"   
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
M tells Bond that they're under attack   
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3     
Turner tells Bond that the hacker pulled off the impossible: hacked into their computers and turned on the gas   
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED    
Bond stares at the new, impressive MI6 offices, which are now underground in Churchill's former bunker   
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST     
Bond attempts to hit the target   
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP     
A psychologist attempts to figure out if Bond is mentally stable enough to go back to work  
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2     
A psychologist continues to attempt to figure out if Bond is mentally stable enough to go back to work    
MINUTE 30: THE NEED      
Bond needs to find out who the bullet fragments belong to   
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL     
Bond spots Eve, the agent who shot him   
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP     
Bond meets the new Chairman. Bond wonders if he'll be reinstated   
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!     
Chairman Mallory tells Bond that "it's a young man's game" and that Bond has "lost a step." He suggests Bond retire   
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT     
Turner finds out who the bullet fragments belong to. Turner: "Luckily we have one or two friends left in the CIA"   
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH     
Turner to M: I didn't know Bond passed the tests" (BAIT)
M: "He didn't" (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK    
Bond wonders who the young man is who sat beside him. It turns out to be the new Q.   
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD     
Witty Q says he can do more damage with his laptop in his pajamas than Bond can do out in the field -- Bond may be outdated   
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT    
Q wishes Bond good luck out in the field   
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND    
Bond follows the Bad Guy Agent while wearing a disguise   
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD 
The Bad Guy Agent (Bond's ally to finding the Main Bad Guy) takes a taxi  
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE     
Bond spots Bad Guy Agent (ROSE), but the agent shoots the security guard (THORN)  
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL     
Bond nimbly bounds up and grabs hold of the bottom of the elevator, revealing that he is still surprisingly nimble for an old man  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2    
Bond's shoulder hurts him   
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS      
Bond learns that the Bad Guy Agent is going to kill someone
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY    
The Bad Guy Agent uses a glass cutter for an assassination attempt   
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION    
The Bad Guy Agent realizes Bond is there and fires at him   
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT    
Bond finds a poker chip that leads him closer to his goal   
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE    
M learns that the Bad Guy posted five agents' names and faces onto the internet  
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT     
Someone knocks on Bond's door   
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT     
Bond gives Eve the razor  
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE      
Eve and Bond flirt heavily   
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE      
Bond gives into Eve's flirtation  
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION     
Bond tells Eve there's "lots of blind spots" in the casino  
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB     
Bond learns that the woman who was at the assassination is at the casino  
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE      
The woman tells Bond she doesn't gamble   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT     
The woman says to Bond: "Should we discuss your next performance over that drink?"   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS     
The woman asks Bond: "Do you mind if I ask you a business question?"
Bond: "Depends on the question"
Woman: "It has to do with death"   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT     
Bond tells the woman he wants to meet her employer
Woman: "Be careful what you wish for"  
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION               
The woman acts brave, but Bond knows she's scared   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Three bodyguards attack Bond  

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 Services: www.toddklick.com


Monday, January 14, 2013

THE AVENGERS Hit All 120 Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of THE AVENGERS by Todd Klick,
using the Something Startling Happens story beats:

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!     
"What can the humans do but burn?"  
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD   
Evacuation begins        
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET       
Agent Hill: "Evacuation may be futile"   
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH      
The building shakes  
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER     
Loki appears in a brilliant blue ball of dazzling light   
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST     
Hawkeye saves Nick Fury   
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2     
Nick Fury and Selvig band together to try to stop Loki   
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS  
Hawkeye shoots Nick Fury!  
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT      
Agent Hill pursues Loki in a car chase   
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION    
Agent Coulson to Nick Fury: "We're clear upstairs, sir. You need to go."   
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING    
Nick Fury: "Coulson, get back to base. This is a Level 7!"  
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING    
Nick Fury: "As of right now, we are at war"   
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION     
Natasha Romanoff sits helpless, tied up in a chair   
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH    
Coulson: "The pardon's been compromised"   
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!    
The big Russian thug grabs Natasha, but she escapes (Whew, that was close!)   
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN     
The little girl tells Bruce Banner that her father's eyes won't open    
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN    
Natasha has tricked Bruce Banner—there is no sick father
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN     
Black Widow: "Doctor, we're facing a potential global catastrophe"   
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT     
Bruce Banner yells at Black Widow: "Stop lying to me!"   
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK      
Nick Fury talks back to the people in The Council  
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT     
Nick Fury approaches Steve Rogers  
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED     
Nick Fury to Steve Rogers: "We've made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently"   
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF    
Nick Fury to Steve Rogers: "The world has gotten even stranger than you already know"   
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Coulson wants to speak to elusive Tony Stark  
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3     
Tony Stark refuses to speak to Coulson   
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED    
Agent Coulson tricks Tony Stark—he exits the elevator  
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST     
Coulson tries to convince Tony Stark to join the Avengers  
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP     
Coulson preps Steve Rogers for the big task ahead   
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2     
Coulson continues to prep Steve Rogers for the big task ahead    
MINUTE 30: THE NEED      
Loki needs to take over earth
The Avenger need to stop Loki  
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL     
Loki is told: "If the tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm"   
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP     
Loki is told: "You think you know pain? You will long for something sweet as pain"   
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!     
Natasha to Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner: "You might wanna step inside, it's going to get hard to breath"   
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT     
Steve Rogers is impressed with the new technology  
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH     
The aircraft carrier doesn't submerge (BAIT), it flies instead (SWITCH)   
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK    
Where is the tesselact (HIDE)? Bruce Banner offers ideas on how to find it (SEEK)   
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD     
Coulson makes a fool of himself by begging for an autograph  
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT    
Steve Rogers looks at his old Captain America suit  
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND    
Humans kneel before Loki 
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD 
Humans now bow before Loki  
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE     
An old man stands up to Loki (ROSE), but Loki points his staff at him (THORN)   
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL     
Captain America comes out of nowhere to save old man  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2    
Iron Man comes out of nowhere to save Captain America  
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS      
Thor takes Loki away
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY    
Black Widow: "These guys are legends. They are basically gods." 
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION    
Loki confesses his jealousy   
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT    
Iron Man carries Thor away from Loki  
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE    
Iron Man to Thor: "Stay out of the way"   
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT     
Iron Man's power is weakening   
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT     
Thor raises his hammer at Captain America   
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE      
Loki grins at Bruce Banner  
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE      
Loki outwits Nick Fury  
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION     
Thor: "He {Loki} has an army"   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB     
The portal can stay open for Loki  
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE      
The Avengers sideswipe Tony Stark with counterpoints   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT     
Fury wants to know how Loki changed Hawkeye & Selvig into his "personal flying monkeys"
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS     
Captain America scolds Tony Stark  
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT     
Tony Stark is hacking into Shield's computers   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION               
Loki is hiding something from them   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Iron Man suggests that Hulk saved David Banner's life   

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, January 10, 2013

See How HUNGER GAMES Uses the 120 Universal Story Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of HUNGER GAMES by Todd Klick,
using the Something Startling Happens story beats:


MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!     
A girl screams   
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD   
Katniss runs through the depressed District 12        
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET       
Katniss enters a Danger area  
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH      
Katniss raises her bow and arrow to kill an animal  
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER     
A massive spacecraft flies over them  
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST     
Katniss and Gale debate about the TV show   
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2     
Katniss and Gale talk about escape and eat a roll together  
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS  
Officers in space-like suits march through District 12   
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT      
Katniss hears the whistle, she must hurry towards it soon   
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION    
Prim wants to talk to Katniss about her fear of being selected   
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING    
Katniss tells Prim they will prick her finger for blood  
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING    
The film Effie plays speaks of war and the uprising   
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION     
Each District must offer one young man and woman to fight to the death. Katniss watches in silence and obedience   
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH    
The young men and woman watch Effie pick the first name   
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!    
Katniss volunteers and saves Primrose's life (whew, that was close!)   
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN     
Kantiss realizes the enormity of what she's done   
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN    
Kantiss must now fight to the death  
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN     
Katniss says goodbye to Prim for the last time  
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT     
Katniss threatens her mom   
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK      
Katniss glares at Effie  
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT     
Effie shows Katniss a bounty of food and wealth  
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED     
Peeta says: I don't think it's wrong to get a little bit of help  
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF    
Haymitch, Katniss's mentor, is a drunk   
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Haymitch tells them there's nothing he can do to save them  
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3     
Katniss watches a kid beat another with a brick on TV   
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED    
Katniss stabs a knife next to Hamitch's hand   
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST     
Katniss wants to learn a survival technique from Hamitch  
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP     
Katniss steps off the train into the Capital, where the games are held  
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2     
They wash and shave Katniss for her training 
MINUTE 30: THE NEED      
Katniss needs to attract a sponsor  
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL     
The show is about to start  
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP     
Katniss faces the crowd in her new fiery costume  
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!     
Katniss must stand before the President  
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT     
Cinni tells Katniss, "That was amazing"   
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH     
Eiffie enourages Katniss upstairs (BAIT), then shows her the opulent penthouse suite where she will be staying (SWITCH)    
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK    
Katniss stays alone in her bedroom (HIDES), then looks at the channels on her TV (SEEKS)   
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD     
The coach tells them that most of them will be dead in two weeks  
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT    
Peeta tells Hamitch that Katniss is a really good shot   
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND    
Peeta tells Katness encouraging things people say about her  
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD 
Flashback to Peeta feeding bread to the hogs   
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE     
Peeta falls off the ropes (THORN), but he can throw heavy objects (ROSE)   
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL     
Peeta shows Katniss that he can camouflage himself   
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2    
Hamitch tells Katniss and Peeta they will be evaluated tomorrow   
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS      
Katniss realizes she must perform in front of the TV execs   
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY    
Katniss misses the target  
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION    
The TV execs realize Katniss is an extraordinary archer  
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT    
Katniss is returned to her penthouse   
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE    
The TV host gives them their scores  
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT     
The President doesn't like the attention Katniss is getting   
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT     
The President tells Seneca to "contain the hope"   
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE      
Hamitch tells Katniss that Peeta wants to train alone from now on   
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE      
Katniss panics: "How do I get them to like me?"   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION     
Katniss must face the host on national TV  
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB     
Katniss realizes the audience likes her   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE      
The host sideswipes Katniss with questions she didn't see coming 
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT     
The host asks Katniss about her sister  
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS     
Peeta asks the host to smell him  
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT     
Peeta tells the crowd that he likes Katniss   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION               
Katniss is pissed that Peeta deceived her about his true feelings  
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Katniss apologizes to Peeta  

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