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 Stories: http://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

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 Stories: http://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

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 Stories: http://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
 

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Follows The 120 Beats!

A minute-by-minute story beat analysis of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES 

by Todd Klick

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
Men attack apes with machetes    
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Men capture an ape     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Stephen tells Will he’ll need the boards approval to continue his experiments
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Will presents his argument to the board
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
Bright Eyes violently attacks the scientist!
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Stephen smiles at Will’s proposal to the board (FRIEND)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Stephen stands side by side with Will (FRIEND)
Stephen scolds Franklin (FIST)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
Stephen threatens to fire Will!
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Will looks for Franklin
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Will and Franklin discuss “putting down” Bright Eyes’ newborn
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Will’s father mistakes Will’s work proposal as a chemistry test (a warning to Will that his father’s Alzheimer’s is getting worse)
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Will’s father is angry about losing his car keys (a harsher warning that his Alzheimer’s is worsening)  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Will reminds his father that he doesn’t drive anymore. “I know that,” his father says, looking down
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Caesar’s intelligence increases at a rapid rate (dangerous to the human race)
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Will’s dad almost hurts the nurse 
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Will is concerned he might get caught for stealing the Alzheimer’s drug
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Will’s father is back to normal after taking the drug!
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Caesar escapes out the window!
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
The neighbor swings a bat at Caesar
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Will boldly asks Caroline for a date
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Caroline comes over to Will’s house for the date
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Caroline says (about Caesar): “You should give him open space”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
Will loses Caesar
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Caesar walks to the end of a thin branch, which scares Will
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
A German Shepherd attacks Caesar
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
Caesar asks Will (through sign language) if he’s “a pet”
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Will shows Caesar where he was born
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Will explains why Caesar is so smart (to prepare him for being different)
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Will explains to Caroline about Caesar’s unusual rise in intelligence, to prepare her for what Caesar may become
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Will asks his dad if he’s ok—he needs to know if his father is relapsing
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Will’s forgetful father wrecks the car, which causes the neighbor great distress
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
Caesar attacks the neighbor because he screamed at Will’s father
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
The scared neighbor runs from Caesar, but Caesar chases him (Oh no!)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Will’s father hugs Caesar
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Will tells Caesar to follow him inside the building (BAIT), but the building is really a prison for chimps (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Will stays behind the glass (HIDES), while Caesar tries to get to him (SEEK)
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
Caesar is tricked into a cage by a mean worker (he’s in over his head)
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Will promises his dad he will get Caesar back soon
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Will puts him arm around his dad and then he looks for a more aggressive virus strain
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
Stephen is going through a roller coaster emotionally over Will’s behavior
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Caesar laughs at the worker (ROSE), but the mean worker sprays him with water (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Caesar draws an exact replica of his window at home  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Stephen surprises Will and Franklin. He wants to watch their progress
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
The chimp has a violent reaction to the drug
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Caesar joins the other apes in the playpen
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Caesar realizes the other apes want to kill him
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
The ape shows Stephen that he’s getting more intelligent
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Caesar learns that the orangutan can speak sign language
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
The mean worker and boss are shooting chimps with drugs and carrying them somewhere
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
The boss of cages tells Will he can’t have Caesar without a court order
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
The orangutan watches Caesar
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Caesar wipes the dirt from the window, and realizes he can’t get out   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
The mean worker yells at his coworker
Caesar stares down mean worker   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Caesar realizes his can pick the lock with the knife   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Caesar frightens the gorilla   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Caesar releases the mean chimp, but then communicates that he better submit or else the gorilla will tear him apart   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
Will’s father shakes his head “no”—he doesn’t want the drugs anymore   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Will’s father is dead  
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Will’s been deceived—Stephen has authorized testing behind his back   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Will quits his job!
Franklin is terribly sick with a deadly virus   

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 Stories: http://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

 

SCREENWRITER'S SECRET WEAPON: THE MINUTE 5 JAW DROPPER!

Did you know that during minute 5 of any great movie, there's a Jaw Dropper moment? Something happens to the characters (or the audience) that they've never seen or heard before. It grabs attention and dazzles. Great writers instinctively know that on page 5 of their screenplay—midway to the Inciting Incident—that something extraordinary needs to occur to keep the audience watching. Here are a few examples: 

What's the Jaw Dropper during Minute 5 in The Sixth Sense? Anna and Malcolm see a half-naked man standing in their bathroom.

What's the Jaw Dropper in Top Gun? Maverick flies upside down and overtop the enemy’s fighter plane—an extraordinary flying feat! 

What about Star Wars? Ominous Darth Vadar enters the story for the first time, a Jaw Dropping moment in movie history.

The Godfather? Bonasera asks Godfather to murder the men who beat up his daughter—a jaw dropping request to make of someone.

Tootsie? Michael storms out of a play because he disagrees with the director—an extraordinary thing for a struggling actor, who hasn't worked in two years, to do.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark? An astonishing amount of spiders crawl onto Indy and his ally's backs. 

 

In The Matrix, Trinity executes an extraordinary, superhuman leap into a far away window, which literally makes the cops' jaws drop!

Juno tells Leah her extraordinary news—she's pregnant (Leah's mouth drops open in astonishment, another literal "Jaw Dropper").

 

 In Halloween, we find out that the person who stabbed the naked girl is a little boy!

In Pulp Fiction, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny hold up the restaurant, a Jaw Dropping moment in the patrons' lives.

Do you have a Jaw Dropper on Page 5 of your screenplay?

To find out more screenwriting secrets, order Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs To Know. 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 Stories: http://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

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Follows the 120 Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON by Todd Klick

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
Dragons attack the village   
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Stoick yells at Hiccup to “get inside”    
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
A big fire starts
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Dragons land in the village and pillage
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
The legendary and infamous Night Fury screeches and blows up the tower
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Hiccup fires his catapult (his ally in this case) at the Night Fury (FRIEND)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Stoick saves Hiccup’s life (FRIEND)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
Hiccup makes the startling claim that he hit a Night Fury
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Hiccup says to Gobber: “I just want to be one of you guys” (his pursuit)
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
The Vikings discuss doing one more search for the dragons before the ice sets in
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Gobber warns Stoick that he won’t always be around to protect Hiccup
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Hiccup sees a broken tree and a giant groove in the dirt (a warning of nearby danger)
*INCITING INCIDENT: Hiccup finds the bound Night Fury 
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
The Night Fury slaps Hiccup against the rock, where he’s temporarily stunned
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
The Night Fury pins frightened Hiccup
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
The Night Fury screeches at Hiccup, then leaves (Whew, that was close)
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Stoick wants Hiccup to start dragon training in the morning, a big concern for Hiccup
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Hiccup reluctantly starts dragon training
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
The Gronckle attacks the trainees
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
The Gronckle threatens Hiccup’s life
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Hiccup goes looking for the Night Fury
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Hiccup sees that the Night Fury is stuck in a gully with a broken wing
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Astrid: “{Hiccup} is never where he should be”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
Hiccup reads about a dragon that can kill a man with a “concussive sound”
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
...Another dragon has “razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees”
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Hiccup reads: “Hide and pray it does not find you” (referring to the Night Fury)
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
A dragon’s fireball explodes next to Hiccup’s head
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
The trainees try to stop the dragon in the maze
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Hiccup returns to the gully with a fish (preparing to bond with the Night Fury)
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Hiccup feeds the fish to the Night Fury (preparing to bond with the Night Fury)
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Hiccup needs to gain the dragon’s full trust
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
The Night Fury freaks out when Hiccup gets too close
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
The Night Fury growls at Hiccup when he touches the line
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
Gobber explains how the dragon took his leg (oh no!)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Gobber mentions that “a downed dragon is a dead dragon,” which affects Hiccup
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Hiccup brings the Night Fury food (+), but he doesn’t like the eel (-)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Hiccup sneaks behind the Night Fury and seeks out his tail
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
Hiccup hangs on to the Night Fury for dear life
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Hiccup impresses everyone by the way he handles the training dragon
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Hiccup flies with the Night Fury as he continues to work on its wing
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
Astrid slams down her drink -- she’s angry at the attention Hiccup is getting
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Hiccup makes his way back to the Night Fury (the Rose), but Astrid spots him (the Thorn)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Astrid hears a noise, which reveals Hiccup’s whereabouts  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Stoick is surprised to hear that his son is a village celebrity
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Hiccup learns that his foot pedals work in different ways
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Hiccup falls at great length and reattaches himself to the Night Fury
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Hiccup realizes he can fly without his cheat sheet
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
The little dragon’s behavior (escorts) Hiccup towards the truth
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Stoick tells Hiccup that he’s heard what he’s been doing in the ring
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
We learn that Hiccup’s mother is dead
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
Astrid wants to know what Hiccup is “late for exactly”
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
Astrid follows Hiccup and wants to know what he’s up to
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Hiccup says he’s “through with the lies”   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
The Night Fury grabs a frightened Astrid   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Astrid realizes the dragon’s not out to kill her   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Astrid is blown away by how amazing it is to fly on a dragon’s back   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Astrid: “What’s going on?”
Hiccup: “I don’t know”   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
Hiccup: “It looks like they’re hauling in their kill”
Astrid: “What does that make us?”   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Hiccup and Astrid find the dragons’ lair   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Hiccup doesn’t want Astrid to tell his dad about what they found   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Stoick tells everyone how proud he is of Hiccup  

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 Stories: http://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

HARRY POTTER Follows the 120 Universal Beats!

A minute-by-minute analysis of HARRY POTTER and the Sorcerer’s Stone:

MINUTE  1:  AT-TENSION!
An old wizard walks alone on a spooky night and steals lantern light   
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Dumbledore says “the bad” rumours are true     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
The baby will be left with “the the worst sort of muggles imaginable”
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Harry’s mean aunt screams at him
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
The relatives' outrageous behavior towards Harry is jaw-droppingly rude (Professor McGonagall was right!)
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Harry’s uncle scolds him (FIST)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Harry talks with a snake (FRIEND)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
The escaping snake talks to Harry then makes all the children scream!
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Harry tries to retrieve the letter that his cousin stole from him
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Harry’s aunt and uncle chat outside the house
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Hundreds of owls land outside Harry’s relative’s house—a warning that they better let Harry open the letters
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Hundreds and hundreds of letters pour into the house—a harsher warning that they better let Harry open his letters  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
The family submits and moves to a secluded island
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Harry’s uncle points his shotgun at Hagrid
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Hagrid pulls something out of his coat, but it’s only an unbrella (whew!) 
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Uncle Vernon is concerned that Hagrid wants to take Harry to the school of wizardry
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Harry learns that his parents didn’t, in fact, die in a car crash
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Hagrid puts a piggy tail on Harry’s cousin
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
Harry enters a threatening looking bar
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Harry wants Hagrid to tell him why he’s famous
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Hagrid taps the wall and the bricks reconfigure themselves to show Harry Diagon Alley!
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
A boy declares that the Nimbus 2000 "is the fastest model yet!”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
The ugly looking goblin gives Harry a scary look
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
The goblin takes Harry into the bowels of a scary cavern
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Harry stares at an ominous looking lone package
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
Harry waves his new wand and the files fly out!
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Mr. Ollivander tries to find the correct wand for Harry
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Mr. Ollivander preps Harry for his life as a wizard
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Hagrid preps Harry about Voldemort
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Harry needs to know what Voldemort did
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Evil Voldemort is still out there
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
Harry realizes Hagrid’s no longer there to help him
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
Harry realizes that he has to somehow run through a solid wall (oh no!)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Harry makes friends with Ron
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Ron thinks he’s sitting with a regular boy (BAIT), but discovers it’s the famous Harry Potter (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Harry wonders where the picture of Dumbledore went
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
Ron can’t make his magic spell work—he’s over his head
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Harry reconnects with his friend Hagrid
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Boats take the bonding children towards the school
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
We see that Professor McGonagall has authority at the school
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Harry likes the school (ROSE), but dislikes unsavory students like Malfoy (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Opening doors reveal a surprisingly huge hall filled with young wizards and floating candles! 
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Dumbledore reveals that the 3rd floor will cause “a most painful death”
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Harry feels pain in his scar when Snape looks at him
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Loner Harry stands in front of the entire student body
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Harry sees that Dumbledore approves of him going to Gryffindor
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
Percy gives Harry information about Snape (Harry’s escort towards useful information)
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Harry is told about the stairs, which change direction
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
The scary pictures move
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
Harry sits by himself, still the outsider
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
Professor McGonagall scolds Harry and Ron for being late
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Students listen quietly to intimidating Snape   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
Snape intimidates Harry with questions he doesn’t know the answers to   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Harry and Ron realize that the “mail’s here”   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Harry learns that someone broke into Gringotts   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Ron says “up” but the broom whacks him in the face   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
The teacher says to the wounded student, “Oh dear, it’s a broken wrist”   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Harry and Malfoy duel on their brooms   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Malfoy spins and keeps the object from Harry   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
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 Stories: http://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

LORD OF THE RINGS Follows the Universal Story Beats!

Minute-by-minute story beat analysis of FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS.

MINUTE  1:  ATTENSION!
“Much is lost,” the narrator says   
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Dark Lord Sauron forges a master ring, which he pours his cruelty and malice into     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Men and Elves fight for the freedom of Middle Earth
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
Sauron wipes out many soldiers with the ring’s power
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
Isildur is murdered and thrown into the river! The ring is lost!
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
The ring consumes Gollum (FIST)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Bilbo finds the ring (FRIEND and FIST)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
Frodo hears Gandalf coming!
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Frodo asks Gandalf news of the outside world (he pursues knowledge)
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Gandalf and Frodo discuss Bilbo Baggins
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
A hobbit’s wife glares at her husband
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
Bilbo yells that he doesn’t want any visitors! 
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Gandalf bumps his head and ducks
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Bilbo doesn’t want to answer the knock on the door
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Bilbo almost touches the ring in his pocket
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Sam is concerned about asking the girl to dance
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Bilbo tells the children a gruesome tale, which turns their protected world upside down
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
The dragon firework swoops down on the villagers
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
Bilbo reaches for the ring in his pocket
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Gandalf scolds Bilbo
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
The ring’s power affects Bilbo with its power
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Gandalf to Bilbo: “You’ve had the ring long enough”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
The scary ring draws Bilbo in
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Gandalf looks at the scary ring
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Gandalf acts oddly
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
Gandalf leaves unexpectedly
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Gandalf rides towards his destination
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Gandalf reads about the ring in the ancient scrolls
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Gandalf reads more about the ring in the ancient scrolls
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Gandalf needs to know if the ring is kept secret and safe
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Gandalf realizes the language on the ring is from evil Mordor
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
Gandalf says that evil Sauron has returned
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
The ring wants to return to its master—oh no!
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Gandalf refuses to take the ring from his friend Frodo
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Frodo thinks the ring might be safe at the inn (BAIT), but Gandalf is not sure it will (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Someone HIDES outside Frodo’s window and Gandalf SEEKS who it is
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
“The agents of the dark lords” are looking for the ring. Frodo may be in over his head.
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Frodo encourages Samwise
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Gandalf meets up with his old friend Saruman to discuss what to do
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
Distraught Gandalf, Frodo’s ally, learns about Sauron’s evil plans
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Saruman uncovers the seeing stone (ROSE), but Gandalf sees Sauron’s eye when he covers it back up (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Gandalf realizes he’s been betrayed—his friend Saruman wants him to join with Sauron  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Saruman steals Gandalf’s staff and shows him that he (Saruman) is more powerful
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Merry and Pippin crash into Frodo and Samwise—they are stealing from the farmer
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Frodo yells at his companions to “get off the road!”
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Frodo realizes a Dark Rider is right above him!
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
Samwise grabs Frodo and drags him towards the woods
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Merry tells Frodo about Bucklebury Ferry—what they need to escape
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
There are more Dark Riders now chasing Frodo
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
The Gatekeeper warns Frodo that “there’s talk of strange folk abroad”
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
Frodo chats with the suspicious bartender
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
A Ranger stares at Frodo from across the room. Frodo stays put in his seat   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
The ring tries to seduce Frodo   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Frodo realizes that when he puts on the ring, Sauron sees him   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
The Dark Riders burst through the town’s gate  
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Frodo: What are they? (Referring to the Dark Riders)
Strider: They were once great men...blinded by greed   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
Strider to Frodo: They will never stop hunting you   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
They are going to Rivendell to see the elves   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Saruman secretly builds an army on Sauron’s orders   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
Gandalf realizes he’s being held captive on the tower roof   

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 Stories: http://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

THE MATRIX Follows the Minute-by-Minute Beats!

As do all great movies, The Matrix follows the 120 universal minute-by-minute story beats to a tee!

MINUTE  1:  ATTENSION!
Cypher tells Trinity, “We’re going to kill him.”    
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Agents show up and argue with the Police Chief    
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Morpheus tells Trinity that they’ve been compromised — agents are outside!
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
The cops and agents chase Trinity on the rooftops
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
Trinity executes a jaw dropping superhuman leap through a far away window
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Trinity’s friends save her life by ringing her into the phone (FRIEND)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Trinity sends Neo an email, telling him The Matrix has him (FRIEND)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
The loud knock on the door startles Neo
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Neo pursues the girl with the white rabbit tattoo to see where she leads
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Trinity discusses The Matrix with Neo
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Trinity warns Neo: “They are watching you”
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
The boss warns Neo not to be late again or he’ll be fired  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Neo submits to his boss’s threat
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Neo sees agents looking in his direction
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Neo barely dodges the agents as he scurries toward the empty office (Whew, That Was Close!)
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Neo is concerned that he might go to jail
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Agents handcuff Neo and force him into their car
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Agent Smith tells Neo they know he’s a computer hacker
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
Agent Smith warns Neo that he’d better help them bring Morpheus to justice
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Neo gives the agent the finger
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
The agents insert an electronic bug into Neo’s navel
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Morpheus calls Neo “The One”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
Switch points a gun at Neo
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Trinity pulls out a scary contraption and presses it onto Neo’s navel
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Trinity’s scary contraption sucks the electronic bug out of Neo’s navel
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
Neo meets the legendary Morpheus in person!
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Neo wants to be told what The Matrix is (Neo’s Mini-Quest before he actually sees it)
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Morpheus explains to Neo that he has to see The Matrix (preparing him to be The One)
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Morpheus offers Neo the red or blue pill (preparing him to see The Matrix)
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
Neo needs to see what swallowing the red pill means
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
The liquid mirror, attached to Neo’s fingertip, causes him distress
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
The liquid mirror creeps up Neo's arm and into his throat. He screams!
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
Neo sees that he’s naked inside a glass pod — and so are millions of others!
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Morpheus’s machine grabs Neo 

MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Neo is welcomed to the real world (BAIT), but he’s stuck with hundreds of acupuncture needles (SWITCH)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
Neo’s true potential remains hidden within his doubting mind
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
Neo realizes that there is something attached to the back of his head. He may be in over his head
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Neo is re-introduced to Trinity, Apoc, Switch, Tank, Dozer and Mouse — his new friends
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Neo bonds further with the Nebuchadnezzar crew as they prepare to defeat the Matrix
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
Morpheus explains more about his world inside the computer program
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
The world Neo lived in was nice (ROSE) compared to its ugly reality (THORN)

MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Morpheus reveals that humans are used as batteries  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Morpheus reveals that there are human crops used for harvesting
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Neo throws up after experiencing all this overwhelming new information
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Neo has his mind freed at an older-than-usual age
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Morpheus reveals that he believes Neo will lead humanity to freedom
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
Tank says he will take Neo to his training
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Tank inputs combat knowledge directly into Neo’s brain — Needed Knowledge
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
Tank gives Neo deadly fighting knowledge (if he doesn’t have this knowledge he will die in The Matrix)
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
Morpheus tells Neo, “Your weakness is not your technique” (if Neo doesn’t overcome his weakness he will die)
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
Morpheus intimidates Neo with his superior fighting skills
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Morpheus beats Neo in the fight   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
Morpheus (Neo’s enemy in the dojo) tells Neo to know he is faster.    
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Neo realizes he can’t jump from one building to the next  
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Neo’s failed jump stuns Mouse   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Trinity and Cypher chat, but then Cypher expresses jealousy   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
“Were you listening to me or looking at the woman in the red dress?” Morpheus asks Neo   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Morpheus tells Neo that when he’s ready he won’t need to dodge bullets (vital information for Neo)   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Morpheus tells the crew to set down the ship (to deceive the Sentinels)   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
The sentinel approaches the Nebuchadnezzar! 

And so on...

To learn about all 120 story beats, and how to apply them effectively 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 Stories: http://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

 

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK Checks Off Every Minute-By-Minute Story Beat!

MINUTE  1:  ATTENSION!
Indiana Jones and his crew head deep into a dangerous jungle.    
MINUTE  2:  THE BUILD
Indy finds a deadly arrow     
MINUTE  3:  THE RATCHET
Satipo says, “The Hovitos are near. The poison is still fresh”
MINUTE  4:  ANOTHER NOTCH 
A man pulls a gun on Indy
MINUTE  5:  JAW DROPPER
A jaw dropping number of spiders crawl onto Indy and his ally’s back
MINUTE  6:  FRIEND OR FIST
Indy saves Satipo from falling (FRIEND)
MINUTE  7:  FRIEND OR FIST 2
Indy saves Satipo’s life again (FRIEND)
MINUTE  8:  SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS
The crumbling temple startles Indy!
MINUTE  9:  THE PURSUIT
Indy pursues Satipo who stole the idol
MINUTE 10: THE DISCUSSION 
Belloq and Indy talk about the idol
MINUTE 11: THE WARNING
Belloq warns Indy to hand over the gun or the Hovitos warriors will kill him
MINUTE 12: HARSHER WARNING
The Hovitos try to kill Indy  
MINUTE 13: THE SUBMISSION
Indy remains seated as snake slithers in his lap
MINUTE 14: DANGER WATCH 
Indy watches Marcus approach with ominous news
MINUTE 15: WHEW, THAT WAS CLOSE!
Indy explains to Marcus that he had the idol in his hand — it was this close (and we know, from having seen it, that Indy experienced a close call when the Hovitos warriors almost kill him 
MINUTE 16: THE BIG CONCERN
Indy shows concern when he learns that army intelligence has come to see him. “Am I in trouble?” he asks Marcus
MINUTE 17: WORLD UPSIDE DOWN
Government agents tell Indy that Hitler is looking for an important artifact
MINUTE 18: TROUBLE TURN
Indy learns that Hitler wants the ark so he can obtain great power (which will get Indy into trouble later)
MINUTE 19: THE THREAT  
The Nazis (obvious bad guys) threaten to find the Ra headpiece first
MINUTE 20: PUSH BACK
Indy — who was intimidated by Belloq, the snakes, and now the agents — pushes back intellectually with his superior knowledge of the ark
MINUTE 21: THE GREAT AFFECT  
Marcus tells Indy that the government wants him to find the ark, which greatly affects Indy’s life
MINUTE 22: TRUTH DECLARED
Marcus tells Indy: “Faith is the path of least resistance”
MINUTE 23: SCARY STUFF
Indy shows Marcus his (scary) gun
MINUTE 24: SCARY STUFF 2
Marion is involved in an intense drinking game with a large local (scary for her because she might lose her reputation as a woman who can hold her liquor)
MINUTE 25: SCARY STUFF 3
Marion almost passes out and loses the drinking game
MINUTE 26: THE BIG UNEXPECTED
Marion punches Indiana Jones in the face
MINUTE 27: THE MINI-QUEST 
Indy tells Marion that he needs the bronze medallion (Indy’s Mini-Quest before searching
for the ark)
MINUTE 28: BIG QUEST PREP 
Indy gives Marion money to get the medallion
MINUTE 29: BIG QUEST PREP 2 
Nazis enter Marion’s bar (in preparation to take over the medallion so they can find the ark)
MINUTE 30: THE NEED
The Nazi needs to see the medallion
MINUTE 31: DISTRESS SIGNAL   
Indy sees the red-hot poker moving toward Marion’s face.
MINUTE 32: ANXIETY AMP
The bad guys shoot at Indy
MINUTE 33: OMINOUS OH NO!
A flame races toward Indy’s face (Oh no!)
MINUTE 34: FRIEND AFFECT 
Sallah brings Indy and Marion to his home
MINUTE 35: BAIT & SWITCH  
Marion befriends a monkey (who will later betray her)
MINUTE 36: HIDE & SEEK
The ark stays hidden, not found yet by Belloq or Indy.
MINUTE 37: OVER HIS HEAD
Sallah realizes the ark should remain undisturbed (they may be in over their heads)
MINUTE 38: POSITIVE RECONNECT
Indy and Marion joke together at the market
MINUTE 39: NEW JOURNEY BOND
Indy helps Marion as they fend off the bad guys
MINUTE 40: ALLY’S WORLD
We learn that Marion will hurt someone to defend herself — she clanks the guy over the head with a pan (this plays out later when she pulls a knife on Belloq)
MINUTE 41: THORNY ROSE
Indy shoots sword-guy and is temporarily safe (ROSE), but he still has to find Marion (THORN)
MINUTE 42: SURPRISE REVEAL
Marion reveals she’s hiding inside the basket  
MINUTE 43: SURPRISE REVEAL 2
Marion dies!
MINUTE 44: NEW NEWS
Indy learns Bellog is in town
MINUTE 45: OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Indy threatens to kill Belloq in a public place
MINUTE 46: THE REVELATION
Sallah reveals that he is willing to risk his children to save Indy
MINUTE 47: THE ESCORT 
Sallah says he will take Indy to the old man
MINUTE 48: NEEDED KNOWLEDGE 
Sallah tells Indy the Nazis had a headpiece
MINUTE 49: FOREBODING FACT
The old man cautions Indy that the medallion warns against disturbing the ark
MINUTE 50: THE PORTENT
Sallah spots the dead monkey and catches the poisoned date before Indy eats it
MINUTE 51: THE ENGAGE     
The Nazis yell at Indy
MINUTE 52: SAY UNCLE     
Nazis take Sallah away from the well opening, leaving Indy stuck inside   
MINUTE 53: THE INTIMIDATION    
Nazis keep Sallah away from the well hole — Indy can’t get out   
MINUTE 54: THE LIGHTBULB    
Indy discovers that the sun’s rays really do work through the medallion   
MINUTE 55: SIDESWIPE     
Sallah drops the Nazi flag onto a surprised Indy   
MINUTE 56: DARK TWIST CHAT    
Indy is excited to find Marion, but then he re-gags her   
MINUTE 57: DIFFICULT WORDS    
Indy to Marion: I’ll come back to get you   
MINUTE 58: VITAL EVENT    
Major Toht shows the medallion impression burned into his palm   
MINUTE 59: THE DECEPTION              
Indy and the workers dig at nightfall to avoid detection   
MINUTE 60: THE SHOCKER
The monser-like statue scares Sallah!   

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 Stories: http://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