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 SNYDER BEAT NOTES BEATS PAGE SCENES W/ BEATS SPECIAL NOTES IN RED MY OUTLINE
OPENING IMAGE SCENE 1
First impression of what a move is – its tone,
SETUP OPENING its mood, the type and the scope of the film.
The first 10 pages of the script or first dozen IMAGE SCENE 1 The opening and final image should be
1-2
at most is called the set-up. This also where OPENING IMAGE opposites. Make the reader or watcher
we start to plant every character tic, every scrunch down and say “This is gonna be
behavior that needs to be addressed later on good’…. Also gives a starting point of the
and show how and why the hero will need to hero.
change in order to win. SCENE 2

This is the place to stick the 6 things that SETUP 2-4 SCENE 2 / SETUP
need fixing.

1. Physical - the obvious problem that

the story is all about. Someone is THEME SCENE 3
SETUP 4-6
trying to kill me, I am in great debt,
my family has been kidnapped etc. In the first 5 minutes, someone (not main C),
will ask a question or make a statement that is
2. Emotional - the inner problem with the theme of the movie. It won’t be obvious
SCENE 3
the hero. He is depressed, hates but it will be conversational, an off hand
SETUP / THEME
himself, and regrets the past too THEME 5 remark that the main C does not quite get at
much. the moment but will have far reaching and
meaningful impact later,
3. Social - the hero's relationship
problem. He is lonely, doesn't This statement is the thematic premise.
appreciate his family or partner, or is SCENE 4
unpopular. SCENE 4
6-8
SETUP
4. Beliefs - what the hero (wrongly) SCENE 5
thinks. He is racist, sexist, SCENE 5
8-10
prejudiced, uses fate as an excuse SETUP
for his bad lifestyle.
SETUP CATALYST SCENE 6
5. Habitual - the hero has a vice that he
must overcome He is an alcoholic, Life changing events often come as bad
SCENE 6 news. The catalyst is not what it seems. The
drug addict, nymphomaniac, 10-12
SETUP / CATALYST catalyst point is the first moment when
overeats…
something happens. The first whammy.
ACT 1 Lifestyle - the wrongs of the hero's daily
SETUP (1-10) routine. He is lazy, unhelpful, and greedy.
CATALYST 12
CATALYST (12)
DEBATE (12-25) SCENE 7
BREAK INTO 2 (25)

DEBATE /
12-14 SCENE 7
CATALYST
DEBATE /
CATALYST

CATALYST 12
SCENE 8
DEBATE SCENE 8
14-16
A debate and the last chance for the hero to DEBATE
say “this is crazy”. And we need him to SCENE 9
realize that. Should I go? Dare I go? Stay SCENE 9
16-18
or go. The debate section must ask a DEBATE
 SCENE 14
SCENE 14
? ? 26-28
? ?
SCENE 15
? ? 28-30 B STORY
Begins on page 30. The story that carries the
SCENE 15 theme of the movie. It is a little booster
? / B STORY rocket that helps smooth over the shockingly
B STORY B STORY 30 obvious. The b story gives us a breather.
Often a brand new set of characters.

SCENE 17
SCENE 17
30-32
B STORY / FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 18
SCENE 18
32-34
FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 19
SCENE 19
34-36
FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 20
SCENE 20
36-38
FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 21
SCENE 21
38-40
FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 22
SCENE 22
40-42
FUN AND GAMES FUN AND GAMES
It provides the promise of the premise. The
core and essence of the movie poster. SCENE 23 SCENE 23
Where the trailer moments of a movie are 42-44 FUN AND GAMES
found. Here we aren’t as concerned with the
forward progress of the story. The stakes FUN AND SCENE 24 SCENE 24
won’t be raised until the midpoint. We are GAMES FUN AND GAMES
44-46
concerned with having fun. Answers the
question “why did I come to see this movie?
SCENE 25 SCENE 25
46-48 FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 26 SCENE 26
48-50 FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 27 SCENE 27
50-52 FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 28 SCENE 28
52-54 FUN AND GAMES

SCENE 29 MIDPOINT SCENE 29

FUN AND GAMES /
MIDPOINT Midpoints change the whole dynamic of the
film. You might have a false victory in which
54-56 the hero thinks he has everything he wants
but it is a false victory. It just seems like
everything’s great.

MIDPOINT MIDPOINT 55
ACT 2
 SCENE 52 SCENE 52
86-88 FINALE

SCENE 53 SCENE 53
88-90 FINALE

SCENE 54 SCENE 54
90-92 FINALE

SCENE 55 SCENE 55
ACT 3 92-94 FINALE
FINALE (85-110)
FINAL IMAGE (110) SCENE 56
SCENE 56
94-96 FINALE
FINALE
The finale is act 3. This is where we wrap it SCENE 57 SCENE 57
up. It’s where the character tics are 96-98 FINALE
mastered. It’s the turning over of the old
world and a creation of the new world FINALE
SCENE 58 SCENE 58
order… All thanks to the hero, who leads
the way based on what he experienced in 98-100 FINALE
the upside down, antithetical world of Act 2.
SCENE 59 SCENE 59
100-102 FINALE

SCENE 60 SCENE 60
102-104 FINALE

SCENE 61 SCENE 61
104-106 FINALE

SCENE 62 SCENE 62
106-108 FINALE

SCENE 63 SCENE 63
108-110 FINALE

FINAL IMAGE SCENE 64

The final image in a movie is the opposite of
the opening image. It is the proof that
change has occurred and that it’s real. If SCENE 64
FINALE IMAGE 110
you can’t have that final image or you can’t FINALE IMAGE
see how it applies, then something is not
adding up in Act 2.