STORY MAPS:

Booster Pack #1

by Daniel P. Calvisi

Revised Electronic Edition

Copyright © Daniel P. Calvisi 2011-2012

Published by Act Four Screenplays

Redondo Beach CA 90277

www.actfourscreenplays.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Not for resale or distribution in any form. Do not share this file.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN-13: 978-0-9836266-2-6

Revised Electronic Edition 2012

Cover Design: Dustin Tanner

http://ActFourScreenplays.com

Cover Images used without Permission for Educational Purposes Only

Rocky copyright United Artists. Up copyright Disney/Pixar. The Social Network copyright Columbia Pictures/Relativity Media. The Matrix copyright Warner Brothers Pictures/Village Roadshow Pictures. Raiders of the Lost Ark copyright LucasFilm. Rain Man copyright Touchstone Pictures. Meet the Parents copyright Universal Pictures/Dreamworks SKG . Sex and the City copyright New Line Cinema/Home Box Office (HBO). Juno copyright Fox Searchlight Pictures. X-Men copyright Marvel Enterprises/Twentieth Century Fox. Hustle & Flow copyright MTV Films. Black Swan copyright Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Special thanks to my

assistant story mappers extraordinaire:

Dustin Tanner, Gina Leone,

Mary Szmagaj and Nina Tryggvason

***

To all of the aspiring screenwriters out there

who dream of turning their night job

into their day job.

***

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Author

Introduction

Juno (Teen Comedy/Drama) 2007

The Social Network (Biopic) 2010

Hustle & Flow (Music Drama) 2007

Raiders of the Lost Ark (Action/Adventure) 1981

Black Swan (Thriller) 2010

Sex and the City (Romantic Comedy) 2008

Meet The Parents (Comedy) 2000

The Matrix (Sci-Fi Action) 1999

Rain Man (Drama) 1988

Rocky (Sports Drama) 1977

Up (Animated Comedy/Action) 2009

X-Men (Superhero “Origin” Action) 2000

Special Offers

[NOTE: Click on a chapter heading to return to the Table of Contents.]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel P. Calvisi is a professional Story Analyst and screenwriter with over 15 years of experience focusing full-time on the craft and business of screenplays.

His employers have included Miramax Films, Dimension Films, Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme and Twentieth Century Fox—he has evaluated written submissions for the executives who developed the films Chicago, Spy Kids, Chocolat, Limitless, Scream, The Wedding Singer, The Game, One Fine Day and Ulee's Gold.

Daniel has written screenplays on assignment and coached hundreds of private writers to better understand the principles of great screenwriting and to improve their craft on the written page. He has taught screenwriting and story analysis at the college level, including at the New School University in New York City.

Daniel has been published in Script magazine and is the President of The Writers Building, an exclusive networking group and online community for professional screenwriters. Daniel lives in Los Angeles and he offers free downloads, classes, publications and consulting services at http://actfourscreenplays.com.

INTRODUCTION

This “Booster Pack” is meant to act as a companion book to my flagship title, Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay. If you are not familiar with the Story Maps method, then you can learn more about it and also purchase the book on my site: Act Four Screenplays (as well as at other ebook vendors, like Amazon, iTunes, Goodreads, Smashwords, BarnesandNoble.com, etc. But if you purchase it via my site I will send you a free bonus Story Map!).

I’ll provide a short summary of Story Maps now, for those who have not read the first book.

95% of Great Movies follow the Story Map.

I believe that the most important learning tool in the craft of screenwriting is written analysis of movies and screenplays, the good ones and the bad ones.

I find it tremendously helpful to look at produced films and note their elements in a Story Map, creating a quick-reference “library” of maps to compare and contrast as I outline a script of my own or analyze a script written by one of my clients. Writing and referencing story maps is the best way to understand how the pros conceive and structure their screenplays.

I encourage you to story map all of your favorite movies.

The Story Map is a form, not a formula. It does not dictate your choices—it does not tell you what to write—it only provides a framework to hold your choices. The screenplay is still undeniably yours, but it now comes wrapped in the shiny coating that is recognized by every Agent, Manager, Executive and Producer in the business as the industry standard.

I developed the Story Map method of structural analysis on the job, working as a Story Analyst for many top studios and production companies, and from working one-on-one with screenwriters, both amateur and professional. The Story Map can be used to construct a new narrative or deconstruct an existing one. Writing from a well-developed story map is not just about hitting page points, but using what I call Active Storytelling, which is making your scenes and your characters’ actions advance the story and bring about change while maintaining a cohesion built on theme and escalating conflict.

The purpose of learning to story map is simple: to help you improve your craft and increase your odds of getting your script to impress a decision-maker in Hollywood. That's it.

One of the best features of the Story Map system is that it applies to every genre and the beats are always in the same order. There is no mixing and matching, order changes, or needless categorizing as with other systems. My method is always stripped-down and practical, focused only on the crucial elements of a movie’s story, because I’m preparing you for the market to get past brutal readers like myself.

One more thing I’d like you to know. All of the analysis and guidelines in this book are based on the current, model spec screenplay in Hollywood. Lean, mean and fast-paced, this 100-110 page cinematic emotion machine has a very clear and clean set of guidelines, qualities and standards, some of which can be broken, but only if you’ve mastered them first.

Good Luck and Happy Writing!

Dan Calvisi

Juno (2007)

Juno is a stylish, character-driven story that immediately establishes its voice through the distinctive dialogue of its characters (some might say to the detriment of the film due to an overly quirky first act in which too many characters talk in a stylized manner), but it’s not until Act Two that it really hits its stride with the introduction of the Lorings, the couple that intends to adopt Juno’s baby. There are many genuinely funny and touching moments in the film and the ending is unique, surprising and powerful. Regardless of how you feel about her writing style or her persona, with this original screenplay, Diablo Cody burst onto the national stage, won an Oscar and is now one of the most recognizable screenwriters in the industry.

Juno (2007)

Teen Drama/Comedy

Screenplay written by Diablo Cody

(note: map based on the screenplay, not the movie)

101 pages

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: JUNO MACGUFF, pregnant teen girl

Skill: Sarcastic

Misbehavior: Smart mouth, bleak outlook

Achilles Heel/Flaw: Naïve

EXTERNAL GOAL: To have the baby and give it to the Lorings

INTERNAL GOAL: To get together with Paulie

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Bren and Mark

THEME: Finding true love

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Can Juno find a happy home for her baby and get together with Paulie?

THE ENDING: Juno gives the baby to Vanessa Loring and gets together with Paulie.

ARC: Juno goes from a frightened loner to finding true love with Paulie.

LOGLINE: A pregnant teen must decide between giving her baby to an unstable yuppie couple or keeping it with her estranged high school boyfriend.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1: Juno works up the courage to tell her parents that she’s pregnant, deciding to give the baby up for adoption.

ACT 2A: Juno gets closer to Mark, causing conflict with her stepmom Bren and Vanessa.

ACT 2B: Juno fights with Paulie and learns that Mark is leaving Vanessa.

ACT 3: Juno has the baby, gives it to Vanessa and gets together with Paulie.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1-4 – OPENING: JUNO (Ellen Page) takes her 3rd pregnancy test – still says she's pregnant.

9-10 – INCITING INCIDENT: Juno tells Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) she's pregnant and she plans to get an abortion.

20 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Juno flees the abortion clinic.

26 – END OF ACT ONE TURN (EXTERNAL): Juno tells her father MAC (J.K. Simmons) and stepmom BREN (Allison Janney) that she's pregnant.

27 – END OF ACT TWO TURN(INTERNAL): Juno tells them Bleeker's the father—they break out in laughter!

29 – DECISION (INTERNAL): Juno agrees to let her Dad take her to meet the Lorings, the adoptive couple she found in the Penny Saver.

30 – ACT I ends.

ACT TWO-A

31 – Meet Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner), straightening up her already immaculate home.

40 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: Mark (Jason Bateman) and Juno bond over music, drawing Vanessa's ire.

50 – Juno shows Mark the ultrasound as they bond over horror films, getting closer.

55 – MIDPOINT: Vanessa walks in on Mark and Juno bonding together; Vanessa is suspicious, but then she sees the ultrasound and is happy again.

60 – WAR: Juno fights with her stepmom Bren when Bren tells her not to visit Mark, a married man.

ACT TWO-B

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (INTERNAL): Juno has a big fight with Bleeker because he's taking another girl to the prom; it’s the first time she's showing that she has real feelings for him, but she won't admit it.

77 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (EXTERNAL): Angry, Juno drives back to Mark's house.

85 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (EXTERNAL): Mark tells Vanessa that he wants out of their marriage and the adoption.

87 – DECISION (EXTERNAL): Juno leaves note for Vanessa (we don't know what's in it yet.)

88 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (INTERNAL): Juno goes to her dad in despair about couples and love. He tells her that the one for her is the guy who will always love her, unconditionally.

90 – DECISION (INTERNAL): Juno realizes that Paulie is the one – she leaves to find him.

ACT THREE

94 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Juno kisses Paulie and soon after, at home, her water breaks. Her dad rushes her to the hospital as Paulie runs in his track meet.

98 – CLIMAX (INTERNAL): Paulie joins her at hospital after she's given birth; she cries in his arms, as they deal with the loss of the baby together.

99 – CLIMAX (EXTERNAL): Vanessa cares for her baby at home. She has framed Juno's letter which says, "Vanessa – if you're still in, I'm still in. Juno."

100-101 – EPILOGUE: Juno and her official boyfriend, Paulie, who is "totally boss as far as boyfriends go," sing a song together.

The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network won Aaron Sorkin an Oscar for his screenplay based on the life of Mark Zuckerberg, the young inventor of Facebook. Sorkin’s original script was a whopping 161 pages, mostly due to the “B” story of the lawsuit and Sorkin’s trademark long dialogue exchanges, but the film was 105 minutes (the equivalent of 105 pages). The lesson: You are not Sorkin, so keep your script in the ideal 100-110 page range.

The crucial thing to note in this map is the focus on Theme—Sorkin decided that his treatment of Zuckerberg’s life would be about social status—this “controlled” all of the plot, character development and dialogue in the screenplay. It’s not hard to see where this theme comes from; social networking is the core concept of Facebook; thus, the theme is a no-brainer that essentially guarantees a connection with a broad audience since Facebook is popular all over the world. (If Sorkin had cleverly structured the story like a line of PERL script, I’m guessing it wouldn’t have been so accessible.)

The Social Network (2010)

Biopic Drama

Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin

Directed by David Fincher

115 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: MARK ZUCKERBERG, 20, Harvard student

Skill: Programming genius

Misbehavior: Arrogant

Achilles Heel/Flaw: Insecure

EXTERNAL “A” GOAL: To build Facebook into a billion-dollar company

EXTERNAL “B” GOAL: To win the lawsuit

INTERNAL GOAL: To achieve high social status and recognition (Erica and Eduardo)

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Winklevoss twins/ Sean Parker

THEME: The quest for social status is a lonely pursuit

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Can Mark use Facebook to increase his social status?

THE ENDING: Mark fires Sean Parker, settles the lawsuit and ends up alone, with a final attempt to ‘friend’ his ex-girlfriend.

ARC: Mark goes from an arrogant, immature programmer to being used by Sean Parker and losing his one true friend, Eduardo, to taking responsibility for his own actions.

LOGLINE: A college student invents a revolutionary social networking site which gains him the fame and social status he craved at the cost of his true friendships.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Mark creates a website as a means to get revenge and increase his social status. He launches a company with his friend Eduardo Saverin.

ACT 2A:  Mark and Eduardo launch The Facebook and it becomes a huge success at Harvard as Mark ignores all warnings that he's headed for disaster.

ACT 2B:  Mark moves to Silicon Valley, partners with Sean Parker and pushes out Eduardo.

ACT 3:  Mark allows Sean to cut out Eduardo and Mark must stand on his own and fire Sean and settle in court with the Winklevoss twins, leaving him truly alone.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list. The conference room scenes regarding the lawsuit are not mapped, since, in my humble opinion, this would make the map too long and unwieldy, they always support the “A” line anyway (never vice versa) and act mainly as a framing device.)

ACT ONE

1-5 – OPENING: MARK ZUCKERBERG, out with his girlfriend ERICA at a bar, is obsessed with finals clubs at Harvard "because they're exclusive and they lead to a better life.” Mark insults Erica and she dumps him.

9 – Mark comes home from the bar drunk and blogs hateful things about Erica.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: Mark creates a website called Facemash to rank Harvard women's looks against each other.

13 – EDUARDO SAVERIN, Mark's best friend, provides the algorithm to finish Facemash.

16-19 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Facemash crashes Harvard's network, catching the attention of DIVYA NARENDA and the WINKLEVOSS TWINS, three business majors who are looking for a talented programmer for their startup venture.

20 – At the administrative hearing on the Facemash incident, Mark boldly asks for recognition for locating the holes in the school network's security. He gets none.

25 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Divya and the Winklevoss twins approach Mark about coding an exclusive social network site for Harvard students. Mark accepts.

27 – Eduardo informs Mark he's been "punched by the Phoenix." Eduardo has the chance of getting into a finals club.

28 – DECISION: Mark asks Eduardo for start-up money to create a new social network site exclusive to Harvard.

ACT TWO-A

37 – Mark adds relationship profiles to The Facebook after a discussion with his roommate over a girl.

38 – FIRST TRIAL: Mark takes The Facebook live.

40 – FIRST CASUALTY: Divya finds The Facebook site and hits the roof.

46 – A couple of girls recognize Mark.

48 – COMBAT: Eduardo finds the cease and desist letter from the WInklevoss twins' lawyer that Mark disregarded. They fight.

53 – MIDPOINT (INTERNAL): Mark finds Erica and attempts to apologize, but she rebukes him. Mark expected her to like him because of his increased social status as founder of The Facebook.

55 – MIDPOINT (EXTERNAL): Mark expands the site to Yale, Columbia and, at Eduardo's insistence, Stanford (to gain the attention of Silicon Valley investors).

60 – ONE HOUR WAR: SEAN PARKER, founder of Napster, discovers The Facebook and makes it his mission to find Mark Zuckerberg.

ACT TWO-B

64 – Winklevoss twins approach the President of Harvard to discipline Mark on college ethics charges, but the President refuses to help.

71 – Mark and Eduardo meet Sean in New York City. Sean is a slick salesman: "You know what's cool? A billion dollars." Eduardo doesn't care for Sean, but Mark feels Sean can take Facebook to the next level.

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR: Mark decides to move to California, but needs more money. Facebook hits 150,000 members.

78 – ASSUMPTION OF POWER: At a big party (similar to final club initiations), Mark has programmers compete to intern for Facebook. Eduardo gives Mark the $18k he needs for California.

80 – Sean Parker appears at the Facebook California house.

85-88 – END OF ACT TWO TURN AND DECISION (EXTERNAL &  INTERNAL): Sean promises Mark that he will take Facebook global. Mark invites him to live at the house and essentially replace Eduardo as the business face of the company. (This integrates the External line (Facebook) and the Internal line (Mark's friendship with Eduardo) into one "A" line of action, with the legal case as the "B" line).

89 – After losing a race in England, Divya and Winklevoss twins discover that Mark has expanded Facebook to England and beyond. Cameron Winklevoss finally agrees to sue Mark.

ACT THREE

90-92 – Eduardo shows up in California, shocked to find Sean representing Facebook. Mark is ambivalent.

94 – Eduardo freezes Facebook's bank accounts, putting Facebook's reputation at risk.

95 – Peter Thiel, an investor lined up by Sean, puts $500,000 into Facebook.

97-99 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Mark asks Eduardo to return to California and be the CFO of Facebook, but when they have him sign his new papers, we know they're secretly planning to cut Eduardo out of the company.

104 – Eduardo's share investment in Facebook goes from 30% to .03% ownership. Mark tells Eduardo that he should have had a lawyer look over the contracts.

107 – Facebook hits one million members.

110 – Sean's arrested at a party where he’s found with cocaine and an underage girl (a Facebook intern).

111 – CLIMAX (“A” STORY): Sean calls Mark from jail. Mark fires Sean.

113 – CLIMAX ("B" STORY): Mark agrees to pay Eduardo and the Winklevoss twins and move on with his life and the company.

115 – EPILOGUE: Mark finds Erica's Facebook page and sends her a friend request.

Hustle & Flow (2005)

Hustle & Flow is a gritty and inspiring music drama that adheres exactly to the Story Map.

I include this sample because the film was shot on a shoestring budget (approximately $200-$300,000) and yet garnered two Oscar nominations (and one win) and put its writer/director on the map. In general, your odds of selling a script increase if it can be produced at a low budget. Avoid CGI and car chases and invest in a nice hook, strong structure and fascinating characters and you’ll inspire producers to invest in you.

Hustle & Flow (2005)

Independent Music Drama

Written and Directed by Craig Brewer

110 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: DJAY, pimp and weed dealer

Skill: Hustler

Misbehavior: Impatient

Flaw/Achilles Heel: Violent rage

EXTERNAL GOAL: To make it as a rapper

INTERNAL GOAL: To support Nola/get together with Shug

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Lack of resources/ Skinny Black

THEME: Everyone needs a dream

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Can Djay escape his mundane existence and make it as a rapper?

THE ENDING: Djay hustles Skinny Black, beats him up and goes to jail but his song becomes a hit on the radio

ARC: Djay goes from a dead-end existence in poverty to realizing his dream of becoming a hit rapper.

LOGLINE: A dirt-poor pimp in Memphis struggles to launch a career as a rapper, planning to hustle a local success story to get famous.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Djay starts to experiment with music and recruits his old friend Key to help him.

ACT 2A:  Djay records his music, eliminating any threats to his success and bonding with Shug.

ACT 2B:  Djay completes his demo and works his hustle on Skinny Black.

ACT 3:  Djay gets in a shootout, goes to jail and his song becomes a hit on the radio.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1 – OPENING: DJay, a poor pimp and weed dealer in Memphis, gives one of his hustles, a speech that he'll reference throughout the story that states the theme: "What do you want to do with your life?"

6 – ARNEL asks DJay to bring his best weed for famous rapper Skinny Black to his July 4th party.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: Djay buys a keyboard from a crackhead, starts playing music.

20 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Djay watches his old friend KEY record a singer in church. Djay is deeply affected, cries.

27 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Djay shows up at Key's home in the suburbs to recruit him for the band. Tension is high because Djay has brought two of his hos and Key's wife Yvette is a conservative woman.

28 –DECISION: Djay pulls out his keyboard to audition his raps for Key. Key joins in.

30 – Key joins the crew, ending Act One.

ACT TWO-A

40 – FIRST TRIAL: Djay and his crew record their first song: “Whoop that Trick.”

45 – FIRST CASUALTY: A troubled Key tells Djay he needs the music to be successful or he will feel like a failure to his wife.

46 – COMBAT: Djay fights with Lexus, kicks her and her baby out of the house after she belittles him about his dream of being a rapper.

55 – MIDPOINT: After a big fight with the guys, Djay recruits Shug to sing on his song, “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.” Although it’s tense, they bond, leading to their inevitable union.

60 – ONE HOUR TRIUMPH: The song turns out amazing and Shug is elated.

ACT TWO-B

75 – DOW/AOP: Djay sings his final song, “Keep Hustlin',” his most personal and accomplished yet, as he prepares to meet Skinny Black. He's ready to make his final move to capture his dream.

87 – END OF ACT TWO TURN: Djay's first attempt to hustle Skinny Black fails; he hits bottom.

88 – DECISION: Djay RISKS ALL to confront Skinny Black with an aggressive, brilliant hustle.

90 – It works. Djay hooks Skinny Black, ending Act Two.

ACT THREE

100 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Djay gets in a shootout and is chased out of the club.

107 – CLIMAX: Djay’s song “Whoop That Trick” becomes a hit song!

110 – EPILOGUE: Two prison guards give Djay their demo tape. He’s now the star that others are trying to hustle. He says: "You know what they say? Everybody got to have a dream."

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a flawless classic and my favorite film of all time. It is the benchmark of the action/adventure genre and features one of the most iconic heroes in cinema history.

Structurally, the script is driven by brilliant action sequences and effortless setups and payoffs. One of the most interesting choices is Indiana Jones’ “method of defeat” by which he finally wins the ark. After driving, swinging, jumping, punching and kicking his way through the entire film, his climactic action is a “soft” one: to close his eyes out of respect for the supernatural power of the Ark of the Covenant. The archaeologist who didn’t believe in “hocus pocus” has learned to believe in something beyond history, saving his life and that of his love interest, Marion.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Action/Adventure

Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan

Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman

Directed by Steven Spielberg

110 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: INDIANA JONES, teacher and archaeologist

Skill: Fearless adventurer and archaeologist

Misbehavior: Impulsive and clumsy

Achilles Heel/Flaw: Afraid of snakes

EXTERNAL GOAL: To recover the Ark of the Covenant

INTERNAL GOAL: To protect Marion and respect the Ark

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Belloq/ the Nazi’s

THEME: Respect for the supernatural

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Can Indy recover the ark from the Nazi’s?

ENDING: The ark is opened and Indy closes his eyes, saving himself and Marion.

ARC: Indy goes from a lone, jaded atheist to a loving boyfriend and believer.

LOGLINE: A fearless archaeologist teams up with his scrappy, jaded ex-girlfriend to hunt down and capture a religious relic before the Nazi’s can obtain it.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1: Indiana Jones barely survives a quest in Peru and accepts the mission to find his old mentor and recover the Ark.

ACT 2A: Indy teams up with Marion and Sallah and finds the Ark, but he is thwarted by Belloq.

ACT 2B: Indy chases the Nazi’s and recovers the ark.

ACT 3: Indy loses the ark, chases it and survives as it kills the Nazi’s. He and Marion make it back home safely, while the Ark is filed away in an anonymous Army warehouse.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1-9 – OPENING: INDIANA JONES navigates a series of obstacles in a sacred cave to find a golden idol and barely escapes as the cave crumbles around him.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: BELLOQ, Indy’s arch-nemesis, takes the idol from Indy.

12 – Indy makes a narrow escape in his buddy’s plane.

17-20 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD (EXTERNAL): The ARMY INTELLIGENCE MEN hire Indy to find his mentor Abner Ravenwood to locate the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazi’s obtain it and use it as the ultimate weapon. The first goal will be to recover the headpiece to the staff of Ra.

22 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD (INTERNAL):Indy laughs at Marcus’ warning about the power of the Ark. He takes a flight to Asia while a Nazi spy eyes him.

23 – Meet MARION RAVENWOOD, proprietor of a cantina in Nepal, who defeats a larger man in a whiskey drinking contest.

25 – Indy walks in and she punches him. He broke her heart ten years ago. She tells him her father Abner is dead. Indy pays her some money for the headpiece and she tells him to return the next day.

28 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Nazi agent TOHT and his goons arrive, demanding the headpiece.

30 – DECISION: Indy returns to save Marion. They get in an extended firefight with the Nazi’s.

33 – Marion’s bar burns down so she joins Indy on his quest, giving him the headpiece.

ACT TWO-A

34 – In Cairo, they recruit SALLAH to help them locate the Ark.

36 – Sallah warns Indy about the Ark, but, once again, Indy ignores the warning.

38 – FIRST TRIAL: Indy fights off ASSASSINS and Marion is kidnapped and put in a truck.

42 – FIRST CASUALTY: The truck explodes. Indy thinks Marion has been killed.

45 – COMBAT: Indy faces off with Belloq in a café. Belloq intends to find the ark for himself, not the Nazi’s, calling it a “radio for speaking to God.” Indy is held at gunpoint, but is saved by Sallah’s children.

54 – MIDPOINT (EXTERNAL): Indy uses the staff of Ra in the map room to find the location of the ark.

55 – MIDPOINT (INTERNAL): Marion is alive! But Indy leaves her tied up so his mission will not be compromised.

60 – ONE HOUR WAR: Indy and Sallah open up the Well of Souls, finding it is full of thousands of poisonous snakes.

ACT TWO-B

68 – Indy and Sallah raise the Ark from its resting place.

70 – The Nazi’s take the Ark and seal Indy and Marion in the Well of Souls with the hundreds of poisonous snakes.

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER: Indy finds a way out and they escape, leading to Indy fighting the huge German soldier on the air field as Marion guns down Nazi’s in the war plane.

80 – Indy saves Marion from the exploding plane and chases after Belloq, who speeds out of town with the Ark in the back of his truck.

85 – Indy fights to take over the truck.

89 – END OF ACT TWO TURN: Indy recovers the Ark!

90 – DECISION: They say goodbye to Sallah and board a freighter with the Ark in stow.

ACT THREE

93 – Indy and Marion kiss but Indy falls asleep.

96 – The Nazi’s board the ship and Belloq takes Marion!

97 – Indy straps himself to the Nazi sub and rides it to their destination: a remote island off the coast of Greece.

100 – Belloq convinces the Nazi Captain to open the ark the next day.

102 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Indy threatens to blow up the Ark with a rocket launcher. Belloq calls his bluff and Indy is captured.

105 – The Ark is opened, unleashing an incredible supernatural force.

106 – CLIMAX: Indy tells Marion to shut her eyes, he does the same. The Ark kills all of the Nazi’s, including Belloq, and it seals itself once more.

109 – EPILOGUE: Back in the U.S., the Army Intelligence Men won’t tell Indy and Marcus the whereabouts of the Ark. Marion takes Indy for a drink.

110 – The Ark is sealed in a crate and put into a stack in a massive Army warehouse, lost forever.

Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan is a tight, merciless thriller that forges one, driving throughline that is supported by every character and element in the story. In order to become the Black Swan and achieve her dream of ballet perfection, Nina must prove to her director Thomas that she can transform herself on stage, fight off her mother’s attempts to stifle her and defeat her rival Lily, all while suffering from the rapid deterioration of her psyche. She loses the battle for her mind but she achieves her artistic dream, dancing a perfect Black Swan, at the ultimate cost of her life.

The script is separated into very clear sections with high-stakes story engines. There isn’t a single wasted moment as it shows us Nina’s world through her eyes, challenging us to delineate between reality and fantasy. You may suspect there’s a supernatural element or you may never doubt it’s all in Nina’s head; either way, it still works because the Central Dramatic Question remains the same: can Nina finish the play? Make sure to watch it twice to pick up on all of the little clues and details.

Black Swan (2010)

Psychological Thriller

Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andrés Heinz and John McLaughlin

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

102 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: NINA SAYERS, young ballerina

Skill: Ballet dancing

Misbehavior: Obsession

Achilles Heel/Flaw: Schizophrenia

EXTERNAL/INTERNAL GOAL: To become the Black Swan

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Thomas/ Lily/ her Mother/ Herself

THEME: Artistic obsession leads to madness.

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Can Nina perform the Black Swan without losing her mind?

THE ENDING: Nina finishes the ballet, reaching perfection, and dies of her self-inflicted wound.

ARC: Nina goes from a shy, sheltered dancer to a schizophrenic who kills herself for perfection.

LOGLINE: A fragile dancer wins the coveted lead role in Swan Lake and must overcome her overbearing stage mother, a jealous rival, a controlling director and her own schizophrenia if she is to survive opening night.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Nina fights for the role of the Swan Queen and wins it, accepting her new status as a star.

ACT 2A:  Nina gets closer to Thomas and struggles to let herself go as he pushes her to her limit.

ACT 2B:  Nina battles with her mother and Lily as she goes insane.

ACT 3:  The show. Nina transforms completely into the Black Swan and dies right after her final leap.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1-3 – OPENING: Nina’s dream sequence; she’s dancing as the white swan with Rothbart, the evil black bird.

4 – Nina’s stage MOTHER finds scratches on Nina’s back. Nina dismisses her.

5 – Nina sees a girl who could be her twin on the subway train.

5 – In the dressing room at the Metropolitan Opera House, all the ballerinas are trashing Beth, the “old” star. Nina is the only one to defend Beth.

7 – LILY arrives, late. She’s Thomas’ new discovery, fresh from San Francisco.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: The director, THOMAS, announces he is looking for a new swan queen, the girl who can best dance the white swan and the black swan. Nina is chosen for the small group to audition for the lead.

12 – BETH, the former star, trashes her dressing room in a rage and runs out. Nina sits in Beth’s chair, looks into her mirror, steals her lipstick.

13 – Nina’s audition; she falters on her black swan dance and her audition is cut short when Lily loudly enters the room, stealing Thomas’ attention.

15 – Nina passes her doppelgänger on the sidewalk. Is she hallucinating?

21 – Nina appeals to Thomas to give her the role. She wants to be perfect, but he tells her that’s her problem. To dance the black swan, she must learn to let go of herself.

21 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Thomas kisses her and she bites him. (This action wins her the role)

23 – Nina gets the lead role! She calls her Mother, with tears of joy, but she’s shocked to find “Whore” written on the bathroom mirror.

25 – She finds fresh, bloody scratches on her back.

27 – Nina begins her serious training – she struggles in rehearsal – Thomas is still not convinced she can dance the Black Swan.

29 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Thomas points out Lily’s effortless style, says she’s “not faking it.” Lily is everything Nina is not.

30 – DECISION: Installed in Beth’s dressing room, Nina removes her cheap earrings, shedding her old persona, ready to be the star.

ACT TWO-A

30 – Thomas ushers Nina into her “new world,” an elegant ball filled with wealthy donors.

31 – Thomas announces Beth, his “little princess,” is retiring. Beth leaves the room, in tears, and Thomas introduces Nina as their new star.

32 – In the bathroom, Nina peels off the skin on her finger, but then it heals. Was it just in her head?

35 – Beth, drunk, calls Nina a whore, accusing her of getting the role by sleeping with Thomas.

37 – At Thomas’ apartment, he gives Nina a homework assignment to touch herself to help her let go of her inhibitions and get in touch with the black swan side of her persona.

38 – Mother notices Nina’s new earrings and finds more scratches on Nina’s back, flips out; she’s scared that Nina can’t handle the pressure. Nina apparently has a history of scratching herself.

39-40 – FIRST TRIAL: Nina fails to make herself orgasm.

41 – FIRST CASUALTY: The dancers are told Beth was hit by a car; Thomas thinks she did it on purpose. Thomas mentions that Beth was thrilling to watch on stage, “even perfect at times.” Nina feels responsible.

48-49 Thomas fondles Nina and leaves her in tears with the charge that she seduce the audience like he seduced her.

51 – Nina tries to masturbate in the tub, but she stops when she sees a hallucination of Lily and finds fresh blood and scratches on her fingers.

52 – MIDPOINT: For a split second, Nina’s face turns evil (a premonition of the Black Swan).

ACT TWO-B

60 – ONE HOUR WAR: Lily gives her drugs at a club, Nina loses control.

67 – Huge fight with Mother when Nina gets home late.

69 – Nina has sex with Lily, hallucinates that Lily is her, and Nina finally orgasms.

71 – The next morning, Nina wakes up late and Lily is gone. Nina arrives late to rehearsal to find Lily is dancing her part.

73 – Lily tells Nina she didn’t sleep over last night; Nina must have hallucinated. Is that true or is Lily toying with her?

74 – Nina throws out her stuffed animals, no more girlish ways.

75 – ASSUMPTION OF POWER/DECLARATION OF WAR: Nina rehearses the final act with newfound vigor – she jumps onto the mattress and Thomas gives her a thumbs up!

76 – While being measured by the costumer, Nina sees her doppelgänger in the mirror – her visions are escalating in intensity.

77 – When Lily is named Nina’s alternate, Nina begs Thomas not to use her because she thinks Lily is after her. Thomas tells her to rest because tomorrow is her big debut.

78 – Nina practices late into the night as her mental state declines and her visions take over. She’s losing control.

81 – Nina visits Beth in the hospital and tries to return the items that she stole from her dressing room (including her diamond earrings).

82 – Beth stabs herself in the face! Nina runs out into the elevator, realizes she’s holding the bloody knife.

83 – Nina is going completely crazy now – her mother’s pictures come alive and she pulls a black feather out of her back. She’s metamorphosing into the black swan.

85 –END OF ACT TWO TURN: Nina attacks her mother; her legs crack and distort; she falls, knocked out.

87 – Nina arrives at the Met to find that Lily is ready to play her role because her mother called in to say she was sick. Nina pulls rank and insists Thomas put her on.

88 – Nina discovers she has webbed feet!

89 – DECISION: Nina enters the stage for the SHOW.

ACT THREE

91 – Nina dances, still seeing visions of herself; she falls, then recovers, commits, but the damage is done; Thomas is pissed.

93 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: During intermission, Nina finds Lily in her dressing room, they fight. Lily turns into Nina’s doppelgänger and Nina stabs her. Lily is dead.

94 – Nina drags Lily’s body into the closet, her eyes turn red and she goes onstage for Act Two.

95-97 – Nina dances in a frenzy as the Black Swan – she’s amazing! She finally lets herself go, her transformation like a drug in her system as her body sprouts wings!

97 – Nina gets a curtain call, then kisses Thomas passionately. One more act to go.

98 – Back in her dressing room, there’s a knock on the door -- it’s Lily, alive! Lily congratulates her.

99 –Nina looks down: she’s stabbed herself in the stomach! She’s bleeding out.

100 – Nina powders over her tears, preparing for the final act.

101 – CLIMAX: Nina finishes the ballet as the White Swan, concluding with her jump onto the mattress. Thomas and Lily rush up to congratulate her as the crowd cheers, seeing that she’s bleeding to death.

102 – Thomas asks, “My little princess, what did you do?” Nina whispers, “Perfect. It was perfect.” and she dies.

Sex and the City (2008)

Sex and the City took proven, beloved characters from the television series and wove them into a classic Hollywood Romantic Comedy for the big screen. The first rule of the TV adaptation is “go bigger,” so they gave all of the women life-changing conflicts to navigate. As in the series, Carrie’s arc is the anchor—she’s the main Protagonist in this ensemble piece—and her relationship with Miranda is her most crucial friendship. There’s a lot of ground to cover with so many characters and lines of action, but by utilizing active devices and extending Act Three, the script is up to the task. For the iconic character who always lived for fashion, the climax is the ultimate sacrifice, and a bold choice by the writer, to throw out the couture and get hitched in City Hall.

Sex and the City (2008)

Screenplay by Michael Patrick King

Based on the characters from the book by Candace Bushnell

Directed by Michael Patrick King

136 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: CARRIE BRADSHAW, 40s, newspaper columnist

Skill: Loyal friend

Misbehavior: Jaded

Achilles Heel/Flaw: Blames everyone but herself

EXTERNAL GOAL: To get married to Big

INTERNAL GOAL: To help her friends, most notably, Miranda

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Big/ Herself

THEME: Don’t give up on love

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Can Carrie and Big live happily ever after?

THE ENDING: Carrie and Big get married, on their own terms.

ARC: Carrie goes from a publicly jilted bride to marrying the man she’s always wanted.

LOGLINE: A sex columnist is left at the altar and must learn to forgive and trust in love once again so she can marry her long-time partner.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1: Carrie and Big decide to marry and Carrie leaves behind her old apartment and the single life.

ACT 2A: Carrie plans an excessive wedding and Big backs out, leaving her devastated.

ACT 2B: Carrie turns to her friends and her new personal assistant to help her get her life in order, and she helps them through their own personal crises.

ACT 3: Carrie owns up to her actions and she and Big reunite and get married.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1-4 – OPENING: Carrie recaps the lives of the four women as she and Big/John, now a happy couple, go apartment hunting.

6 – The realtor refers to Carrie and Big as husband and wife. Big surprises Carrie by telling her he has bought the penthouse for them.

7 – Carrie brags to Charlotte and Miranda about the penthouse.  Miranda expresses concerns that the penthouse isn’t hers so what rights does she have if they break up?

9 – At an auction, Samantha bids on a ring but loses out to a mysterious bidder on the phone.

10 –Carrie is told that the woman who is having the auction was kicked out by her wealthy boyfriend and she couldn’t do anything about it legally because they weren’t married.

11 – INCITING INCIDENT: Big suggests they get married.  Carrie agrees.

15 – Carrie asks Samantha to be her maid of honor.

18 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Carrie’s Vogue photo shoot as “the last single girl” is quite over the top.

23 – Carrie wants her dream wedding to be held at the New York Public Library.

25 – Steve and Miranda have sex but she just wants to get it over with because she has to get up in the morning.  Steve mentions to her that they never have sex any more.

29 – Samantha’s boyfriend Smith gives her the ring she tried to buy herself.

31 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Big shows Carrie the dream closet he had built for her.  It is her materialistic dream, come true.

32 – DECISION: Carrie packs up her old apartment. She models her 80s outfits for her friends, officially saying goodbye to her single self.

ACT TWO-A

34 – Steve confesses his affair to Miranda.

38 – Big calls the wedding a circus.  He wants something smaller.

40 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: At the rehearsal dinner, one of the guys mentions Big’s previous marriages, troubling him.

42 – Steve shows up at the rehearsal dinner and begs Miranda to forgive him. They fight.

43 – Miranda tells Big he’s crazy to get married because marriage ruins everything.

45 – The night before the wedding, Big calls Carrie.  He’s having cold feet and needs reassurance. He doesn’t want another failed marriage.

47-54 – MIDPOINT: The day of the wedding is a disaster when Big tries to back out, and then changes his mind, but it’s too late. Carrie is so humiliated she attacks him in the street. The wedding is called off.

57 – Miranda wants to tell Carrie about what she said to Big but Charlotte tells her that now isn’t the right time.

ACT TWO-B

57-67 – Carrie takes the ladies on her honeymoon vacation. Carrie is so depressed she can’t even laugh.

68 – Charlotte poops her pants and Carrie finally laughs!

73 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (Carrie): Carrie hires Louise, a personal assistant to help her get her life back on track.

73 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (Miranda): Miranda searches for an apartment on her own.

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (Charlotte): After years of infertility, Charlotte learns she is pregnant.

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (Samantha): Samantha confesses to Smith that she feels unfulfilled and doesn’t have any connection to Los Angeles.

77 – Louise finds emails from Big, but Carrie tells her to bury them.

83 – After fighting the urge to have sex with her hunky neighbor, Samantha buys a dog with sexual impulse issues because she can identify with her.

85 – Louise talks about her break up with her ex-boyfriend and how she is not giving up on love.  She shows Carrie her keychain with the word Love on it.

88 – Charlotte admits she’s afraid to jog because she might lose the baby.  She has everything she’s ever wanted and she’s afraid she will lose it. Carrie supports her and Charlotte goes on a run.

89 – Carrie and Louise exchange Christmas gifts.

91 – Miranda cries after Steve picks up Brady for New Year’s.

92 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (EXTERNAL): On New Year’s Eve, Carrie tries to write about love but can’t.

93 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (INTERNAL): Carrie gets a call from Miranda.  She is alone and upset. Carrie offers to come over but Miranda says no.

94 – END OF ACT TWO DECISIONS: New Year’s Eve montage: Carrie trudges through snow.  A very pregnant Charlotte and Harry Celebrate the New Year with Lily.  Samantha and Smith exchange gifts.  Louise is back home at a party when her ex-boyfriend WILL shows up.  Big eats dinner at a restaurant alone.  Steve and Brady sleeping.  Carrie shows up at Miranda’s three seconds to midnight.  Stanford Blatch and Anthony kiss at the stroke of midnight. Harry and Charlotte have sex.

ACT THREE

98 – At Fashion Week, Miranda reminisces about the good times she had with Steve. Charlotte asks Miranda to reconsider and forgive Steve. Miranda refuses.

100 – Animal rights activists throw red paint on Samantha’s fur coat. Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte are appalled but Samantha is just glad to be back in New York!

101 – Carrie meets Louise’s boyfriend, Will.  They are now happily back together.

103 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN (EXTERNAL): At a Valentine’s Day Dinner, Carrie tells Miranda she looked at the Vogue issue and how it is her fault Big didn’t marry her.  It was all about her and not them.

104 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN (INTERNAL): Miranda confesses to Carrie that she told Big he was crazy to get married.

107 – Samantha and Smith fight after he misses her romantic surprise dinner (she had covered her naked body in sushi!).

110 –Miranda and Steve try to reconcile at couples counseling.

111 – Carrie and Miranda walk through the park and talk about Miranda’s difficult decision about Steve. Carrie tells Miranda to base her decision on her emotions and not on logic.

114 – Miranda waits on the Brooklyn Bridge for Steve. He shows and they reunite.

120 – Samantha leaves Smith. She still loves him but needs to focus on herself.  She offers to give the ring back, but he wants her to keep it.

124 – Big runs into Charlotte at a restaurant; her water breaks and he takes her to the hospital.

125 – Carrie comes to the hospital to visit Charlotte and the new baby. Charlotte tells her about Big taking her to the hospital and Harry tells her that Big never got a response to his letters.

128 – Carrie types in “love” as the password and sees Big’s many romantic emails.

130 – Carrie goes to the penthouse to get her shoes before the new owners take over and Big is there, in the closet. They embrace, he proposes and she says yes.

134 – CLIMAX: Carrie and Big marry at City Hall – just the two of them.

135-136 – EPILOGUE: Carrie gives a reading of her new book for her fans. The four women celebrate Samantha’s fiftieth birthday.

Meet The Parents (2000)

Meet The Parents is a classic example of a well-executed, high concept comedy that uses every dramatic element and beat of the Story Map. The script is a benchmark for a character-driven Hollywood comedy. The quintessential “date movie.”

The story is a great study in escalating conflict and clever complications, built on the foundation of the theme of “trust.”

Meet The Parents (2000)

Comedy

Story by Greg Glienna & Mary Ruth Clarke

Screenplay by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg

Directed by Jay Roach

104 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST:  GREG FOCKER, male nurse

Misbehavior: He lies

Skill: Kindness

Flaw/Achilles Heel: Liar

EXTERNAL GOAL: To win over Jack

INTERNAL GOAL: To propose to Pam

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT:  Jack

THEME: Trust

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION:  Will Greg get Jack's approval and ask Pam to marry him?

ENDING: Greg passes Jack's lie-detector test and proposes to Pam.

ARC: Greg goes from being a suspect of Jack's to winning over Jack.

LOGLINE: A male nurse tries to win over his girlfriend's father, a former CIA interrogator, to get his approval to marry his daughter.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Greg tries to talk to Jack but gets into increasing trouble.

ACT 2A:  Greg tries to navigate Jack's rules but always blows it.

ACT 2B:  Greg keeps lying and causes more disasters, leading to Jack kicking him out.

ACT 3:  Greg tries to fly home but Jack stops him and gives him the final test. Greg must tell the truth to win over Jack and Pam.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1-2 – OPENING – montage: pictures of PAM; song is “A fool in love,” shows his adoration for her.

2-3 – GREG FOCKER (Ben Stiller) practices his marriage proposal on a male patient while giving him a catheter.  Greg is a nurse.

6 – Greg orchestrates a romantic proposal to PAM (Teri Polo) using her grade school students, in which he tells his first lie, but he's interrupted when he learns that her sister Debbie is  getting married in 2 weeks. Debbie's fiancé got their Dad a gift and asked for his permission. Greg decides to delay his proposal until after he's met Pam's Dad and asked for his daughter's hand in marriage.

7 – The airline loses Greg's suitcase–the engagement ring is in the suitcase.

8 – Greg and Pam arrive at her parents' house. Pam throws Greg’s cigarettes on the roof and tells him not to tell her dad they're living together, which he thought she already did – her first lie. Greg watches as Pam goes through an elaborate greeting with her Dad.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT : Greg meets the parents, JACK (Robert DeNiro) and DINA (Blythe Danner). Jack gets in his first underhanded insults on Greg. Jack is a very suspicious person.

11 – Greg meets “Mr. Jinx” the cat; Jack brags about training Jinx to use the toilet and he warns Greg not to let Jinx outside. Pam says Greg hates cats; Jack is suspect; Greg tries to deny it.

16 – Jack shows Greg his hidden security cams, a side business he's working on. He asks Greg, how do you know if you can really trust someone?

18 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Jack gets a secret call, lies about it to the family and makes up a phony excuse to run to the store. Pam pushes Greg to go with Jack to the store.

20 – In the car, Greg tries to talk to Jack about his upcoming proposal, but Jack just grills Greg over not liking cats. Jack explains how a dog is easy to break, but cats make you work for their affection. It's clear he's testing Greg, maybe trying to “break” him.

21 – Greg tells Jack that Jack's favorite song, “Puff the Magic Dragon” is a drug reference. Jack: “Are you a pothead, Focker?”

23 – In the parking lot of the store, Greg sees Jack making a hand-off with a strange man, and Greg knows Jack was lying about his reason to go to the store. Greg lies that he grew up on a farm.

25 – Jack pushes Greg to say grace at the dinner table even though Greg is Jewish. Greg lies that he's said grace many times, but it's obvious he's making it up as he goes along.  It’s ridiculous.

27 – Jack reads his awful poem about his dead mother and breaks down into tears.

28 – EVENT/TURN (EXTERNAL): Jack challenges Greg about the farm he grew up on in an attempt to discredit him to Pam.

DECISION (EXTERNAL): Greg makes up a story about milking a cat.

31-32 – EVENT/TURN (INTERNAL): Greg finds out Pam was engaged before to Kevin.

DECISION (INTERNAL): Greg accidentally knocks over the vase with grandma's remains. The vase shatters and Mr. Jinx pees in the ashes!

ACT TWO-A

34 – Greg and Pam start to fool around, Jack interrupts them.

35 – Mother tells Greg not to flush the toilet in the guest room. Jack tells him to “keep his snake in the cage for 72 hours,” no sex in his home.

36 – Greg walks in on Jinx on the toilet.

37 – Greg finds Jack's secret room with CIA files and a vintage polygraph machine. He sees a note that says “Ko Samui.”

39-40 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: Jack gives Greg a lie-detector test, grills him.

42 – Pam tells Greg that Jack is a retired CIA operative, a professional interrogator. Greg is even more intimidated.

43 – Greg refuses to have sex with Pam, to respect Jack's rules.

44-45 – COMBAT: Jack wakes up Greg, tells him of the Burns family “circle of trust” and makes Greg agree to not keep anything from him so Greg can stay in the circle.

48 – Greg finds Pam's brother DENNY smoking pot. Denny pins his hash pipe on Greg, so Jack confronts Greg.

50-52 – MIDPOINT (EXTERNAL): Jack gives Greg a serious warning – “I will be watching you. If you are trying to corrupt my first born child, I will bring you down.  Bring you down to Chinatown!”

55 – MIDPOINT (INTERNAL): At his mansion, Pam's ex KEVIN (Owen Wilson) shows them the ornate altar he carved by hand out of a single piece of wood, winning favor with Jack. Kevin still keeps framed photos of himself and Pam in his house.

60 –ONE HOUR WAR: Greg spikes the volleyball in Debbie's face, breaking her nose two days before her wedding!

ACT TWO-B

61 – Greg gets his suitcase back from airline.

63 – Greg lies to Jack about not flushing the toilet.

64 – The cesspool overflows. Kevin backs his truck in, flinging poop all over the family.

65 – The airline gave Greg the wrong suitcase.

66 – Jack looks in the suitcase, finds panties, a dildo and a whip. Greg accidentally lets Jinx outside.

67 – Jack runs a background check on Greg while Greg chases Jinx on the roof. Jack finds out Greg didn't take the MCATs as Pam had told him he did.

68-72 – Jack tells Pam that Greg lied to her; she sticks up for Greg. Greg hears Jack speaking Thai on the phone. Greg accidentally lights the arch on fire! Runs away. Pam volunteers Greg to find Jinx. Greg finds a cat at an animal shelter, but it has a white tail, not all black like Jinx.

74 – DECLARATION OF WAR: Greg triumphantly delivers the cat – the hero returned! He's back in good graces with the family. They toast him at dinner, laugh at his jokes for the first time.

75 – ASSUMPTION OF POWER: Jack tells Greg he's back in the circle of trust. Meanwhile, the cat is destroying the den, including the wedding dress.

77 – Jack calls his voicemail and finds out from his neighbor that Greg didn't find Jinx.

78-81 – Greg and Jack drag race in their cars in an attempt to get home first; Jack wins.

82 – Family finds the den is trashed by the imposter cat. Jack discovers Greg spray-painted the cat's tail! Even Pam and her mother turn against him.

85 – EVENT/TURN (EXTERNAL): Greg tries to fight back by revealing Jack's own lie, “Operation Ko Samui,” but it backfires; Jack reveals it was a surprise honeymoon for the couple and Greg just blew it. Jack kicks him out.

87 – Greg's suitcase finally arrives.  His real name is “Gaylord M. Focker.” (yet another thing he didn't tell Pam)

87 – EVENT/TURN (INTERNAL): Pam refuses to go with Greg, choosing to stay with her dad.

DECISION (EXTERNAL & INTERNAL): Greg drives off, buys ticket at airport for fare difference of $1,137.11.

88-90 – Pam gets fax from Greg's parents of his MCAT scores, showing her dad was wrong. She and Dina confront Jack about being too harsh and trying to run Pam's life.

ACT THREE

91 – Pam leaves Greg a voicemail, apologizing to him. Jack hears her.

92 – Jack calls his source, gets Greg's flight information and drives to the airport.

93-95 – Greg fights with airline attendant because he refuses to check his bag. He's detained by security and interrogated.

96 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Jack gives Greg a lie-detector test while holding his wrists. Greg is truthful. He admits that he's terrified of Jack and this has made him question an engagement.

99 – CLIMAX (EXTERNAL): Jack pulls out ring, asks Greg to be his son-in-law.

101 – CLIMAX (INTERNAL): Greg proposes to Pam. She accepts.

102 – EPILOGUE: Debbie's wedding. Greg sits in the front row in-between Jack and Dina.

102 – EPILOGUE (BUTTON): Jack watches his security videos of Greg.  Greg did flush the toilet. Greg mocks Jack to his camera.

The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix puts a fresh spin on the classic tale of “The One,” which is a variation of the Hero’s Journey that tells the origin story of a protagonist (usually a seemingly “normal” person) who must accept his genetic gifts to transform into a super-hero (e.g., Hancock, Wanted, Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace). Neo is taken into a “new world,” trained by a Mentor and a team and given successive trials that escalate in stakes to test not only his physical skills but his belief in he as the destined hero: The One.

The One archetype is different from a standard Hero’s cycle in that the protagonist is told from the beginning that they have a special genetic quality that sets them apart, if only they can learn to harness it. Their arc becomes the steps toward them fulfilling the prophecy and accepting themselves as the protector/messiah/champion.

The Matrix (1999)

Science Fiction Action

Written and Directed by Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski

128 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: NEO, early 30's, computer programmer/hacker and reluctant hero

Skill: Ability to manipulate the Matrix

Misbehavior: Disrespect of authority

Flaw/Achilles Heel: Doubt

EXTERNAL GOAL: To defeat Agent Smith and overthrow the AI that has enslaved humanity

INTERNAL GOAL: To accept his role as the One and love Trinity

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Neo's own self-doubt / Agent Smith

THEME: Free will vs. Destiny

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Will Neo overcome his fears and doubts in time to defeat Agent Smith and save Morpheus and the Nebuchadnezzar?

ENDING: Neo defeats Agent Smith, paving the way for a future in which mankind is no longer imprisoned within the Matrix.

ARC: Neo goes from a self-doubting introvert to a seasoned warrior, fully in command of his powers and unafraid to face his doubts.

LOGLINE: In a post-apocalyptic future, a rebellious hacker must overthrow the A.I. that has imprisoned humanity in a computer-generated dream world.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Pursued by mysterious computer criminals and sinister Agents, hacker Neo searches for the answer to the question "What is the Matrix?" Morpheus offers to show him.

ACT 2A:  Neo trains to fulfill his role as "the One," a man who can save humanity by altering the Matrix as he wishes.

ACT 2B:  Neo is forced into a position in which he can save Morpheus and Zion, the last free human outpost, only by sacrificing himself.

ACT 3:  Neo battles the Agents. With Trinity’s love, he rises from death, defeats the Agents and fulfills his destiny as the One.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1- 5 – OPENING: TRINITY and MORPHEUS evade the evil AGENTS. The Agents begin to look for NEO, a reclusive hacker, who is being watched by MORPHEUS.

6 – Meet John Anderson, a.k.a. NEO

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: Neo meets Trinity, who tells him that he has the ability to find the answer to the question “What is the Matrix?” but it must be his choice to find it.

13 – INCITING INCIDENT (EXTERNAL): Morpheus calls Neo to warn him of the Agents that are coming to kill him. He tries to talk Neo through an escape but Neo is afraid and fails.

19 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Neo is caught by the Agents and “bugged” by AGENT SMITH so Neo will lead them to Morpheus.

27 – END OF ACT ONE EVENT/TURN: Neo meets Morpheus, is given the option to return to his normal life or discover The Matrix.

28 – DECISION: Neo chooses the red pill, visits the “real” world, a post-apocalyptic wasteland where a few freedom fighters struggle to bring down the AI overlords.

ACT TWO-A

39 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: Morpheus tells Neo the truth about the AI enslaving almost all of humanity. Neo gets scared, ill, and he begins to doubt everything, most of all himself.

45-53 – COMBAT: Neo is told he is The One, the only person who can defeat the AI and free humanity. He begins his combat training and spars with Morpheus.

54 – Neo fails in the jump program. Morpheus tells Neo an important rule: if one dies in the Matrix, one's body dies in the real world, too.

60-63 – MIDPOINT: SENTINELS threaten the Nebuchadnezzar; the crew escapes by using the EMP device. CYPHER betrays Morpheus to Agent Smith.

ACT TWO-B

74 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER: THE ORACLE tells Neo that he’s the only one that can save Morpheus but it will be at the cost of his own life.

82 – Neo fights Agent Smith in hand-to-hand combat.

84 – Morpheus is captured by Agent Smith.

95 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (INTERNAL): Neo tells Trinity he's not the One.  Trinity insists he is.

88 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (EXTERNAL): Cypher sabotages the ship, trapping Neo, Trinity and Morpheus in The Matrix.

96 – DECISION: Neo risks all to rescue Morpheus. Trinity goes with him. ¶[NOTE: this Decision comes later than normal, but with a longer running time it balances out so Act Three can be approx. 30 pages/minutes, creating bookends with the 30 page/minutes Act One.]

ACT THREE

100 –Neo and Trinity shoot their way into the building where the Agents are holding Morpheus

105 – Neo dodges bullets by moving at super-speed like the Agents.

109 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN (INTERNAL): Neo and Trinity rescue Morpheus and Neo saves Trinity from the helicopter crash.

112 – The Agents successfully trace the Nebuchadnezzar's position.  The sentinels can now strike.

113 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN (EXTERNAL): Morpheus and Trinity safely exit the Matrix, but Agent Smith cuts off Neo's escape.

122 – Agent Smith kills Neo!  On the ship, Neo's life signs flatline.

123 – CLIMAX (INTERNAL): Aboard the ship, Trinity confesses her love to Neo and revives his pulse with a kiss.

124-126 – CLIMAX (EXTERNAL): In the Matrix, Neo rises from death, stops bullets and defeats Agent Smith.  Once Neo is safely back on board, Morpheus fires the EMP to destroy the Sentinels and save the Nebuchadnezzar.

128 – EPILOGUE: Neo issues a warning to the AI…and flies.

Rain Man (1988)

Rain Man was such a big hit and has become such a parodied pop-culture touchstone that one may forget that it is Hollywood filmmaking at its finest. The screenplay is a rock-solid study in structure and character development as shown through action.

Rain Man (1988)

Drama

Screenplay by Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow

Directed by Barry Levinson

128 minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST:  Charlie Babbitt, 20s, luxury sports car dealer

Misbehavior: Entitlement

Skill: Good salesman/bullshitter

Flaw/Achilles Heel: Anger

EXTERNAL GOAL: To use his father’s estate money to solve his business problems

INTERNAL GOAL: To satisfy his needs at all costs / To do what’s best for Raymond

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Raymond

THEME: Patience and generosity towards others leads to inner peace.

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Will Charlie grow enough to give Raymond the care he needs?

ENDING: Charlie realizes he cannot give his brother proper care and gives Raymond back to Dr. Bruner and Wallbrook, putting Raymond’s needs before his own.

ARC: Charlie goes from an angry, controlling loner to a caring brother who values family over money.

LOGLINE: When his father dies and his inheritance is given to the autistic brother he never knew, an angry young man kidnaps his brother and drives cross-country with him in an attempt to use him as leverage to get the money.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Charlie travels to Cincinnati to bury his father in the midst of a collapsing business deal, only to find out that he has an autistic brother who has been given the entire inheritance.

ACT 2A: Charlie drives to Los Angeles with Raymond as his business crumbles, and learns he can't control Raymond.

ACT 2B: Charlie learns secrets about his family history and uses Raymond to win money in Vegas that he needs to prop up his business.

ACT 3: Charlie refuses $250k to walk away from Raymond and tries to take care of him on his own, but ultimately decides that it's best for Raymond to return to Dr. Bruner and Wallbrook.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1 – OPENING:  Charlie runs a business importing high-end sports cars.  He has money problems and uses unethical business practices.  Charlie is a liar.

7 – INCITING INCIDENT (INTERNAL):  Charlie’s father has died—the funeral is tomorrow in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Susanna, Charlie’s girlfriend, insists that she comes with him.

9 – At the funeral, Charlie stands at a distance from the casket and mourners; makes Susanna wait in the car.

10 – Charlie takes Susanna to his childhood home, sees the 1949 Buick Roadmaster—he knows the exact details of car, comments he’s only driven it once.

12 – Charlie tells Susanna the story that drove him and his father apart:  At 16 years old, he takes the Buick out against his father’s orders and his father has Charlie arrested.

13 – INCITING INCIDENT (EXTERNAL):  Charlie gets no money from his father’s estate valued at $3 million.  The estate has been left to an unnamed, third party beneficiary.

16 – At the bank, Charlie, sweet talks a bank employee into giving him information on the third-party beneficiary.  Implied:  Charlie lies to get what he needs.

18 – Charlie meets with the executor of the trust, Dr. Bruner, who works at a mental institution named Wallbrook.  Bruner is loyal to Charlie’s father, conceals identity of beneficiary.

21 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD:  A Wallbrook patient, Raymond, knows details of the Babbitt family and the Buick.  Bruner appears and tells Charlie Raymond is his brother.

22 – Bruner reveals the details of his brother: Raymond is a high-functioning autistic savant who cannot function in the outside world.

27 – END OF ACT ONE TURN & DECISION:  Charlie takes Raymond from the institution to get control of the money from his father’s estate.

ACT TWO-A

29 – In the hotel room, Charlie is oblivious to his brother’s anxiety.  Susanna questions Charlie about why Raymond is with them – Charlie lies to her.

37 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY (INTERNAL):  At hotel, Raymond hears Susanna and Charlie having sex and walks into the room.  Charlie scolds Raymond, offending Susanna.  Susanna leaves.

42 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY (EXTERNAL): Charlie calls Bruner.  Legally, Charlie does not have to bring him back.  Charlie wants his half of the estate, but Bruner refuses to give in to Charlie's blackmail scheme.  Charlie tells him that they’ll see each other in court.

47 – COMBAT:  Raymond has a panic attack at the airport, so Charlie is forced to drive him to California in the roadster.

49 – Accident on the highway.  Raymond gets out of the car, refuses to travel on interstate, furthering Charlie’s business problems.

54 – Charlie on the phone with his attorney:  Charlie should get custody of Raymond and the $3 million.

60 – MIDPOINT:  Charlie loses Raymond.  Raymond stops in the middle of a busy intersection after reading a flashing “Don’t Walk” sign.  Raymond cannot function in the outside world.

ACT TWO-B

62 – The doctor examines Raymond and reveals his mathematic ability, but also uncovers extreme deficiencies with simple problem solving skills.

70 – At hotel, Charlie’s credit card is rejected and his financial problems escalate.

75 – ASSUMPTION OF POWER:  As Charlie draws a hot bath, Raymond attempts to protect Charlie from harm, but has a violent panic attack.  Charlie now realizes that he was the reason that his father put Raymond in Wallbrook, thus he must take true responsibility for Raymond as his family.

80 – The bank seized the cars and the buyers want their down payments back.  Charlie doesn’t have the money ($80k) to pay them back.  Financial disaster pending...

87 – END OF ACT TWO TURN:  Raymond can count cards and win the money ($80k) Charlie needs to save his business.  They speed back to Vegas.

88 – DECISION:  Charlie pawns his Rolex.  Charlie risks all to hatch the gambling scheme, betting on him and Raymond as a team -- coming together as brothers for the first time for a common purpose.

ACT THREE

89 – At Caesar's Palace, Charlie buys matching designer suits for both him and Raymond, before they start gambling...presumably, to look like high-rollers.

Symbolically, the brothers are now a family; working together.

92 – Charlie and Raymond clean up at the blackjack tables and win money ($86k plus), but the casino closes in, observing their game via video surveillance.

103 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN (INTERNAL):  Charlie teaches Raymond how to dance.  Charlie tries to hug him, but Raymond freaks out and Charlie realizes they can never have an ideal relationship.

113 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN (EXTERNAL): Bruner offers Charlie a check for $250k to walk away, but Charlie gives back the check.  For the first time, Charlie doesn’t care about money—he wants a brother.

115 – Raymond attempts to fix his breakfast, sets off the smoke alarm and has a panic attack.

118 – At Raymond’s evaluation, Charlie tells the truth about the airport and the smoke alarm incident and he confesses that he wanted $1.5 million from Bruner to get him back. Charlie admits he was wrong.

124 – CLIMAX: Charlie realizes he does not have the ability to care for Raymond.  Charlie gives up the money for his brother’s well-being.

128 – EPILOGUE: Charlie drops Raymond off at the train station and into Dr. Bruner’s care. He’ll see his brother soon.

Rocky (1975)

Rocky is the original inspirational sports film and one of the great American movies. We remember the Rocky movies for the boxing action, but the heart of the first film is the love story between Rocky and Adrian. Only by integrating his love for Adrian and his physical prowess can Rocky ever be fulfilled. The bold choice at the True Point of No Return, when Rocky modifies his goal to going the distance with Creed rather than knocking him out, sets up the ending in which he loses the bout but wins a new life.

Rocky (1975)

Sports Drama

Written by Sylvester Stallone

Directed by John G. Avildsen

119 minutes

(Note: Rocky is an older film so some of the beats will occur a bit later than in a modern movie, but it still includes every one of the signpost beats.)

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: ROCKY BALBOA, a washed up fighter and loan shark muscle

Misbehavior: His good heart

Skill: Hard head – able to withstand punishment

Achille’s Heel: Lack of self-esteem

EXTERNAL GOAL:  Become a champion

INTERNAL GOAL:  Win Adrian's love

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT:  Rocky's low self-esteem and his low status as a boxer

THEME:  True fulfillment comes from pursuing your dreams and finding someone to love

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION:  Will Rocky find love and become a winner?

ENDING: Rocky goes the distance with Apollo Creed and wins the love of Adrian.

ARC:  Rocky goes from a lonely loser to finding self-respect and love.

LOGLINE: A lonely, washed-up boxer must find the confidence and love to fight the Heavyweight Champion of the world.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  Rocky struggles as a washed-up boxer and an incompetent loan shark as he tries to get shy Adrian to go out with him.

ACT 2A:  Rocky and Adrian grow closer as he is chosen to fight for the title against Apollo Creed.

ACT 2B:  Rocky trains hard for the title fight and bonds with Adrian as he drifts from Paulie.

ACT 3:  Rocky sets the goal to go the distance with Creed and he achieves this goal and wins Adrian’s love.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

0 – OPENING IMAGE: Jesus Christ (sacrifice, rebirth, redemption)

1 – OPENING: Rocky wins a fight in a low-rent club and gets paid only forty dollars.

5 – Rocky walks home, and seems to be liked in the neighborhood but he lives a lonely existence in a tiny apartment.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT (INTERNAL): Rocky visits the pet store to see shy Adrian. She doesn't respond to his jokes.

11 – INCITING INCIDENT (EXTERNAL): On the docks, Rocky collects money from a Bettor but can’t break the guy’s thumb like he was told. [THIS IS PUSHING HIM AWAY FROM LOANSHARKING AND TOWARDS HIS TRUE DESTINY]

17 –  STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD (EXTERNAL): Rocky loses his locker at the gym. Mickey tells him to think about retiring.

22 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD (INTERNAL): Paulie, Adrian’s brother, invites Rocky for thanksgiving dinner.

25 – Rocky sees Apollo Creed, world champion boxer on TV, hyping his next fight.  The bartender calls him a clown and Rocky defends him, saying that Apollo took his shot and he became a champion.

28 – Apollo Creed learns that his big July 4th centennial fight wil be canceled unless he can find an available contender. He’s spent a million dollars in promotion and can’t afford to miss this fight.

30 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Apollo Creed decides to give an underdog the opportunity to fight for the title.

33 – DECISION: Apollo Creed picks Rocky Balboa “The Italian Stallion” for his next fight; his trainer warns him against fighting a southpaw (leftie) but Creed ignores him.  [NOTE: Although Apollo Creed is not the protagonist, Act One still ends with a strong decision and propels us into the new dramatic territory of Act Two. At this point, Rocky is still passive and a victim of his own bad decisions. He will be pushed to take action.]

ACT TWO-A

40 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: Rocky and Adrian's date at the ice rink. They make a connection when Rocky says his father told him he had a body and no brain, and Adrian says her mother said she didn’t have a body so she should develop her brain.  [NOTE: Rocky passes his first crucial test with Adrian, getting her to open up and finding common ground, but this escalates the conflict with Paulie and threatens Rocky's training. It creates the push and pull of "Boxing vs. Love" which will drive the first three acts and will force rocky to integrate the two forces for the final act.]

46 – Setup: Rocky is proud that his nose has never been broken in 64 fights.  (Payoff: Apollo Creed will break his nose.)

52 – Rocky seduces Adrian.

53 – In front of the entire gym, Mickey tells Rocky he had talent but he wasted his life. He became a leg breaker when he could have been a contender.

56 –  MIDPOINT (EXTERNAL): Jergens (fight promoter) offers Rocky the title fight against Apollo Creed.  Rocky initially turns him down, but Jergens sells the idea and Rocky reluctantly agrees.

60 – MIDPOINT (INTERNAL): Rocky opens up to Adrian, deepening their relationship and showing that he needs her as his confidante.

ACT TWO-B

61 – Gazzo gives Rocky five hundred dollars for his training expenses.

62-69 – Mickey asks Rocky if he can be his manager and they argue. They ultimately resolve and decide to work together to train for the fight.

70 – Rocky gets up at 4 A.M., eats raw eggs and goes for a run.

73 – Setup: Rocky can barely make it to the top of the steps in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum. (Payoff: Rocky ends his training by sprinting up the stairs and throwing his arms up in triumph)

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (INTERNAL): Rocky defends Adrian’s honor to Paulie.

76 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER (EXTERNAL): Rocky starts to punch the meat in the meat house; his first showing of true strength and confidence.  Rocky has begun to take his training seriously.

81 – Adrian gives Rocky the dog “Butkus” from the pet shop.

84 – Apollo Creed ignores the TV when his trainer tells him to watch as Rocky punches the meat on the nightly news. The trainer knows that Rocky looks like he means business.

85 – Paulie explodes in a drunken rage, throwing Adrian and Rocky out of his house.

88 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (INTERNAL): Adrian asks Rocky if he wants a roommate.

88 – DECISION: Rocky says yes.

90 – END OF ACT TWO TURN (EXTERNAL): The intense “Training Sequence” --training montage of Rocky building his strength and power to prepare for the fight.  First time we really think there’s a chance that he can defeat Creed.

93 – DECISION: Rocky completes his training by running to the top of the Philadelphia Art Museum stairs at full strength and raising his arms in triumph. He has gained the crucial self-respect he so desperately needed in Act One.

ACT THREE

95 – When Rocky visits the boxing arena, Jergens tells Rocky that all that matters is he gives everybody “a good show.”

97- Rocky admits to Adrian he can’t beat Apollo Creed.

98 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Rocky states his new intentions, the method by which he will truly defeat Apollo Creed: he will be the first man to “go the distance”, to last 15 rounds with the champ.

KEY DIALOGUE: "If that bell rings and I'm still standing, I’ll know for the first time in my life that I wasn’t just another bum from the neighborhood."

99 – Fight night.  Both boxers prepare.

100 – Rocky walks to the ring with no hype and little support, while Apollo Creed leads a procession in full George Washington regalia as the crowd goes nuts.  This is the “big show.”

107 – The fight begins and Rocky knocks down Apollo Creed with a massive uppercut, stunning everyone, including Rocky!

108 – Apollo Creed comes back hard and Rocky is on the ropes at the bell.

(KEY DIALOGUE: "He doesn't know it's a show, he thinks it's a fight!")

110 – The crowd is starting to root for Rocky.

111 – Montage – Both fighters fight hard.

112 – Rocky knocked down in the fourteenth round.  Mickey tells him to stay down, but Rocky refuses to give up.

113 – Rocky hurts Apollo Creed's ribs at the bell.

114 – Rocky demands they cut his eye so he can fight the last round. Both Rocky and Creed tell their trainers not to stop the fight under any circumstances.

114 – Final round. Both men are beat up and tired.  Apollo Creed and the ring announcer can’t believe Rocky is still fighting. Rocky summons all his strength and begins to pummel Creed.

115 – CLIMAX (EXTERNAL): Rocky is about to knock out Creed when the final bell rings, saving Creed.   Rocky has gone the distance and achieved his goal.

117 – CLIMAX (INTERNAL): As Apollo Creed is announced the winner, Rocky and Adrian proclaim their love for one another.  Rocky and Adrian embrace.

Up (2009)

Up is a great example of solid structure that invokes pathos and offers dazzling set pieces that escalate stakes while offering payoffs that develop character.

Notice how Carl’s character attributes are worked into the plot: he lost a child, so he’s given a chance to become a father to a young boy. His journey is to fulfill his romantic boyhood dream, a step towards the past, so he meets the man who inspired that romantic notion, Carl Muntz, who becomes the villain, thus forcing Carl to leave his past behind.

Up (2009)

Animated Action-Comedy

Screenplay by Bob Peterson & Pete Docter

89 Minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST: CARL, 78, retired widower

Misbehavior: Crotchety old man

Skill: A good father figure when it matters

Flaw/Achilles Heel: Refuses to change

EXTERNAL GOAL: To get to Paradise Falls

INTERNAL GOAL: To leave the past behind/ Become Russell’s father figure

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT:  Russell and Charles Muntz

THEME: You can’t cling to the past

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION:  Can Carl and Russell work together to survive their adventure?

ENDING: Carl defeats Charles Muntz and becomes Russell’s father figure.

ARC: Carl goes from a crotchety old man to a caring best friend and father figure to Russell.

LOGLINE: When an old widower flies his house to South America, he must team up with his stowaway, an obnoxious Boy Scout, to defeat his childhood hero, now an evil hunter.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1: Carl sets out on his trip but discovers a stowaway, an obnoxious Boy Scout, before crash landing near Paradise Falls.

ACT 2A: Carl and Russell struggle to survive against the evil dogs and meet Charles Muntz, Carl’s boyhood hero.

ACT 2B: Carl must abandon his old ways and adopt a new plan to defeat Muntz.

ACT 3: Carl defeats Muntz and loses his house, deciding to start a new life with his adopted son.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1 – OPENING: Montage of CARL and his wife ELLIE over the years. They lost a baby.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: Carl buys tickets for Paradise Falls and Ellie dies before they can go.

20 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Carl launches his house into the air, and discovers RUSSELL is his stowaway.

27 – END OF ACT ONE TURN: Carl and Russell hit a dangerous storm.

30 – DECISION: Carl guides the house to a crash landing near Paradise Falls.

ACT TWO-A

40 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: Carl gets talked into taking KEVIN, the bird, and DUG, the dog, with them, which complicates their journey to the falls.

45 – COMBAT: They are hunted by the evil dogs.

53-55 – MIDPOINT: They meet the famous adventurer CHARLES MUNTZ, Carl's childhood hero, and learn he is evil and has been hunting Kevin for years. Carl and Russell must save Kevin and escape Muntz’ dirigible, protected by his dark army of scary dogs.

ACT TWO-B

60 – WAR: They run for their lives!

75 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER: Carl throws his old possessions out of his house and takes flight, leaving behind the old Carl and declaring war on Muntz to save his adopted child, Russell, and Kevin.

80 – END OF ACT TWO TURN: All sides battle. Carl vs. Muntz. Dug vs. the Doberman. Russell vs. the dogs.

81 – DECISION: Carl puts his plan to defeat Muntz into action.

ACT THREE

85 – TRUE POINT OF NO RETURN: Carl cleverly defeats Muntz. As Muntz falls to his death, Carl loses the house in the clouds.  Carl: "You know, it's just a house."  He's decided to live in this life, not in the past.

86 – Kevin, revealed to be a girl, gives birth to chicks!

87 – CLIMAX: Carl and Russell pilot Muntz's blimp home, and Carl stands in as Russell’s father when Russell receives his Boy Scouts badge for "Assisting the Elderly.” Carl gives him “Ellie’s Badge.”

89 – EPILOGUE: Carl and Russell eat ice cream and the final image shows the house on Paradise Falls. Carl's dream has been achieved.

X-MEN (2000)

X-Men is a strong example of the “origin story” movie that is the most popular template used to launch a superhero franchise today (e.g., Iron Man, Spider Man, Green Lantern, Thor, Captain America – need I go on?). I assume they chose to focus on Wolverine as he is the most popular character in the comic book series, and, arguably, has the backstory with the most mystery and stakes.

X-Men (2000)

Superhero Action

Screenplay by Tom DeSanto & Bryan Singer and David Hayter

Directed by Bryan Singer

95 Minutes

BASIC STORY MAP

PROTAGONIST:  LOGAN/WOLVERINE

Misbehavior:  Disrespect for authority

Skill:  Fighting and healing ability

Flaw/Achilles Heel: Anger over his past

EXTERNAL GOAL: To work with the X-Men to stop Magneto

INTERNAL GOAL: To protect Rogue

MAIN DRAMATIC CONFLICT: Magneto

THEME: Sacrifice for others

CENTRAL DRAMATIC QUESTION: Will Wolverine commit to the X-Men or continue to be a loner?

ENDING: Wolverine and the X-Men win the day, but he must leave to investigate the mystery of his past.

ARC: Wolverine goes from loner to reluctant ally to group member

LOGLINE: When a loner with a mysterious, violent past finds himself the key to a war between a peaceful group of mutants and an evil group of mutants, he must decide which side to join.

FULL STORY MAP

STORY ENGINES

ACT 1:  The loner Wolverine and Rogue, a mutant teen runaway, are rescued from an attack by Magneto’s henchmen and brought to Charles Xavier’s school for mutants.

ACT 2A:  Wolverine accidentally wounds Rogue then runs after her but is found by Magneto.

ACT 2B:  When Rogue is kidnapped by Magneto, Wolverine joins with the X-Men to find her and they battle Magneto’s crew on Ellis Island.

ACT 3:  Wolverine fights alongside the X-Men on the Statue of Liberty and comes up with the plan that defeats Magneto and saves Rogue and the world leaders at the Summit.

THE BEAT SHEET

(note: this is not a complete scene list)

ACT ONE

1-4 – OPENING: Poland, 1944. In a Nazi concentration camp, a young boy, ERIC, is pulled away from his parents. In a rage, he discovers he has incredible magnetic powers.

5 – Present day, a young girl, ROGUE, 13, nearly kills her boyfriend when she kisses him.

6-7 – JEAN GREY gives a speech against the bill authored by SENATOR KELLY to require Mutants to register themselves with the government. He is leading a hate campaign against Mutants for his own gain. PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER watches as Kelly whips the room into an anti-Mutant frenzy.

9 – Erich Lensherr, a.k.a. MAGNETO, tells Xavier not to interfere with his own plans to help mutants fight humanity.

10 – INCITING INCIDENT: Rogue, having run away and hitchhiked to a bar in Alberta, Canada, finds WOLVERINE fighting in a ring in the back of a dive bar. He easily wins the fight against a larger man due to the metal in his bones.

13 – Wolverine’s claws come out and he’s called a “freak.”

18-20 – STRONG MOVEMENT FORWARD: Wolverine and Rogue are attacked by SABRE-TOOTH and rescued by STORM and CYCLOPS. Sabre-Tooth is an agent of Magneto’s, who has put together a group of evil mutants and is planning a strike on the World Summit.

27 – END OF ACT ONE TURN (INTERNAL): Wolverine is resistant to Xavier and the rest of the team until Xavier reads his mind and finds out that he is haunted by the mystery of his past.

28 – As Rogue begins her schooling and gets flirted with by boys, Xavier gives Wolverine a tour of the school and its sub-basements with incredible technology.

29 – DECISION: Wolverine gives Xavier 48 hours to help him find out about his origin.

31 – END OF ACT ONE TURN (EXTERNAL): MYSTIQUE, one of Magneto’s mutants kidnaps Senator Kelly.

ACT TWO-A

36 – Magneto uses his mutation machine to experiment on Senator Kelly.

37 – Wolverine flirts with Jean and Cyclops tells Wolverine to stay away from his girl.

40 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY (INTERNAL): Wolverine sees visions of his past in a nightmare, then wakes and accidentally stabs Rogue with his claws. She touches him to absorb his healing power, almost killing him.

42 – FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY (EXTERNAL): Senator Kelly develops mutant powers and escapes Magneto’s prison.

45 – Rogue runs away. Wolverine steals Cyclops’ motorcycle and goes after her.

45-48 – The X-Men collectively try to use their various resources to locate Rogue.

50 – Mystique infiltrates Xavier’s inner sanctum and tampers with Cerebro, his computer that locates mutants, to find Wolverine.

52 – MIDPOINT (INTERNAL): Wolverine promises Rogue that he will take care of her if she comes back to the school. He is beginning to trust Professor Xavier.

Two battles rage as Sabre-Tooth and Toad attack Storm and Cyclops in the train station and Magneto attacks Wolverine on the train.

54 – MIDPOINT (EXTERNAL): Magneto kidnaps Rogue (his true target).

56 – ONE HOUR WAR (early due to short running time): Magneto defeats Professor Xavier in a direct showdown.

ACT TWO-B

60 – Xavier reads Senator Kelly’s mind and finds out that Magneto is intending to use his machine to turn all of the politicians at the Summit on Ellis Island into mutants. Wolverine deduces that Magneto needs Rogue to take his powers and run the machine because he is too weak.

63 – Senator Kelly dies. Wolverine joins the team, against Cyclops’ wishes, to stop Magneto.

69 – Wolverine and the X-Men suit up and fly out to Ellis Island to stop Magneto.

70-76 – The mutant factions battle each other. Storm dispatches Toad.

77 – DECLARATION OF WAR/ASSUMPTION OF POWER: Wolverine knows Mystique is posing as Storm due to her scent and he stabs her to death, telling her she’s “not one of the team.”

78-80 – END OF ACT TWO TURN: The X Men are captured by Magneto and trapped inside the Statue of Liberty.

82 – DECISION: Wolverine stabs himself to escape and fights Sabretooth on top of Lady Liberty’s crown as Magneto begins to transfer his powers to Rogue who is strapped into the mutation machine.

ACT THREE

84 – Wolverine works with Jean and Cyclops to defeat Sabretooth.

86 – CLIMAX (EXTERNAL): The entire team works together to stop the machine, save Rogue and defeat Magneto.

88 – CLIMAX (INTERNAL): Wolverine touches Rogue, giving her his healing ability but sacrificing himself. He falls into a coma.

90 – Wolverine wakes up. Xavier tells him that he may find answers about his past at Alkali Lake in Canada.

EPILOGUE:

91 –Mystique is alive and impersonating Senator Kelly.

93 – Wolverine gives Rogue his dogtags, steals Cyclops’ motorcycle and rides off to find Alkali Lake.

94 – Xavier plays chess with Magneto in a plastic prison. Magneto vows to continue his fight against the humans and Xavier vows to always stop him.

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