So I threw together Snyder's beat sheet, some Campbell and other bits of info I learned here as well as other places and come up with a screenplay structure template designed to put everything I believe to be of great importance together, which makes it a lot easier, for me, to structure my own stories. Others have done this before, but this is what I use personally.
So here it is, with Star Wars as an example. Enjoy.
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STRUCTURE - STAR WARS
ACT I
1 - Opening Image - Gives the general theme of the movie, establishes tone, setting, genre, point of view and other necessary information for the audience to know what kind of film they are about to see.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...a small Rebel ship is fired upon by a large Imperial ship, signifying the struggle of the small Rebel Alliance against the large galactic Empire.
2 - Introduction - Sets up main character and their ordinary world as well as his or her internal problems. Hint at major characters in the story. Gives us all necessary information to proceed with the plot. Theme is stated.
We meet the hero and most of the other major players in this story. Luke wants to fight with the Rebellion against the Empire.
3 - Catalyst - The first hint of what the main dilemma will be because of the first, usually innocuous, moment where the plot begins to act on the character and launch the story.
We (the audience) learn the Rebels stole the Death Star plans and Vader wants them back. This moment in Star Wars comes before we meet the hero, illustrating that this structure format is not set in stone, but somewhat flexible to suit the needs of the story you are trying to tell. With the plans sefely inside R2-D2, the droids head to Tatooine and meet Luke. Little does he know what he is in for at this moment.
4 - Inciting Incident - Someting happens to the main character. The first significant event where the plot overtly acts on the character and completely disrupts and alters the characters life. Contains the roots of the cause of the action.
Luke discovers the message from Princess Leia on R2-D2. Luke is now directly involved. He has seen the message and seen a way for him to realize his dream of joining the Rebel Alliance to fight the Empire.
5 - Refusal - Hero is reluctant, wants to stay in the safety of the ordinary world. Does what is thought will deliver the quickest and easiest solution to the problem. Follows the path of least resistence. This attempt fails.
Luke tells his Uncle about the message (quickest, easiest solution) but is told that he is needed on the farm, and to forget about that crazy old man Obi-Wan. This gets Luke nowhere.
6 - Crossing the Threshold - An event caused by the antagonist that forces the character to take new action that defines the character's general wants/needs into a specific goal and sends the story in a new direction. MDQ is raised. Must defeat Threshold Guardian in order to exit the ordinary world. Now the hero is in the upside-down world where everything is different from before. Hero is out of his or her element and must adapt to this change.
The Empire traces the droids to Luke's farm and kill his Aunt and Uncle. With nobody to hold him back and no reason to stick around any longer, Luke sets off with Obi-Wan to deliver the Death Star plans to the Rebels, which will give them the information necessary to destroy the Death Star. The Main Dramatic Question (MDQ) is raised: Will Luke help the Rebels destroy the Death Star?
Luke is now out of his "ordinary world" and has entered the "upside-down world", which he knows nothing about. He is a stranger in a strange land. The Threshold Guardian in this case could be seen as Luke himself. He was essentially holding himself back to stay on the farm, perhaps because he did not believe in himself.
ACT II
7 - Fun and Games - Establishes promise of premise. Object of hero's desire is established. Allies and enemies appear. Hero learns about upside-down world, starts to actively implement his or her plan into a Point of Attack.
Obi-Wan and Luke head to Mos Eisley to find a pilot to take them to Alderan. This is the Point of Attack, where the hero first actively works toward completion of his or her goal. Han Solo and Chewbacca are intriduced after Luke learns how dangerous the upside-down world is in a scuffle with others at the bar. Greater conflict arises when Imperial Stormtroopers try to stop the heroes and their ship from leaving the planet. However, this battle is more "fun" than dire. The heroes were clearly in control of this battle. Luke learns about The Force and how to believe in himself through a blind competition with a training robot and a lightsaber.
Continued below...
So here it is, with Star Wars as an example. Enjoy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
STRUCTURE - STAR WARS
ACT I
1 - Opening Image - Gives the general theme of the movie, establishes tone, setting, genre, point of view and other necessary information for the audience to know what kind of film they are about to see.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...a small Rebel ship is fired upon by a large Imperial ship, signifying the struggle of the small Rebel Alliance against the large galactic Empire.
2 - Introduction - Sets up main character and their ordinary world as well as his or her internal problems. Hint at major characters in the story. Gives us all necessary information to proceed with the plot. Theme is stated.
We meet the hero and most of the other major players in this story. Luke wants to fight with the Rebellion against the Empire.
3 - Catalyst - The first hint of what the main dilemma will be because of the first, usually innocuous, moment where the plot begins to act on the character and launch the story.
We (the audience) learn the Rebels stole the Death Star plans and Vader wants them back. This moment in Star Wars comes before we meet the hero, illustrating that this structure format is not set in stone, but somewhat flexible to suit the needs of the story you are trying to tell. With the plans sefely inside R2-D2, the droids head to Tatooine and meet Luke. Little does he know what he is in for at this moment.
4 - Inciting Incident - Someting happens to the main character. The first significant event where the plot overtly acts on the character and completely disrupts and alters the characters life. Contains the roots of the cause of the action.
Luke discovers the message from Princess Leia on R2-D2. Luke is now directly involved. He has seen the message and seen a way for him to realize his dream of joining the Rebel Alliance to fight the Empire.
5 - Refusal - Hero is reluctant, wants to stay in the safety of the ordinary world. Does what is thought will deliver the quickest and easiest solution to the problem. Follows the path of least resistence. This attempt fails.
Luke tells his Uncle about the message (quickest, easiest solution) but is told that he is needed on the farm, and to forget about that crazy old man Obi-Wan. This gets Luke nowhere.
6 - Crossing the Threshold - An event caused by the antagonist that forces the character to take new action that defines the character's general wants/needs into a specific goal and sends the story in a new direction. MDQ is raised. Must defeat Threshold Guardian in order to exit the ordinary world. Now the hero is in the upside-down world where everything is different from before. Hero is out of his or her element and must adapt to this change.
The Empire traces the droids to Luke's farm and kill his Aunt and Uncle. With nobody to hold him back and no reason to stick around any longer, Luke sets off with Obi-Wan to deliver the Death Star plans to the Rebels, which will give them the information necessary to destroy the Death Star. The Main Dramatic Question (MDQ) is raised: Will Luke help the Rebels destroy the Death Star?
Luke is now out of his "ordinary world" and has entered the "upside-down world", which he knows nothing about. He is a stranger in a strange land. The Threshold Guardian in this case could be seen as Luke himself. He was essentially holding himself back to stay on the farm, perhaps because he did not believe in himself.
ACT II
7 - Fun and Games - Establishes promise of premise. Object of hero's desire is established. Allies and enemies appear. Hero learns about upside-down world, starts to actively implement his or her plan into a Point of Attack.
Obi-Wan and Luke head to Mos Eisley to find a pilot to take them to Alderan. This is the Point of Attack, where the hero first actively works toward completion of his or her goal. Han Solo and Chewbacca are intriduced after Luke learns how dangerous the upside-down world is in a scuffle with others at the bar. Greater conflict arises when Imperial Stormtroopers try to stop the heroes and their ship from leaving the planet. However, this battle is more "fun" than dire. The heroes were clearly in control of this battle. Luke learns about The Force and how to believe in himself through a blind competition with a training robot and a lightsaber.
Continued below...
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