Did you know there are 12 secret script beats you should include in the first act of your screenplay?
You may have heard that the first act of a screenplay should include at least two script beatsor “plot point”: the call to action (sometimes called the script’s inciting incident) and the turning point at the end of the first act.
But did you know that there are actually twelve secret script beats (or plot points) in the first act of the most successful screenplays and movies?
These twelve script beats occur in scenes that emotionally connect the reader to the protagonist. Not only that, they revealed to the audience step by step, nature of conflict Between the protagonist and the villain.
they also convey mood beat Your protagonist goes through this process of becoming aware of this conflict, and finally reacts to it at the end of the first act. My story can beat your storyby Jeffrey Allen Schechter.
We’ll start by describing them here, before breaking down 12 first-act script beats by Craig Mazin and Jerry Eeten identity thief. We recommend that you watch or rewatch the first scene of the film before reading this article.
(This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase the book, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
12 scripted beats detailed.
In most cases, these twelve first act script beats can be considered sceneand is a great way to focus the story and ensure conflict is clear.
The script beats the breakdown.
Let’s start by listing each item and its respective purpose:
• Plot Point 1. We meet either the protagonist/antagonist/victim or the stakes character.
•Plot Point 2. We see the protagonist’s flaws in relation to the stakes character.
•Plot point 3. We meet our opponents or expand our knowledge of them.
•Plot point 4. Deflectors can slow down the protagonist. His/her problems are magnified.
•Plot point 5. This beat happens with traditional calls to action. The protagonist is hit hard by the opponent. Their world has been turned upside down and they now realize they have a big problem.
•Plot point 6. Statements made by the protagonist in relation to the stakes character. Their questions are made clear to the audience.
•Plot point 7. Allies help the protagonist get out of his/her comfort zone.
•Plot point 8. The protagonist seems ready to move toward their goal and/or toward the stakes character, but just can’t.
•Plot point 9. The antagonist/deflector attacks/shocks the protagonist. Dramatic questions are raised when the protagonist realizes what the film is about.
• Plot point 10. The depth of emotion between the protagonists and stakes characters becomes apparent.
•Plot point 11. The opponent or deflector threatens to take the stakes character away from the hero.
•Plot point 12. The protagonist decides that he/she must take action to save the stakes character.
These are just a basic outline of the script’s beats, but if you’d like a more in-depth analysis of it, we recommend ordering a copy on Amazon My story can beat your story.
Now let’s see how these script beats play out in a real movie…
Act 12 1 secondscript beat Identity thieves.
plot point 1. We meet either the protagonist/antagonist/victim or the stakes character.
At work, Sandy Patterson answered his cell phone – it was a woman from the Fraud Protection Unit who said they had just stopped his identity being stolen. She asked him if he would cancel their conservation program.
We see her as Diana, an overweight woman, calling from a mall in Florida. Sandy gave her his financial details and she celebrated silently.
• Here, in the first scene, we meet Sandy and Diana— Protagonist and Villain — are in direct conflict with each other.
plot point 2. We see the protagonist’s flaws in relation to the stakes character.
• This scene brings plot points 1 and 2 together As we see, how easily Sandy is deceived by Diana and has his flaws exposed. Note that Diana may not be a stakes character at this point, but she will become one as the story progresses.
Plot point 3. We meet our opponents or expand our knowledge of them.
Diana created another fake credit card at home. Her entire house is a den of forgery.
That night, Diana entered a club. At the bar, she called herself “Sandy” and opened a tab with his fake credit card. She started chatting with several men.
Later, she got drunk and shouted her name while buying drinks for everyone. She fell, but was okay. The bartender told her these people were just her friends because she bought them drinks.
Outside the club, Diana is arrested by two police officers. She threw up one while taking a breathalyzer test. At the precinct, she took a mugshot.
• This scene Deepens our understanding of Diana– Not only is she a liar, she elevates forgery to an art form.
Plot point 4. Deflectors can slow down the protagonist. His/her problems are magnified.
At home, Sandy blew his birthday cake with his wife Trish and two little girls. Later, Sandy tells Trish how he worries about money—the new baby and all. She tells him that he will be promoted and everything will be fine.
• It is obvious that Sandy is a family support But the financial situation is not good.
Plot point 5. The protagonist is hit hard by the opponent.
The next day, Sandy got stuck in traffic. He went to work. His immediate boss Daniel talks to him. Another coworker told Sandy that Harold was needed in the office. Harold tells Sandy to cut some bonus checks, but those bonuses only apply to the partners, not Sandy.
Sandy complained – they hadn’t gotten their bonus in three years. Harold was a real jerk and dismissed him with phrases like “The economy is changing.”
• This script beat is the film’s call to action. Sandy realized he didn’t get the bonus. once. Can he survive with another child?
Plot point 6. Statements made by the protagonist in relation to the stakes character.
Sandy then processed the winnings and gave Harold a bonus of over $1,000,000. He answered his cell phone—a barber in Florida was calling to inquire about his appointment. Daniel interrupted and asked Sandy to meet him in the parking lot later.
• Now we realize how dull Sandy is. He got a call from a barber in Florida but still knew nothing about the scam.
Plot point 7. Allies help the protagonist get out of his/her comfort zone.
In the parking lot, Sandy met Daniel and a group of other colleagues. They told him they were starting their own company and taking on all of Harold’s clients. Sandy will serve as vice president with an annual salary of 250,000. Sandy smiled.
When Sandy told Trish the news at the kids’ soccer game, she was ecstatic. Montage: Diana goes shopping: Diana tries on a new ring at the mall. She showed her ID—”Sandy Patterson.” As she put on her makeup, she saw several women giggling around her. She flirted with a checkout clerk. Another person said her card was declined so she gave him another one.
• Sandy gets a lifeline Daniel offered him a great opportunity to join a new company. It was a risk, but one that Sandy couldn’t resist.
Episode 8. The protagonist seems ready to move toward their goal and/or toward the stakes character, but just can’t.
The next morning, Sandy brushed her teeth with the children. He drove but ran out of gas. At the gas station, his credit card was declined. Inside the station, he handed it to the attendant, who said he had to cut it off. They argue, but the card is cut.
Sandy drove. He got a call from a woman at the bank who told him he was deeply in debt since spending all his money in Florida. He was stopped by police and arrested.
At the police station, the officer told Sandy that he had a case against him for assault in Florida and that he had missed a court date. Sandy tried to explain that it wasn’t him.
• Sandy was told multiple times that there was something wrong with him Believing in his own credibility, but refusing to believe it, he was eventually arrested. Notice how his actions are directly related to his flaws in plot point 2.
Plot point 9. The antagonist/deflector attacks/shocks the protagonist. Dramatic questions are raised when the protagonist realizes what the film is about.
Later, Sandy was removed from the handcuffs. The officer explained how his identity had been stolen by Diana, but they couldn’t arrest her because they were the Denver Police Department, but she was being processed by the Florida Police Department. Not only that, but only five to ten percent of cases are resolved. Sandy couldn’t believe it.
• Sandy finally realized what was happening.– His identity was stolen by a woman named Diana in Florida.
plot point 10. The depth of emotion between the protagonists and stakes characters becomes apparent.
Sandy went to work. Daniel knew Sandy’s finances were screwed. Sandy tries to explain, but the officer arrives and says his name and credit card were in a drug bust. They had a warrant to search his workplace for drugs and guns.
• We learned that not only was Sandy’s identity stolen But, thanks to Diana, he is now a suspect in a drug cartel. As Sandy’s stakes are raised further, the “emotional depth” between protagonist and antagonist becomes even more apparent.
plot point 11. The opponent or deflector threatens to take the stakes character away from the hero.
Later, the officer said Sandy was innocent, but Daniel said he had to let him go.
• Daniel is the deflector character He threatens to take away Sandy’s job, which will distance Sandy from his real interests – his family. unless…
plot point 12. The protagonist decides that he/she must take action to save the stakes character.
Later, Sandy checks the call logs on his phone and realizes he knows Diana. The officer said he needed her here, not in Florida. Sandy said he could find her. He would bring her back and convince her to let him get his job back. Daniel was reluctant to let him go, but gave in and gave him a week. Sandy rushed out – that was all he needed.
At home, Sandy called her barber in Florida to get her address. He packs his bags and gets into an argument with Trish, who worries he will get hurt. He showed her Diana’s picture again and said she was not dangerous. He bid farewell to the children.
• Sandy makes a big decision At the end of the first act – he has to go to Florida within a week to bring Diana back. He thinks he’s just saving himself and his family, but in fact, he also ends up saving another character in the movie: Diana.
Isn’t this 12?Is the pacing of the script too formulaic?
If you remember these types of screenwriting tools it’s best if you already Already written your outline Act 1 and hopefully enhance them. instead of using them as starting point your creativity.
It’s never a good idea to follow a set formula too strictly. So if your first act dictates a different direction in places, let it be, and then use those script beats as needed to focus your ideas, character introductions, and conflicts.
It’s important to know that there are typically 12 script beats that make up the 12 key plot points in the first act. most successful movie. Now it’s time for you to complete your first act and see if you can tighten it By applying these same scenes and emotional beats.
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Did you struggle with script structure? Does your first act hit the same twelve emotional beats as your first act script? Do you make your protagonist’s problem and the story’s central conflict fully clear to the audience? Let us know what you think of this method of protecting your first act in the comments section below!
Like this article? Learn more about the 12 script beats in the first act and script structure…
No, there aren’t just 2 or 3 script beats in Act 1… there are 12
Screenplay Structure: All Those Screenwriting Books Don’t Tell You
How to Write a Screenplay: Secrets to Beyond the Ordinary
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