What Does a Beat Mean in a Script?
Screenwriters talk about “beat-by-beat outlines” and “beat sheets.” Directors mention “taking a long beat” in a scene. Reading a script, the word comes up again: “Beat.”
So, what does beat mean in a script?
The technical answer is that a “beat” refers to a single, small unit of action or change in a scene that affects the story’s direction. It can be an emotional shift, a physical moment, or a moment of realization. You can think of script beats like beats in a musical score; they are the units that make up your screenplay and maintain the story’s flow and pace.
That’s the standard definition. Now, to get a greater understanding of the importance of beats in screenwriting and how thinking in beats can improve your storytelling, read on.
Why should you care about beats?
As screenwriters, we use beats to give our scripts structure and rhythm–and to be sure we are continually engaging our audience and moving our story forward.
There are two different types of beats in scripts:
Major story beats
Beats within a scene
If you want to be sure that your story is going to keep your readers turning pages, knowing which major story beats you should hit by when is a great way to make sure you’re keeping the pace engaging.
And, if you want to be sure that your scene-writing is tight, you want to be able to break down your scene beat by beat to see if every moment counts.
Quick caveat about story beats (and screenwriting in general)
In screenwriting, there is no Chicago Manual of Style–no golden standard for screenplay rules that all screenwriters must follow or else. Rather, there are a collection of “best practices” that most successful screenwriters loosely follow.
Along these same lines, the definition and use of beat varies a lot based on who you talk to.
In this article, we will try to address that variation while also giving working definitions that are useful in strengthening your storytelling.
Major Story Beats: Building Blocks of Story
Let’s start by talking about major story beats. These are the most important moments in a story that make the narrative work–without any of them, your story would collapse.
How many major story beats are in a feature-length screenplay?
Different screenwriters aim for different numbers of major story beats in a screenplay. Some classic screenwriting mentors have thought of it like this:
In Save the Cat, Blake Snyder defines 15 distinct beats divided into 40 scenes
In Screenplay: The Foundation of Screenwriting, Syd Field doesn’t call them beats per se, but recommends making 56 notecards with one sentence of action each (essentially a beat)
NYU Tisch Film and Television Professor John Warren recommends aiming for about 52 scenes, each of which contains an integral story beat that your movie can’t exist without
Overall, you can expect to have at least one beat per scene–otherwise, why is the scene in your movie? What is it accomplishing, narrative-wise? Not enough, most likely.
It’s important to note, too, that modern films likely have even more beats than your classic films (which is what the three screenwriters above were thinking about). This is because modern films tend to have shorter, faster scenes. In other words, they convey a lot more information a lot more quickly. So, the total number of beats for your favorite recent film may be a decent bit higher.
What types of major story beats are there?
Again, different folks have different definitions. But loosely, beats in storytelling fall into two categories:
Emotional Beats
Dramatic Beats
Sometimes you will also see people identify other types of beats, such as transitional or “binding” beats (which smoothly move the story from one scene or emotion to the other). But in plotting, you’re going to be mostly focused on emotional and dramatic.
What are emotional beats and how do you use them?
Emotional beats (or character beats) are critical moments in character development when, simply, characters experience a shift in their emotional state. Robert McKee calls them “heartbeats” in his book, Story. They can be moments of realization, loss, triumph–it doesn’t matter whether it’s an emotional high or low, as long as the moment represents some kind of internal change.
Think about these classic moments:
In The Lion King, when Simba finds his father’s body and cries, “Dad, wake up!”
In Avengers: Infinity War, after The Snap, when Peter Parker tells Tony, “I don’t want to go, Mr. Stark.”
In Rocky, when Rocky says, “Yo Adrian, I did it!”
In The Shawshank Redemption, when Andy stands in the rain, arms outstretched, after escaping
In Good Will Hunting, when Sean tells Will over and over, “It’s not your fault.”
These are all examples of emotional beats, both with positive and negative charges, that had an irreversible impact on the character’s development.
You can think of emotional beats as touchstones along a character’s arc.
Your protagonist will end your story as a different person than they began. In order to successfully drive your character to experience an internal transformation, you will have to push them to their limits. Emotional beats are the times when you really test or reward your characters.
As you plot your story, consider which emotional beats you can use to highlight moments of growth or change for your characters. Pay attention to how your characters react to events and how their reactions reveal something deeper about their personalities or motivations.
Generally, emotional beats should feel organic to the plot. Try to use them as an opportunity to show (rather than tell) how a character is evolving.
What are dramatic beats and how do you use them?
Dramatic beats in a script are moments when something major happens in the plot that shifts the trajectory of the story. They are structural turning points when characters make choices, stakes shift, or the story transforms and can be represented by reversals, reveals, setbacks, or twists–anything that irreversibly moves the story forward.
Think about these iconic moments:
In Get Out, when Chris finds the photo box of the family’s past victims
In The Hunger Games, when Katniss volunteers as tribute in her sister’s place
In The Matrix, when Neo chooses the red pill
In Finding Nemo, when the divers take Nemo
In Star Wars: A New Hope, when Luke finds his aunt and uncle dead and leaves Tatooine
These examples all represent a reversal, reveal, setback, twist, or irreversible advancement in the storyline.
You can think of dramatic beats as the driving force that keeps the plot moving.
When we talk about the most important moments in 3-Act Structure (or really, any approach to structure), they are almost always dramatic beats. Here are some you may be familiar with:
Inciting Incident: A moment in Act 1 when something changes the protagonist’s life forever and gives them a massive problem to solve
Refusing the Call: The protagonist’s initial rejection of the inciting incident, when we show the scope and stakes of the problem created by the inciting incident
Call to Action: The last beat of Act 1, when the protagonist commits to responding to the problem by chasing after an objective
Midpoint: A reversal or reveal about halfway through Act 2 that sets the protagonist back to ground zero and forces a change in tactics
Ultimate Test: The last beat of Act, 2 when the protagonist comes face to face with their objective and fails because they aren’t a changed person
Final Fight: The climax of Act 3, when the protagonist proves they’re a changed person by facing their objective one last time
As you plan out each of these moments, think about how each marks a point of no return for your protagonist–how has the story irreversibly changed at each step along the way? If you could accidentally leave out any one of these beats and it wouldn’t really impact the movie, then you probably want to reconsider it!
One way to test if a beat is really working is to pretend your doing coverage of your script. Would this event make the cut for including in your synopsis?
How to identify a story beat in your screenplay
Whether you’re working with an outline or a finished draft, look for moments of change–emotional, physical, or situational–that affect the direction of the story. They can be small, key actions that drive the story forward or pieces of dialogue that reveal a character’s emotional state.
Ask yourself, “What’s changing here?” or “How does this moment move the plot forward or develop the character?”
Beats within a Scene: The Rhythm of Drama
Within a scene, beats allow creatives to control the rhythm, pace, and direction of the drama. An extra pause here or a longer shot there emphasizes important moments or turning points.
What does “beat” mean in a scene?
In a script, you may come across the word “Beat.” as an action line or (beat) within dialogue. In cases like these, it’s not stage direction, but rather a note to the actor to slow things down, implying that their character would breathe, shift, or recalibrate here.
You may have heard the expression, “Let’s all just take a beat” to mean, “Let’s pause for a moment and slow down,” and the phrase has the same meaning here. It often indicates:
A change in tone
A new thought
An emotional reaction
A character making a decision
One place you can see “beat” used to great effect is in the opening scene of The Social Network:
Here, “beat” is Aaron Sorkin’s way of telling the actor (and the director): this is a moment. Before the beat, Mark Zuckerberg is answering instinctively, unfiltered. After the beat, he gives the answer that he thinks he’s supposed to give. We see two sides of our protagonist.
Then, a few seconds later, Sorkin uses beat again:
Here, “beat” is Mark taking a moment to process Erica’s response. He’s doing a double-take to try to understand what she is telling him–for a moment, he doesn’t quite compute what just happened or why.
Aaron Sorkin is in good company:
Quentin Tarantino often uses “beat” before a character escalates or pulls back
Greta Gerwig uses “beat” throughout Lady Bird for awkward silences or emotional undercuts
Charlie Kaufman uses “beat” in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to show a character in thought
Noah Baumbach uses “beat” in Marriage Story to mark tense emotional exchanges
As always, reading scripts is a great way to learn. Start with some of the greats to help you get the knack for how other screenwriters use beats.
How can you use beat in your scenes?
Use “beat” when it’s essential to communicate story or character information–not when it’s simply an acting choice.
Actors are good at figuring out how to pace lines of dialogue for emotional impact, so don’t step on their toes. Instead, use “beat” to show change. If you’re trying to figure out whether to keep a beat in your script, take it out and read it again. If all that changed was performance, then leave it out and save it for a time you need it more.
The Power of Beats in Shaping Your Script
Story beats and beats within scenes are essential for maintaining the rhythm of the story, advancing your plot, and developing characters.
As you work on your own screenplay, try to ensure that each moment contributes meaningfully to your overall narrative. Every single event should create some kind of irreversible change, without which your story would begin to fall apart. By making each piece absolutely essential, you’ll keep your audience on the edges of their seats and emotionally invested–and increase your chances of getting your script noticed.
Want to hear from other writers on how they craft beats for their screenplays or just share your script with others? Connect with Kinolime by joining our community, where you can enhance your skills in a collaborative and supportive environment!