1. BS2 & The Hero’s Journey
Taken from Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! and Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces

2. What is a beat sheet?
After you settle all the elements of a great story – the characters, the stakes, the world, the era, the premise, the irony – you have to be able to list out, beat by beat, how the story is going to unfold.
This point by point narrative is called “a beat sheet”. Screenwriters often bring them into meetings with executives to pitch their movies.

3. The Hero’s Journey! Campbell’s Myth to end all myths
The Call to Adventure
Peace and Fulfillment Before the Hero’s Return
Refusal of the Call
The Ultimate Boon
Supernatural Aid
Refusal of the Return
Crossing the First Threshold
Magic Flight
Belly of the Whale
Rescue from Without
The Road of Trials
Return
Meeting with the Goddess/Love
Master of Two Worlds
Temptation
Freedom to Live
Atonement with the Hero’s Father

4. Act 1
1. The Call to Adventure: Hero receives calling to the unknown 2. Refusal of the Call: Obligations or fear prevent hero from starting the journey 3. Supernatural Aid: Magical helper appears or becomes known 4. Crossing the First Threshold: Hero leaves its known world and ventures into the unknown 5. Belly of the Whale: Final stage of the separation from the known world

5. Act 2
6. The Road of Trials: Hero must pass a series of test to begin the transformation 7. Meeting with the Goddess/Love: Hero experiences unconditional love 8. Temptation: Hero face temptation that will distract from ultimate quest 9. Atonement with the Hero’s Father: Hero must confront the person that holds ultimate power in their life or in the established universe 10. Peace and Fulfillment Before the Hero’s Return: Hero moves to a state of divine knowledge (usually through some form of death) 11. The Ultimate Boon: Achievement of goal

6. Act 3
12. Refusal of the Return: Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, hero may be reluctant to return 13. Magic Flight: Sometimes the hero has to escape with the boon 14. Rescue from Without: Sometimes the hero needs a rescuer 15. Return: Retain wisdom gained on quest and the hero integrates wisdom in human society by sharing wisdom with the world 16. Master of Two Worlds: Hero achieves balance between the material and spiritual (inner and outer world) 17. Freedom to Live: Freedom from fear of death, causing hero to live in the moment and no concern for the future or regrets of the past

7. But really it kinda just works like this:
Departure: leaves home on a quest, aided by a mentor, and makes a decision that will change everything
Initiation: faces crucibles, suffers some losses, but finds something in her/him that allows the hero to find a path to victory
Return: returns home, changed and glorious, a master of multiple spheres

8. Slight Adaptations to the Hero’s Journey…
…but still recognizable!
Katniss Everdeen volunteers and doesn’t necessarily have time to refuse to go but:
Has mentor figures who can do things that no one else really can
Enters the belly of the beast and trains before heading into the Hunger Games
Faces a series of trials in the games
Falls in love with Peeta. Kinda.
Confronts the Game Makers and Snow in a subtle way
About to die, learns how to love AND how to say eff you to the Capital!
BUT SHE DOESN’T DIE! SHE WINS!
So she gets to go home in glory with a new husband! Kinda.

9. What’s on the BS2? Opening Image Bad Guys Close In Theme Stated
All is Lost
Set-Up
Dark Night of the Soul
Catalyst
Break into Three
Debate
Finale
Break into Two
Final Image
B Story
Fun and Games
Midpoint

10. 1. Opening Image Sets the mood, tone, style, and stakes of the movie.
Gives us a “before” picture of the central character(s)
Draws in and engages the audience, get them to think “awh snap! This is gonna be good!”

11. 2. Theme Stated Placed somewhere near the start of the film
A character (usually not the main character) will pose a question or make a statement that is the theme of the movie to another character (usually the main character)
“With great power comes great responsibility!”

12. 3. Set-Up Sets up the hero, the stakes, and the goal of the story
Usually happens over the course of the first 10 or so minutes of the film
Get introduced to or get hints of all the characters in the main story arc and their tics, values, and purpose
Also introduced to THE THING THAT NEEDS FIXING in our main character
This concludes Act 1

13. 4. Catalyst
After the movies establishes the world in the set-up, it knocks it all down and sets the narrative into motion with an event or a message or SOMETHING that disrupts the world of our protagonist(s)
If these first four parts are poorly timed out, the audience is bored!

14. 5. Debate The protagonist(s) debate over what is the right thing to do
It poses some sort of question onto the narrative – should I stay? Should I leave my aunt and uncle and explore the universe? Should I return the gold? Can she get into Harvard Law even though the entire first act established that she was a ditzy airhead?

15. 6. Break into Two
The resolution of the debate usually thrusts our protagonist(s) into a world that is the opposite of his/her/their previous, established world
The protagonist(s) usually makes the decision up for him/her/themselves and take the step; normally isn’t lured or tricked into it
A big event or change occurs once they enter into this part of the narrative to signal “you’re not home anymore!”
This is the narrative entering into the Second Act

16. 7. B Story
An internal narrative plot(s) contained within the world of the main story arc, the A Story
Usually a love interest or a romantic side story
Gives a break from the A Story and allows for a disruption in a narrative that most of your audience will come to expect
We are introduced to this story and its characters after the protagonist enters the Second Act

17. 8. Fun and Games
Usually all the fun stuff that’s in the trailer are from this section
Peter Parker gets to try out all his new special powers. Bruce gets to walk around and be God. Buddy runs around New York.
The romantic montage, the beginning of the dramatic gravity weighing on the character, the running and successfully hiding from the monster.
We see the idea of the story in action as opposed to continually working on the stakes and moral message of the narrative

18. 9. Midpoint
Either an “up” where the hero peaks (a false peak) or a “down” where the world starts to drastically fall apart (a false collapse).
The fun and games are over, and the stakes are raised. It’s back to the narrative!
The character either is winning, even though the lesson he is supposed to learn isn’t there yet (Bruce Almighty) or is losing because he’s almost at the lesson he needs to learn (Thor)

19. 10. Bad Guys Close In
The point in the narrative where – if the hero was winning – things start to fall apart.
The bad guys regroup, send reinforcements, or come out of hiding; the hero’s team starts to fall apart due to secrets, bickering, and an overabundance of quips…popularity gets to Cady’s head, and she abandons Janice and Damien!

20. 11. All is Lost The nadir to the peak of the midpoint
Everything looks hopeless, nothing is working, our heroes are in shame and the team is disassembled, and the world is lost
Even Elf has a moment in which Buddy contemplates suicide!

21. 12. The Dark Night of the Soul
After all is lost, the narrative needs some time to show the loss and devastation; how do our heroes act when everything has fallen apart?

22. 13. Break into Three
Usually, due to a conversation or contributions from people in the B Story, something comes up that allows the hero(es) to find a pathway to victory in the A Story!
The plan is set, the Force within in found, the lesson has been spelled out; all that’s left is the application.

23. 14. Finale
Here’s the application of the lesson, where the hero gets back on his feet, destroys the Destroyer, fights Loki, yells at him for not cherishing life, and claims “I’VE CHANGED, BRO!”
The bad guys usually are dispatched in ascending order – low level dudes then lieutenants then the boss
Everything has been changed

24. 15. The Final Image
The proof that the hero has changed, that the lessons have been learned, that things will no longer be the same.
It’s the pair to the opening image: the contrasting images should be able to tell the theme of the story.

25. The Questions
Which feels like a more accurate depiction of the movies we are used to consuming?
What are some perfect examples of either (albeit with slight modifications)?
What movies don’t fit into either?
How might franchise or sequel culture affect this narrative trajectory?
Think about the last action movie, romantic comedy, and drama you saw. How do the narratives of these movies fit into these two molds?