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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    Screenwriting Discussion    Screenwriting Class  ›  We See The Rules (The Debate Rages On) Moderators: George Willson
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Adam S
Posted: June 26th, 2005, 8:10pm Report to Moderator
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what does *beat* mean???


Tension - working title - (thriller, drama)
"what will you do when you go past your boiling point!"

Going Under - working title (horror, suspense)
"I have an unkown disease, and I want you to feel my pain!"
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dogglebe
Posted: June 26th, 2005, 9:06pm Report to Moderator
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(beat) is used to show a pause before someone talks.  Here's an example:

          MARY
John, I have some news for you.

          JOHN
What is it?

          MARY
I'm pregnant.

          JOHN
   (beat)
Pregnant?

Here, John paused before saying 'pregnant.'  (beat) is only used when there's a pause before a character talks.  If someone pauses in the middle of talking, you use three periods, as seen below.


         JOHN
I can't believe you're pregnant...  When
did this happen?

Here, there's a pause after 'pregnant.'



Phil
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Adam S
Posted: June 26th, 2005, 9:27pm Report to Moderator
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Thanks alot!


Tension - working title - (thriller, drama)
"what will you do when you go past your boiling point!"

Going Under - working title (horror, suspense)
"I have an unkown disease, and I want you to feel my pain!"
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sfpunk
Posted: January 23rd, 2006, 11:23pm Report to Moderator
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I'm sorry if this topic has already been covered and if it has, then I guess an administrator can feel free to delete this thread. Anyway, what I have a question on is the usage of we see's and beats in a screenplay. I know that both are frowned upon but is it really that bad to use them? I have just read the sixth sense and signs and both are early drafts and not shooting scripts and they contain an abundance of we see's and beats. Is that becase he directs his own scripts and has such creative control over the projects then studios let it slide, or can they be used as long as they don't detract from the story. Sometimes it seems alot easier to put things in we see terms especially for setting the atmopshere and settings.

Related to that I read it was okay to write we see if it was implying something the audience will see but the character does not. Am I correct in thinking that? Also, beats seem to work well in action paragraphs to imply pauses and they keep the words down and are precise. Anyway, what I'm asking is are we see's and beats a definete no no or can they be used somewhat sparingly in a script of good quality? If the script is good enough would people in a good position read it anyway or be turned off by those things?
just something I'm curious about so responses would be appreciated
thanks
-Matt


My Scripts
'Trail Of Ashes' - (Drama/Horror)

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George Willson
Posted: January 23rd, 2006, 11:28pm Report to Moderator
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M. Night writes what can be considered shooting scripts and no one cares because a) they're going to be produced and b) he's going to direct them. What we write on here are called spec scripts. To write something on spec means you're writing it without being asked to or being paid to do it. You also don't know who's going to read it, produce it, direct it, or act in it. Therefore, the script must read as close to a pure story as possible. Books do not have beats or we sees. The author relies purely on his ability as a wordsmith to tell the story. The difference between using these and not using them is the difference between telling a story and teling about a movie. We don't want to be reminded we're reading a screenplay, so you don't use these directing devices. Readers are the first line of defense before you get to a producer. They have the job of weeding out the riff-raff and they would die for an interesting story. If you keep pulling them out by telling them what they see (and even think in one case I read), they're going to toss it.


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guyjackson
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 12:04am Report to Moderator
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Yeah my first script that I wrote had a ridiculous amount of we see's in it.  When someone alerted it to my attention I went back and read it over and it truly looks like it's an amateur piece of writing.  Any sentence that contains we see can be reformatted to look ten times better.  

Beats I do use though.  I have people constantly telling me to stay away from them but I like using it.  It has more of a punch do it then "pauses".  Of course I don't butcher my screenplays with beats but I do use them sparingly.  

I don't know I guess it just depends how much pull you have in the business and who is reading  your work.  
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James McClung
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 12:14am Report to Moderator
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This is the first I've learned of beats being frowned upon. I use them often as they really enhance scenes of dialogue. It makes me feel like what has been said has had an emotional impact on the characters and that feelings are alive within them. I'm disappointed to learn they're discouraged. They seem so inconsequential. What's the harm in using a beat or two... or three?


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guyjackson
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 12:19am Report to Moderator
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My thoughts exactly, James.

My favorite writer and mentor Richard Kelly uses them in his screenplays and I think it is well known how accomplished of a writer he is.

I just think producers and execs are just getting lazier and don't want to have to read more than they want to.    
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sfpunk
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 12:41am Report to Moderator
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Yeah, which is why I think beats are better. Instead of writing "he pauses" or something alone those lines you can just write "beat". Seems to make sense to me but I have a few books that say that you shouldn't use them too often if at all.


My Scripts
'Trail Of Ashes' - (Drama/Horror)

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George Willson
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 2:17am Report to Moderator
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You could also use something like ... ellipses. They tend to ... how you say ... create that feeling of ... oh ... beats and yet they really don't clutter up the page with unnecessary ... oh what are they? ... parentheticals.


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Martin
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 7:14am Report to Moderator
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George is right. I tend to use ellipses to denote a pause in dialogue and action "..."
If a longer beat is required, I'll use a short description rather than the word beat.
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Andy Petrou
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 7:31am Report to Moderator
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Quoted from George Willson
Therefore, the script must read as close to a pure story as possible. Books do not have beats or we sees. The author relies purely on his ability as a wordsmith to tell the story. The difference between using these and not using them is the difference between telling a story and teling about a movie. We don't want to be reminded we're reading a screenplay, so you don't use these directing devices.


I had no idea about beats being frowned upon. Or CUT TO: or CONTINUOUS either. Hmmm... at least I'm learning now!

Dammit, now I have to re-do all my stuff. I'll see if I have time before I go to Canada.

Thanks for the tips.


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dogglebe
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 8:13am Report to Moderator
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Beats and ellypses are frowned upon as you;'re telling the writer how to act.  He or she will read the script his own way and ecided if a pause is needed.

(beat), when used, is used to give a pause before a character speaks.  It's not used to split up his dialogue.  To split up someone's dialogue, you use the ellipses... like this.

examples can be seen below:

      BOBBY
Dad?  Where Champ?

      DAD
Bobby, I have some bad news...  Champ was run over by the mailman.

      BOBBY
   (beat)
Champ?



Phil
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Mr.Z
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 8:27am Report to Moderator
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I also use elipses instead of beats in dialogue lines, but very sparingly. You can spend a lot of time thinking and setting the beats of your dialogue lines, but itīs useless; the actor will interpret those lines in the way he wants (or the director wants) anyways.

Concerning beats in action lines... try not to use them. Nothing is more annoying than to be forced to read... nothing. Itīs better to hit the enter key to hint a beat between two action lines, than force the reader to read "beat" again and again.

As far as format goes, be careful when reading scripts from the big boys; rules donīt apply to them the way they apply to us.


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James McClung
Posted: January 24th, 2006, 10:52am Report to Moderator
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Yeah, I use elipses too but in different contexts. For once, I don't care that such things our frowned up. Removing them can make a scene feel hollow. It's almost like punctuating a sentence differently to give it a new meaning.


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