suits me fine, cracking film, never read the script.

It's very creepy, but intelligent and high drama.

The script is old so format wise it's not exactly what we are used to reading nowadays, but perhaps we can look past that and instead concentrate on story and characters...

The Exorcist script is on SS, but it's an html version.

Quoted from Shelton Do the Blues Brothers...It's like 50 pages

The Blues Brothers are the embodiment of cool.  I'm all for the Cool Brothers.

Folks, I have been reading Save the Cat over Christmas and was wondering whether it would be a good idea for the script club to look at producing a beat sheet for the script we discuss? it could form the template and structure for how the discussion moves forward?

It does not have to be Save the Cat's, I guess there are a few alternatives but they all share the same idea, a quick way of mapping out how a scripts story is told. At the end of the discussion we could have the beat sheet/template mapped out so a quick glance could tell us exactly how the script is structured.

I would guess many people have read Save the Cat but in case you haven't this is Blake Snyder's beatsheet below, the numbers in parentheticals denote the page number it should fall on.

I must say I have read quite a few screenwriting books in the last year and this is the one that has really helped me fully understand structure. It is amazing how movies I can sit and beat out with this sheet and they all seem to fit pretty close. Obviously page numbers are tweaked depending on the length of the script.

Any it is only a thought but no harm in raising the question I guess.


1. Opening Image (1):

2. Theme Stated (5):

3. Set-Up (1-10):

4. Catalyst (12):

5. Debate (12-25):

6. Break into Two (25)

7. B Story (30):

8. Fun and Games (30-55):

9. Midpoint (55):

10. Bad Guys Close In (55-75):

11. All Is Lost (75):

12. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85):

13. Break into Three (85):

14. Finale (85-110):

15. Final Image (110):

Happy Holidays Giles.

Not to be my usual critical self, but I dislike this idea very much, as it once again says that things need to be a certain way...and they don't.  I dislike "structured" structure so much!  Seriously, there are so many movies out there that do not follow any certain "classic" structure...and the ones that work are the ones that blaze the way for new things.

I understand all too well how just about everything follows the same path and because of that, we know damn well exactly where it's going, when it's going there, and how it's gonna turn out.

Sorry, sure I'll get a bunch of flack, but that's ok.  Can't help the way I feel about this subject.

Happy Holidays to you too.

No worries, I was worried about raising the idea as I did not want to turn this thread into a debate, we all have our own ideas which of course is a good thing and I don't want to get bogged down in semantics. I just thought I would throw it out there as a way of bringing some structure into the script club discussions.

GM Giles,

I think if that's the way you want to analyze the script then go for it.  Do the beat sheet if you think you will benefit from it.  Just don't expect everyone else to follow the same line of analysis you are.

Yeah, I didn't mean to be a dick, but whenever someone comments that a certain event didn't occur at a certain time, etc, I just have to disagree.  If it works when it's all said and done, chances are good that it works period.

Sorry for being critical...it is still technically the end of the Holidays (the way Christmas and New Years fell on a Thursday), and I still need to attempt to be nice.

Didn't mean to come off as I probably did.

Quoted from Dreamscale Yeah, I didn't mean to be a dick, but whenever someone comments that a certain event didn't occur at a certain time, etc, I just have to disagree.  If it works when it's all said and done, chances are good that it works period. Sorry for being critical...it is still technically the end of the Holidays (the way Christmas and New Years fell on a Thursday), and I still need to attempt to be nice. Didn't mean to come off as I probably did.

Dude, never thought you were a dick, and your post was fine. No worries.

You are wrong however, structure plays a huge part in just about everything single movie made and even novel written. If you do not get that then you really need to if you want to be a screenwriter. Sure 10,000 monkeys could bang away on a typewriter until they come up with the screenplay for 'The Exorcist' but it would be much easier for a screenwriter to plot the story using plot points and well tried and tested formulas that have been used since the very beginnings of the movie industry.  No studio would ever think of hiring a writer who did not understand the importance of basic story structure.

You would be amazed how many movies you think are "original" actually follow the structure. And no I am not necessarily talking about Save the Cat, that is not an original idea really, it is just a new way of describing these basic rules.


All I want to try and do is introduce a little structure to the script club, make sure we do not go off on tangent. Like any project we should spend a little time up front to ensure we know what the aims are of the exercise. What do we expect to get out of it, what are out goals. And then put something in place that makes sure we achieve these goals.

I personally would want to work out why The Exorcist is such a great movie, is it a great script? does it hit all the marks or does it differ from them and if so how and why?

What I am not interested in is trying to make it better, i cannot understand at all how trying to improve a pro script makes us better writers. This movie is one of the greatest films ever made in its genre, I as a writer would be quite happy to have written one of the greatest films in its genre it would be good if we could spend our time to try and figure out why and not waste our time trying to turn it into something it is not.

i don't do certain plot points at certain pages.  not my style.  in fact i think its lame.  and if structure is gonna play a part this time around, count me out. ahah cuz i know nutin about it.

How about "THE LOW DWELLER" its by a newcomer, Brad Ingelsby. He sold his first feature for 650.000$. The script will be directed by Ridley Scott and star Leonardo Di Caprio.

Now the guy has 4 in development scripts... uh-huh.


P.S: It was even in the Black List.

We did discuss a sold and in production script already. I think what would be great about The Excorcist  script is that it is a great film and it would be good to analyze the script and try to figure out exactly what in the script makes it so good so we can perhaps learn something.

And I'm getting tired of the black list. Took me forever to download them all.  

The Exorcist is an interesting choice. I thought the film a tad overrated, but at the same time, it was successful for some reason. I imagine shock factor had a lot to do with it. After all, it's hard to get past the twisting head and the 14 year old "masturbating" with the crucifix.

I did overlook actually reading the OWC scripts, so it's worth at least waiting till we get past that. We can also see if by that time, we're still down with The Exorcist, another produced script, or whatever else floats by that's shiny.

The Exorcist on SS is not actually the script, it seems to be a transcript done by some fan, it is the same one floating about many of the sites. Probably not a good one to do anyway.