To my understanding beat is something you use on a production script.

I would like to know if I can use "beat" in my specs?

Also, I've seen "pause" on other scripts and I was wondering if there's a difference between the two?

I know that they both mean the same thing but specifically do you use "beat" on a production script and "pause" on a spec script or is there no difference?

Yes, you can use "beat" in any script.

Some don't like it, but as far as I'm concerned, if used appropriately, it's no problem at all.

You can also use 'pause' which is how we Brits tend to do it. Personally, I'm a fan of ...

I try to avoid anything which takes the reader out of the story or gives obvious acting instructions.

Imagine if you were reading a story and the author wrote BEAT in-between two paragraphs to tell you there's a gap or pause here. Suddenly you'd be drawn out of the world of Harry Potter (or whatever book takes your fancy) and wondering why the author is giving you reading lessons?

Of course, authors never do this. They write the story in such a way that the pauses are natural, as part of the flow. You know when to take a breath, you know when the action has a pause.

Or you are an actor reading your lines and the writer has told you when to pause in the dialogue. Would you be grateful for the 'how to deliver your lines' lesson or pissed? BTW my own experience with actors is they hate scripts that tell them how to act.

BUT - there are scripts out there that use BEAT, quite famous ones as well. So it is up to you. It's a personal choice.

I personally hate using BEAT. When I've seen it in scripts. It is use a lot. I prefer trying to find over devices to indicate a  pause.

I'm with Dustin, an ellipsis (...) gets the same point across while looking a lot less like directing the actor.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw So it is up to you. It's a personal choice.

It's not like the actors don't try to do some of the writing by ad-libbing around their lines :)

Screw the actors, this is my story! I'll tell it however I want. Once it's been paid for if the actor wants to change their lines then so be it.

It's not like I'm standing right there just daring them to change a single line or act it out in a way I didn't precisely specify in the script... or else!

All that 'don't direct', 'don't tell the actors what to do' stuff is not a rule I follow. That's also why I use specific songs and other things in my scripts. I'm not saying that's how it has to be done, I'm saying that's how it should be done. They don't have to agree.

Quoted from DustinBowcot Screw the actors, this is my story! I'll tell it however I want. Once it's been paid for if the actor wants to change their lines then so be it. It's not like I'm standing right there just daring them to change a single line or act it out in a way I didn't precisely specify in the script... or else! All that 'don't direct', 'don't tell the actors what to do' stuff is not a rule I follow. That's also why I use specific songs and other things in my scripts. I'm not saying that's how it has to be done, I'm saying that's how it should be done. They don't have to agree.

Very true. If you look at the script for Casablanca, that has the most detailed instructions ever. 130 page script for a 90 minute film. I know it' old but it's a timeless classic. There are no rules, just personal choices and writer's own distinct voices. They are (and should be) as distinctive as fingerprints. Too many folks try to copy other scripts or styles thinking that will bring them success.
  

From the POV of an ordinary reader, I would agree with others in using ...

I get the same feeling of a pause while reading the story but my flow is not broken by constantly reading BEAT. It hinders the experience for me and I have stopped reading scripts because they got in the way

Quoted from DustinBowcot Screw the actors, this is my story! I'll tell it however I want. Once it's been paid for if the actor wants to change their lines then so be it. It's not like I'm standing right there just daring them to change a single line or act it out in a way I didn't precisely specify in the script... or else! All that 'don't direct', 'don't tell the actors what to do' stuff is not a rule I follow. That's also why I use specific songs and other things in my scripts. I'm not saying that's how it has to be done, I'm saying that's how it should be done. They don't have to agree.

Concur 100% especially since Actors, Directors, Producers. et al have no problem telling writers how to write.

Quoted from DA_S1lva To my understanding beat is something you use on a production script. I would like to know if I can use "beat" in my specs? Also, I've seen "pause" on other scripts and I was wondering if there's a difference between the two? I know that they both mean the same thing but specifically do you use "beat" on a production script and "pause" on a spec script or is there no difference?

Beat is fine.

My own personal preference is to avoid over using it and wherever possible use something more creative.

Dustin mentioned...

That works.

I like to also add something tone-wise. i.e., if I'm wasting a line away - why not pop it a bit. e.g., rather than:

DAVE
I think John is stealing from us.
(beat)
No, I know he is.

I'd go with:

DAVE
I think John is stealing from us.
(looks away - thinks)
No, I know he is.

Recently I've started doing...

(then)
(realizes)
(off his silence)
(off her hesitation)
(thinks)
(nods)
(shrugs)
(sighs)
(smiles; joking)

- Sparingly.

Interestingly, a few times I didn't even need the dialogue. I just needed...
John nods. Or John sighs.

I use to abuse beat like crazy. As well as ellipses.

Quoted from The Dark Horse Recently I've started doing... (then) (realizes) (off his silence) (off her hesitation) (thinks) (nods) (shrugs) (sighs) (smiles; joking) - Sparingly. I use to abuse beat like crazy. As well as ellipses.

All good ones

What do people think of something like...

JOHN
Hi. How are you?
(Mary sighs and drinks her beer)
Yeah. I'm good.

I've seen that done a few times. I dunno what to think of it.

Using a semi-colon is a new thing for me too. But I hardly know when to use it.
JOHN
Hi. Would I like a beer?
(considers it; laughs)
Yes I would.

Oh and sotto.

JOHN
(sotto)
Beer time.

Another thing is using a beat straight away. Didn't know we could do that.

JOHN
(beat)
Yep.

I don't mind "beat," but it can feel extraneous. I think it works best used sparingly to enhance the right dramatic moment. Unfortunately for the writer, every moment can feel like the right one, so it can be tricky making strategic choices. I used "beat" a lot when I first started, but I try to avoid it at this point as I may just feel completely different about a given beat when I come back to edit and move it to a different place, at which point the whole thing becomes sorta interchangeable.

I've also come to prefer ellipses as well. Less intrusive.

Quoted from The Dark Horse What do people think of something like... JOHN Hi. How are you? (Mary sighs and drinks her beer) Yeah. I'm good. I've seen that done a few times. I dunno what to think of it. Using a semi-colon is a new thing for me too. But I hardly know when to use it. JOHN Hi. Would I like a beer? (considers it; laughs) Yes I would. Oh and sotto. JOHN (sotto) Beer time. Another thing is using a beat straight away. Didn't know we could do that. JOHN (beat) Yep.

I'm worried you're way overthinking all this.  The times any of this should come up in a feature script is very, very few...possibly never.  If you find you're using any of the above often, you're overdoing it.

I strongly recommend never using semicolons in a script.  They have no place there.

Quoted from Dreamscale I strongly recommend never using semicolons in a script; they have no place there.

FTFY :)

I agree with Dave - I try to put a small action in if I want to break it up.

I.e
John I, uh,
(Looks down meekly)
Down’t know

Quoted from FrankM FTFY :)

HA!  I had to look up what FTFY stands for, as I've never heard it before.

Quoted from JohnI I agree with Dave - I try to put a small action in if I want to break it up. I.e John I, uh, (Looks down meekly) Down’t know

One thing to keep in mind when using action wrylies is that there's only so much space on a wrylie line, and having a 2 line wrylie never looks good!

Quoted from Dreamscale One thing to keep in mind when using action wrylies is that there's only so much space on a wrylie line, and having a 2 line wrylie never looks good!

If I can't fit it on a single line wrylie,  generally don't do it. But that's just my preference.  

Quoted from eldave1 If I can't fit it on a single line wrylie,  generally don't do it. But that's just my preference.

So something like this?  ;D

EXT. CITY STREET - DAY

Paula walks, carefully avoiding the various messes one finds on a city sidewalk, and rummages through her handbag.

She pulls out a letter just as she reaches a mailbox.

                    PAULA
                And here we go.
                  (Paula open the 
                  mailbox, notices 
                  the pick-up time 
                  sticker, checks 
                  her phone, 
                  realizes that the 
                  final pick-up of 
                  the day has passed, 
                  scans the area for 
                  a post office or 
                  other mailbox, 
                  finds no 
                  alternative)
                Oh well.
                  (She drops the 
                  letter in the box)
                You'll get it eventually.

Quoted from FrankM So something like this?  ;D EXT. CITY STREET - DAY Paula walks, carefully avoiding the various messes one finds on a city sidewalk, and rummages through her handbag. She pulls out a letter just as she reaches a mailbox.                     PAULA                 And here we go.                   (Paula open the                   mailbox, notices                   the pick-up time                   sticker, checks                   her phone,                   realizes that the                   final pick-up of                   the day has passed,                   scans the area for                   a post office or                   other mailbox,                   finds no                   alternative)                 Oh well.                   (She drops the                   letter in the box)                 You'll get it eventually.

Exactly!

Beat works well in comedies as the final pause before a good funny line

Quoted from stevie Beat works well in comedies as the final pause before a good funny line

Agree

Yes. Particularly if you’ve drawn a character who is thinking about something before speaking.

EXT. POST OFFICE - DAY

John and Louise exit the post office with the letter. John tears open the envelope and stares in disbelief.

                LOUISE
          Well.....?

John doesn’t answer for a long beat. Then....

                JOHN
              (sadly)
          Sarah’s dead.....

Quoted from MarkRenshaw I try to avoid anything which takes the reader out of the story or gives obvious acting instructions.

Years ago, scripts were littered with camera directions. Today, unless you're a director, the important thing to anchor upon is YOUR STORY.

Let the Director and the Actors have room to maneuver and express themselves.

Express your intent with as few lines as possible. They are intelligent and will get IT.

As far as I'm concerned to use a word like "Beat"...

It's a waste of space. Come on. Just ask yourself why you're writing that.

What? They wait? They think? They do the "nod and smile"? Anything, but Beat?

Please someone start a thread explaining where it ever came from in the first place.

Kay wait... You're not talking 'bout the same "beat" as me, are you?

People tell you not to do a lot of things in this craft. Like "Don't use passive verbs"

And then I looked up Bill Lancaster's The Thing script and there's passive verbs everywhere.

As Scott Myers says, there are no rules. If your scripts are doing well in competitions, getting optioned, produced and good feedback from directors then keep doing whatever you are doing.

If not, try and figure out why.  

why not? you can use it as many times as you want. Some writers use "A moment" instead and sometimes, they use both. So any of them will be good for you, depending on how comfortable you are with a particular choice.  And I also think you should consider reading successful screenplays and know how these have been used.

And the beat goes on....

There's nothing wrong with (beat). There's nothing wrong with a lot of screenwriting tools at our disposal. Personally, I don't use it because it uses more letters and spaces than an ellipsis does, but if you're asking, "Can I...?", yeah. Nothing should stop you if that's what you do.

It's funny how an old thread can also be a current thread when the topic is a timeless one, such as this.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde It's funny how an old thread can also be a current thread when the topic is a timeless one, such as this.

Yes, it's a topic we
(BEAT)
to death.

Quoted from eldave1 Yes, it's a topic we (BEAT) to death.

I... see what you did there.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde I... see what you did there.

:)