A Beat Calculator

You've heard of a calculator. But have you ever heard of a... beat calculator?

Someone created a very nice tool on the internet to figure out how you should be writing your screenplay. For a 120-page screenplay:

• Your opening image is on page 1.
• You need to establish your Theme in pages 1 to 5.
• Your setup is in pages 1 to 11.
• Etc. Etc. Etc.

Check it out. You can even change it all depending on the number of pages in your script.

But... It kind of makes your screenwriting into a bit of a math formula. And, frankly, isn't screenwriting supposed to be creative?

So, while some may find it a useful tool, you may also want to throw caution to the wind as you write your next big movie. Remember the proverb that rules were made to break.

P.S. Did you just read this blogpost and ask "What's a beat?!"... Then, why not check out an earlier post we did on that topic.