Hi All, Has anyone ever sent one of the above to a manager/producer? I have a manager who is requesting more info on my next story that is still in the research phase. I do outlines for every story, but they are for me - I don't think anyone else would ever be able to decode them (I even have trouble sometimes). I've never written a beat sheet or a story map (don't even know what that looks like.) I googled beat sheets and found some examples so I started writing that (I think, I'm sort of guessing at this), but I'm afraid my characters and their conflict/desires/motives are getting lost in it. This manager is a really big deal and I desperately want to get this right! Any one have any advice?
Screenwriting : Beat Sheets, Outlines and Story Maps? by Leah Waller
Beat Sheets, Outlines and Story Maps?
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Thanks Dan! I need a beat sheet to present to a producer, so something along the lines has to be done. I thought Save the Cat was a book - I will have to look for the software.
Dan, is this similar to how you do your beat sheets? - http://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/
This is just a suggestion and from someone with no quantified produced experience but I have been writing both television and feature and while "show bibles" vary in weight they hold maybe making a "show bible' type outline will help you keep from getting your character's lost. Again IDK, but it might work trying that aspect of outlining with feature. Personally because it is in the research phase the best "show bibles" are created as you go I believe. You can use beat sheets perhaps parralell with a "show bible" type tracking of character's so your character's won't get lost. As character's are progressive so is the "show bible" and the beat sheet can track the progreession of the story. Again IDK and just something maybe I would try.
I often send the outline to either my partner or the producer/director I am working with, especially since I am usually being asked to turn their idea for a movie into a screenplay. I want to make sure they like the characters and additional material I add that takes their bare bones and fleshes it out before I start writing the actual screenplay!
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Dan makes a good point. I have learned a nifty little trick myself with titles. While not set in stone when you register a title with the Copyright office you are given a working number with date, not sure about time but even before you pay the Copyright office you have good record when you created it. What Dan refers to would probably be best through the WGA but you can back it up with a working copyright and number with date and just document time created. I don't have much writers paranoia but I sure used too. Anyway good luck with your endeavor and hope your successful Leah.
Are you saying that you register a title? As in, just the title? I don't believe you can register a title also, I wouldn't be wasting any money registering anything with WGA as it's not recognised.
Pierre what I'm saying is you can have documentation from the Copyright office of the time and date of title creation and in fact under working cases that is all that is documented. As for the WGA recognizing or not try to submit anything that isn't registered when searching for an agent or representation. I believe indeed it is a smart move to do both but Copyright can wait for a somewhat polished, rough draft or finished work before you follow through submitting the working case. If you do these things and have a paper trail as well it is pretty hard to dispute it is your creation unless it is a strictly coincidental unintentional occurrence. Do these occurences happen sure but if you cross your T's and dot your I's you should feel secure in any creation you embark upon. That's the way I see it anyway.
Thanks Lyse, Mitchell and Miquiel for your advice - I did some research and I crafted a beat sheet that I am happy with, I only hope the manager and producer are as in love with it as I am!! :)