Todd Klick - 15 July

PRAISE FOR BEAT BY BEAT Todd Klicks brilliance shines through his masterfully conceived and beautifully executed Beat by Beat , a must read for screenwriters whether youre a total novice or an Oscar-winnerthis book is a case study in smarts. Ive never been one to suggest that screenwriting (or acting, or wardrobe, or set design, etc.) can be learned by someone without the born giftbut in the case of Beat by Beat I suggest this gift can be, and will be beautifully enhanced. Of equal or greater value, Beat by Beat will make your screenplay marketable, bankable, producibleand it wont take long before they are calling you and your work genius. John Philip Dayton , CBS executive producer, director, writer; The Waltons, Eight Is Enough, Matlock, The Ray Bradbury Theatre When intuition and verve stall, and your story stops writing itself, Todd Klicks Beat by Beat will be your new best friend. John L. Geiger , coauthor, Creativity & Copyright There have been other books that have dissected films before, but none to the detail of Todd Klicks Beat by Beat .

Discover the amazing intricacy of film(s) one minute at a time. Matthew Terry , filmmaker, screenwriter, teacher Screenwriters... Beat by Beat is a book youll find most invaluable in your quest to write the next Monumental Movie of the Millennium! This book is your pass to the head of the line. Forris Day Jr. , reviewer and writer, scaredstiffreviews.com Beat by Beat takes screenplay story structure down to its smallest elemental level, guiding you on a minute-by-minute journey through what makes some of the most popular films resonate so strongly with filmgoers. Klick delivers a book thats specific enough to get you placing all the right moments in exactly the right places, while also being broad enough to allow your creativity to explore and discover. Tom Farr , writer, teacher, storyteller ( whisperproject.net ) Beat by Beat presents a refreshing new take on the age-old challenge of writing a book that will aid and inspire screenwriters.

It is a useful tool for jumpstarting the script-writing process, but can also be applied as a way of double-checking story beats on a script well under way. One of its key strengths is it can be adapted to most any visual narrative medium from feature films, short films, and television episodes to webisodes and beyond. Roy Finch , assistant professor, Chapman University A beat sheet that covers fundamentals and genres. Todd Klick has uncovered what makes great cinematic storytelling. A must for anyone in the business to make their film important and lasting. #1111
Studio City, CA 91604
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Manufactured in the United States of America Cover design by Johnny Ink. johnnyink.com
Interior design by Debbie Berne
Copyediting by David Wright Copyright 2016 Todd Klick This book was set in Minion Pro and Gotham. johnnyink.com
Interior design by Debbie Berne
Copyediting by David Wright Copyright 2016 Todd Klick This book was set in Minion Pro and Gotham.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Klick, Todd, author. Beat by beat : a cheat sheet for screenwriters / by Todd Klick. Studio City, CA : Michael Wiese Productions, 2016. | Includes filmography.

LCCN 2015043174 | ISBN 9781615932467 LCSH: Motion picture authorshipHandbooks, manuals, etc. LCC PN1996 .K618 2016 | DDC 808.2/3dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015043174 The author acknowledges the copyright owners of the following motion pictures from which single frames have been used in this book for purposes of commentary, criticism, and scholarship under the Fair Use Doctrine. Skyfall 2012 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Columbia
Pictures, All Rights Reserved. The Avengers 2012 Marvel Studios, All Rights Reserved. The Hangover 2009 Warner Bros., All Rights Reserved. The Conjuring 2103 Warner Bros., All Rights Reserved. Gone Girl 2014 20th Century Fox, All Rights Reserved. Gone Girl 2014 20th Century Fox, All Rights Reserved.

Hitchcock quote, page 22, from Hitchcock by Francois
Truffaut, 1967, Simon & Schuster. To Ray

I have an idea for your next book, my publisher, Michael Wiese, said over the phone. We somehow synched our busy schedules and wildly different time zones he in England, I in Los Angeles. I was deep in the midst of five active writing and film-making projects and the thought of adding a sixth to the pile was unappealing. But Michael grabbed my attention by saying the following: Id like to do something with your Something Startling Happens story beats; something more streamlined; a kind of cheat sheet for screenwriters. fascinating . fascinating .

I loved writing this book! It gave me the opportunity to create the kind of visual screenwriting guide I jonesed for when I first started penning scripts back in Pennsylvania, but could never find on the shelves. It also gave me the chance to develop a power-packed pictorial aide that summed up what I had learned from studying over (currently) 400 successful films in my quest to better myself as a writer. In short, I got to produce my fantasy screenwriting book: a go-to guide that features all the minute-by-minute storytelling secrets Ive utilized (and tips Ive learned from pros) to pen a bestselling book, option scripts, and sell numerous writing projects for the stage and screen. It is my hope that this book helps you do the same. Todd Klick

This book features a blockbuster movie from each of the top-selling genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Horror, and Thriller. The six movies I chose to represent their genres had to meet three criteria, or what I call The Holy Trinity: 1) Rated 75% or higher by critics on rottentomatoes.com ; 2) Rated 80% or higher by audiences on rottentomatoes.com ; 3) Earned a minimum worldwide gross of $300 million.

In other words, audiences and critics not only loved these movies, but the films also made stacks of cash for their happy producers. Two of these films even grossed over an unbelievable billion dollars . These six movies are: ACTIONADVENTURECOMEDYDRAMAHORRORTHRILLER

These next sections explain the secret recipe. If you ignore this part and go right into cooking your story, the recipe wont work. Take five minutes to read the next few sections and the minute-by-minute beats will be fully illuminated. The best way to use Beat by Beat depends on what type of writer you are.Next page