| A primary reason that people go to the movies is | | | | is the appropriate emotional ups and downs that |
| to have a vicarious emotional experience. A | | | | will make your story go round and be a box |
| horror buff wants to be horrified or truly | | | | office hit and/or best seller. |
| frightened (although a fair number seem to also | | | | After you chart the emotional intensity of beats |
| want a good laugh). A romantic comedy | | | | and/or scenes in your story, you will be able to |
| aficionado wants his or her happily ever after. | | | | determine how to improve your story. In your |
| After the "cute meet" and appropriate emotional | | | | SECG, the places where you have a series of the |
| ups and downs (the will or won't she/he or they), | | | | same or very similar low scores are the places |
| along with some zany misadventures, followed by | | | | where your character(s) are not having an intense |
| "all hope is lost," until they finally get their | | | | emotional experience. If for example, the |
| spun-sugar wrap up denouement (also known as | | | | emotional intensity of your story beats hovers at |
| the, "And they lived happily ever after" ending). | | | | 1, your characters, and thus your audience, are |
| An action film fan is generally looking for a | | | | having an emotional experience that is the |
| non-stop series of "Wow! That was incredible," | | | | opposite of intense. The only time this is desirable |
| adrenaline and heart-pounding stimulating scenes | | | | is when, generally for a brief period of time, your |
| filled with incredibly courageous or possibly even | | | | characters are relaxed, asleep, unconscious, or |
| stupid actions by larger than life characters in | | | | perhaps numb and unfeeling, bored, or nothing is |
| service of a great adventure-filled story and plot. | | | | going on, because you have consciously written |
| Without describing the emotional payoffs for | | | | those scenes or beats that way for reasons of |
| viewers of each of the different film genres, it is | | | | plot and structure. Sometimes a writer's beats or |
| clear that the emotional experience of a film | | | | scenes may have low scores where they have |
| viewer and thus the intensity of emotion, or | | | | consciously created scenes that are low key. This |
| feeling, in a feature film screenplay is paramount. | | | | scene or beat is generally a brief moment of rest, |
| Merriam Webster's online dictionary defines | | | | or emotional pause, in response to preceding |
| intensity as, "the quality or state of being intense; | | | | scenes or beats which have an intense emotional |
| especially: extreme degree of strength, force, | | | | trajectory. |
| energy, or feeling." | | | | Your story emotional intensity, as illustrated by |
| In story, we can best analyze emotional intensity | | | | your SECG, should go up and down in |
| within a story on a scene by scene or beat by | | | | appropriately and, ultimately, reach its highest |
| beat basis. A story beat sheet, or outline, can be | | | | point, or greatest intensity, by scene/beat, as well |
| graded according to emotional intensity. Then you | | | | as for each of the main characters, in the climax |
| can connect the dots and turn the document | | | | of your story (just prior to the resolution of the |
| sideways, thus creating a chart that reveals the | | | | script). |
| emotional intensity of the scenes or beats in your | | | | When you have scored a beat sheet or script |
| story. This tool will reveal story highs and lows | | | | you can transfer those scores to a chart like the |
| which are either appropriately intense or dull or | | | | example below. I've found that most |
| not and need correction. | | | | screenwriters benefit more if they actually score |
| To evaluate the emotional intensity of your story, | | | | the scenes in a script or the beats in a beat |
| you will need to both create an emotional intensity | | | | sheet and then transfer the data to a line graph |
| range (I use 1-10) and assess each beat or scene. | | | | or other chart. |
| To do so you'll need to have your developed | | | | A chart with a line graph is useful because you |
| story concept down on paper in beat sheet, | | | | can see trends in the emotional intensity shifts of |
| manuscript, screenplay, treatment or some other | | | | an entire act by scene or beat on a single page. |
| form. I generally chart the emotional intensity of | | | | In the example above, I use Microsoft excel for |
| each beat in each act of a story beat sheet. Then | | | | the data and then import that data into a Word |
| I take the information and plug it into a spread | | | | Document "line graph" chart. You can create |
| sheet and create a line graph, in chart form, in a | | | | something similar for each act of your story. |
| related text document. The chart provides a | | | | Analysis of the chart will reveal the scenes/beats |
| visual of the ups and downs, the intensity of | | | | where you need to either intensify peaks or |
| feeling, in my story on a beat by beat basis. | | | | emphasize valleys in your story. Star*, or |
| Think of an ECG chart. An "Electrocardiography | | | | otherwise mark, the scenes or beats which need |
| (ECG or EKG) is a transthoracic interpretation of | | | | work based on your beat sheet SECG evaluation. |
| the electrical activity of the heart over time | | | | Then use that information to guide you in revising |
| captured and externally recorded by skin | | | | your beat sheet, story map, and/or screenplay |
| electrodes" (Wikipedia/Electrocardiography). | | | | treatment as well as to rewrite your script. You |
| An ECG readout illustrates electrical activity of | | | | may like to watch a highly successful movie, in |
| the heart over time, a story echocardiography, or | | | | your particular film genre, and chart the emotional |
| SECG, can similarly reveal the emotional activity | | | | intensity of the scenes or beats. Then you will |
| of a story over time. An SECG is not meant to | | | | have a basis for comparison. |
| reveal the perfect peaks, exact ups and downs, | | | | Collecting data from analysis of your story |
| or ideal emotional intensity shifts for a particular | | | | development document or actual screenplay |
| genre of screenplay or for the characters or | | | | presumes a basic understanding of the |
| anything other component of your story. The | | | | fundamentals of story and an understanding of |
| primary value of charting emotional intensity of | | | | how and why people enjoy stories. It also |
| scenes/beats in your story is to see the pattern | | | | presumes that you will use any information which |
| of emotional trajectory of your general story or | | | | you gain to improve or better your story. The |
| screenplay. | | | | emotional intensity of a story is distinctly related |
| To effectively chart the emotional intensity of a | | | | to the entertainment value of that story. |
| story (in screenplay or other form): | | | | Audiences wish to feel fear, pity, passion, love, |
| 1) Take the beat sheet for your story and create | | | | terror, compassion and every other human |
| a value range heading at the end of each beat | | | | emotion. That is to say, audiences wish to feel |
| scene. Here you will score the beat or scene | | | | alive... to live through film and character and story. |
| intensity from 1 to 10. | | | | As you chart your story, keep in mind that action |
| 2) Read each beat and then score the emotional | | | | trajectories are differentiated from but related to |
| intensity of the beat. Place a dot parallel to the | | | | the emotional intensity of your overall screenplay. |
| appropriate number on your value range, with the | | | | Be certain when you assess a beat or scene that |
| number one representing the lowest emotional | | | | you subjectively assess and assign a rating |
| intensity and ten representing the highest | | | | number to nothing other than the emotional |
| emotional intensity. | | | | intensity of each beat or scene. This tool is not |
| 3) Flip your beat sheet pages sideways and | | | | meant to assess number and intensity of action |
| connect the dots. | | | | sequences or the like (although you could certainly |
| Now you can easily see and read your story | | | | adapt it for that purpose). Here we are concerned |
| development document SECG. An SECG can be a | | | | solely with the emotional tone of your story. |
| vital part of the screenwriting story development | | | | It is essential to consciously use shifts in emotional |
| and creative process. I recommend you complete | | | | tone to further story, develop plot or character. |
| an SECG once you have developed a beat sheet, | | | | A writer can use an emotional pause, or shift in |
| although you could use it to evaluate a completed | | | | emotional tone, before and after, to contrast |
| script or an entire story as well. I generally write | | | | more deeply, scenes or beats which are most |
| treatments first and then create a beat sheet. | | | | emotionally intense. |
| From that I create and use an SECG to evaluate | | | | For example, you might show a character resting |
| the story. I also use one-page story maps. So | | | | thinking after an intense active/emotional |
| typically, I am constantly syncing all of these | | | | experience scene. Characters are not meant to |
| documents as I develop and revise my story. | | | | be constantly active (with the exception of those |
| When I am happy with each of these documents, | | | | in action genre screenplays, where pauses, or "the |
| I proceed in writing the screenplay. | | | | quiet before the storm" moments can still be |
| Obviously, in a SECG, just as in an ECG or EKG | | | | used to intensify the impact of more intense |
| for a human heart, you want to mostly avoid flat | | | | scenes). Contrast both allows the character, and |
| lining. The difference between an ECG and an | | | | audience, a moment of rest and, more |
| SECG is that you don't want the steady rhythm | | | | importantly, can make the scenes which follow |
| that signifies a healthy heart beat. You want highs | | | | even more dramatic. |
| and lows. You want moments, either full scenes | | | | It is recommended that you chart all acts of your |
| or beats, in your story which are more and less | | | | story or script and revise or edit your story |
| emotionally intense. You want exactly those | | | | development documents or screenplay based on |
| moments where a normal human heart would be | | | | the learning you gain from the charting process. It |
| pounding such as if you/your character were | | | | is essential that every storyteller, including the |
| hanging from a building, upside down, and the | | | | screenwriter, consciously create the emotional |
| frayed rope they were hanging from was about | | | | intensity of each beat or scene in their story. It is |
| to break. You want moments of rage, or | | | | your responsibility to control the emotional |
| alternately "I could jump to the moon" joy. You | | | | experience of your audience. This tool will help |
| also want peace, exhaustion, sorrow, and | | | | you do so. |
| depression. Love makes the world go round but it | | | | |
