Use of 'Beat' ?

Deepspirit · Jul 2, 2009

I'm going through the script of 'Signs' (Manoj Knight Shyamalan). I see the use of the keyword 'Beat' too many times. In dialogs, I guess this means a pause but what it implies in action? For example -

Code:

Then they see the dog is laying on it side and has a BARBECUE
FORK DEEP IN ITS NECK.
[B]Beat[/B].
They stare at Morgan as he slowly pulls an inhaler from his
pocket and brings it to his mouth. He inhales the asthma
spray. [B]Beat[/B]. He lowers the inhaler so he can speak.

What exactly is the use of 'Beat' here? Since I'm new to screenplay writing, I would be obliged if someone explains the use of 'Beat' in action description.

Thanks

mario_c · Jul 2, 2009

A pause, a breath, a lull or drag in the rhythm. I sometimes imply a heavy beat, or a quick beat - maybe if I'm jaunty a "confused beat" (similar to a double take, but unmoving), or "tense beat". Your mileage may vary.

Deepspirit · Jul 2, 2009

Thanks a lot, mario

Mumut · Jul 3, 2009

I was told not to use beat. I thought it was off beat, these days.

icerose · Jul 3, 2009

I will use beat extremely rarely and generally only in dialog when I feel a pause is very important.

mario_c · Jul 3, 2009

Mumut said:
I was told not to use beat. I thought it was off beat, these days.

Another passing fad in spec writing?

WriteKnight · Jul 3, 2009

I use it sparingly in dialogue - and usually when I choose to use it, it indicates not only a pause - but a change of 'direction' as well as delivery in the dialogue.

Sam
Are we going to dinner?

Sue
Yes. I thought we'd eat Italian,

(Beat)

I want a divorce.

Rough, but you get the idea. There's a sort of shift implied when I use beat. But as others have said - it depends on the context I suppose.

Exir · Jul 3, 2009

M. Night Shyamalan doesn't write very good scripts IMO -- even his earlier films which were very good were not exactly good form for spec scripts.

In the screenplay I'm working on right now, I only used "beat" a few times, and to really make a point.

CHARACTER 1
says something

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

CHARACTER 2
Replies

Team 2012 · Jul 3, 2009

Hey, if it was good enough for Kerouac and Burroughs and Ginsberg....

It's a handy thing to use now and then. You'll run into people who say not to use it. Like you run into people who say not to use VO or adverbs or any word other than "said" or CUT.

It's a nice, clean way to indicate a puse in the speech, like timing a punchline.

WriteKnight's "change-up" concept fits our understanding very well.

Jim McLain · Jul 5, 2009

I just use an elipse (you know . . . ) and it means more or less the same thing. Others use a -- instead. I think the elipse or the double dash makes the director more comfortable in that it is a writing convention rather than a directing convention. It doesn't really change anything but sometimes form over function is the way to go when dealing with "artistic" types. Then again I could just be a cynic at heart. Even I am not always sure.

WriteKnight · Jul 5, 2009

Styles change of course, but my understanding is the ellipses would indicate the speaker sort of trailing off...

Without finishing their sentence. Whereas the double dash --

Would indicate that the next speaker INTERUPTS the sentence with their own, and in that sense, the second speaker's line often BEGINS with the double dash

SAM

I thought I was the --

SUE

--one who was bringing the potato salad? No
That was me.

The "BEAT" comes with a speakers dialogue. At least as I use it.

Deepspirit · Jul 5, 2009

Thanks a lot for all the helpful replies

padnar · Jul 5, 2009

M shymalan makes his own films . of course we don't have the luxury of making our own films .
padma

Doug B · Jul 6, 2009

I'm with Write Knight -

To me a "beat" means a major change in the objective of the character, usually with an internal struggle of some type. His example is right on - the beat in his examples tells the actor and director that the writer wants to see Sue struggle internally and finally decide to ask for a divorce.

If all you want is a pause, use ". . ." or "- - -" followed by more dialog from the same character instead.

Doug

ComicBent · Jul 6, 2009

Beat

Then they see the dog is laying on it side and has a BARBECUE
FORK DEEP IN ITS NECK.
Beat.
They stare at Morgan as he slowly pulls an inhaler from his
pocket and brings it to his mouth. He inhales the asthma
spray. Beat. He lowers the inhaler so he can speak.

Those beats are not necessary.

And it should be lying on its side, not laying on its side.

Deepspirit · Jul 6, 2009

padnar said:
M shymalan makes his own films . of course we don't have the luxury of making our own films .
padma

True. I'm just learning the craft. Frankly, I don't have any intentions to make my own film. Let the others toil over my story

Thanks Doug B and ComicBent for the insightful replies.

gophergrrrl · Jul 9, 2009

I think using 'beat' falls into under the category of "directing from the page". I used to use them like crazy before I figured out what I was doing. Now, I never use them and I never need to.

As far as feeling that you NEED to express an awkward silence, or a pause, or whatever else that forces you to use 'beat'; I believe that if the particular piece is well-written, the idea will probably come across without the beat, so don't worry about cramming it in there.

I leave out anything that needs the director or actor's interpretation, beats included.

Deepspirit · Jul 9, 2009

Thanks gophergrrrl. I intend to write in the same way - no directions for the actors or directors. And thanks for your blog too

Use of 'Beat' ?

Deepspirit

mario_c

Your thoughts are not real...

Deepspirit

Mumut

Well begun is half done...

icerose

Lost in School Work

mario_c

Your thoughts are not real...

WriteKnight

Arranger Of Disorder

Exir

Out of the cradle endlessly rocking

Team 2012

Jim McLain

WriteKnight

Arranger Of Disorder

Deepspirit

padnar

Doug B

ComicBent

Deepspirit

gophergrrrl

Been a while but I've returned...

Deepspirit