Talk:Beat (filmmaking)

Beats -wrong definition
This article is incorrect about the definition of beatts. It's not that there are several definitions for a beat; it's that some people are uninformed about beats and defining them incorrectly. Beats occur throughout a scene; they have to in order to keep the scene moving. That means they don't occur once every 5 minutes in a film. That's wrong. They occur several times within each scene. This is true for a screenplay and a theatrical play. Students study script analysis and have to study beats and nobody is saying they occur once every 5 minutes. Two characters will be discussing something and want something from the other one. Beats change when the way a character pursues something changes.

IE: He wants to make her laugh/she wants to play coy (one to several lines can go this way) He seduces her/She refuses him (one to several lines can go this way) He wants to insult her/She wants to insult him (one to several lines can go this way)

This article is a good example of inaccurate information from Wikipedia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.82.33.30 (talk) 14:26, 18 June 2016 (UTC)

Beats are used to define units in literature. (I get here, searching for information re novels and short stories.) This article might be a good sub-section (filmmaking, novel writing, theater, ...) BTW, this is the most serious flaw I have found in years of Wiki use. MartinRinehart (talk) 09:23, 21 February 2021 (UTC)

Screenplay
Do we need a large excerpt of screenplay in this article? It feels unnecessary. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.3.207.224 (talk) 05:02, 22 April 2018 (UTC)
 * I agree, I've removed it. I'm concerned that quoting so much from a script goes beyond fair use, that the selection and analysis of this scene is original research (no secondary source was cited), and by the unnecessary choice of an age-inappropriate relationship initiated by the younger party as the subject matter. The removed text is below.

Here is an example from Wes Anderson's Rushmore (script is edited to reflect the original script and final film version)

INT. MISS CROSS' CLASSROOM. DAY Max is staring at Miss Cross in a trance from a desk opposite hers in the empty classroom. She looks up at him. He continues to stare at her as if she were a statue. Miss Cross rubs her eyes and sighs. She sets down her red pen. She looks back to Max. He is still staring at her. [BEAT 1--Miss Cross tries to deter Max] MISS CROSS Max? MAX Uh-huh? MISS CROSS Can I ask you something? MAX Sure. MISS CROSS Has it ever crossed your mind that you're far too young for me? Max looks up. Miss Cross smiles faintly. Silence. MAX It's crossed my mind that you might consider that a possibility, yes. MISS CROSS Quite apart from the fact that you're a student— [BEAT 2--Max puts her on the defensive] MAX I'm not trying to pressure you into anything, Miss Cross. I'm surprised you brought it up so bluntly. MISS CROSS I just want to make sure— MAX We've become friends haven't we? MISS CROSS Yes. MAX Good. Max thinks for a second, then presses on: [BEAT 3--Max presses on] MAX And, um, the truth is neither one of us has the slightest idea where this relationship is going. We can't predict the future. MISS CROSS We don't have a relationship, Max. MAX But we're friends. MISS CROSS Yes. And that's all we're going to be. MAX That's what I mean by relationship. You want me to grab a dictionary? MISS CROSS I just want to make sure we understand each other. MAX (defeated) I understand. You're not attracted to me. C'est la vie. MISS CROSS Max. You're fifteen-years old. Attraction doesn't enter into it. [BEAT 4--Miss Cross softens] MAX If you say so. Look, all I'm getting at is I've never met anyone like you. So you can take that for whatever it's worth. She thinks about this for a minute. MISS CROSS I think I can safely say I've never met anyone like you either. MAX You haven't, have you? MISS CROSS (shakes her head) [BEAT 5--Max wins] MAX (quietly) You want to shake hands? She puts out her hand and they shake hands across the desk. But they don't let go. They just look at each other. MAX I'm glad we had this conversation. MISS CROSS So am I. They finally let go of each other's hands. Miss Cross looks away. She's not exactly sure what they just decided.

This scene is created with 5 beats; Miss Cross tries to deter Max from pursuing her. Max turns the tables, putting her on the defensive. She backs down a tad, and he presses on. She softens, compliments him. Max wins, practically getting her to hold hands, and the relationship moves to another stage.


 * Fences &amp;  Windows  21:48, 9 October 2018 (UTC)

Origin of term
Surely the term, as it relates to a pause in dialogue, is related to the concept of musical beat, that is the internal rhythm/timing of the piece. The idea that it comes from a heavily-accented pronunciation of "bits" is, well... citation definitely needed! 213.244.200.85 (talk) 04:28, 6 February 2022 (UTC)