HERO'S JOURNEY / SAVE THE CAT BEAT SHEET

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ACT I

1. Opening Image (0): N/A

2. Set-Up (0-6): A man named Michael and a girl named Isabella talk online with each other.
Michael is clearly way more interested in the relationship than Isabella is.

a. Inciting Incident/Theme Stated (3): During the conversation Michael brings up fake
news, and how that is affecting the world around them, Isabella offers that maybe it is
human flaws that make us the way we are.

3. Debate / Interdiction / Refusal of the Call (7-15)

a. Catalyst - Call to Adventure (7): Michael is revealed to be cheating on his then current
girlfriend Lesieli with Isabella.
b. Conscious Decision to go on the Journey (14): Michael, and his three friends William,
Ryan, Andrew, are hanging out drinking after class. Michael has a sudden realization that
none of them are real people, that no one here is their 100 percent true self.

BREAK INTO ACT II - New World / First Threshold (15): Michael having a full on panic
attack, buys a gun, and runs away from home.

4. The Book of Law / The Rules of the New World

5. B Story / Developing the Antagonism (17): Michael locks himself in a room, and the only thing
he uses to communicate with other people is the Internet.
6. Fun and Games / Road of Trials (17-32): Michael contacts Isabella and wants to get to
know her better, he wants to know the true Isabella. She warns Michael he might not like it.

a. Belly of the Whale - Confronting what must be done

b. Physical Separation - No going back
c. Trial 1 - Training & Theory
 d. Trial 2 - Challenge
e. Trial 3 - Bigger Challenge

7. MIDPOINT - False Victory - Everything seems great (32): The Internet sends Michael some
package, he opens it up and sees that there is heroin in it.

8. Bad Guys Regroup and send in the big guns (32-44): Michael wakes up in the middle of a rehab
session. He tries to leave but his leg is trapped to the floor. We meet The Therapist.
a. Dissent, doubt, jealousy and ego dissolves hero's team

9. All Is Lost - Near Death Experience / False Defeat (44): The Therapist hypnotizes Michael with
some woozy, jazzy music, making him fall back asleep again.

10. Dark Night of the Soul / What do we know? (44-50): Michael wakes back up in his room with the
Internet with a massive high crash. He checks for new messages and finds none. The only thing
left for him is The Internet.
a. Hero confesses a secret or flaw
b. Hero has a moment of clarity

BREAK INTO ACT III - Rebirth / Eureka! (50): Michael turns off the internet and checks out.

11. Finale: in a Dangerous Place, with Time Pressure (50-58):

a. Executing the plan
b. High tower surprise / Hero's allies fail
c. Dig deep down / Inner resolve
d. Executing new plan / Final Conflict - Hero battles antagonist

12. Final Image - Freedom to live (58):