aiox-core 5.0.4 → 5.0.7

package/pro/squads/storytelling/tasks/apply-beat-sheet.md

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+# Task: Apply Save the Cat Beat Sheet
+
+**Task ID:** apply-beat-sheet
+**Version:** 1.0.0
+**Agent:** @blake-snyder
+**Duration:** 45-90 minutes
+**Mode:** Interactive with elicitation
+**Output:** Complete Beat Sheet + Story Structure Analysis
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+
+This task guides writers through applying Blake Snyder's complete Save the Cat! methodology to structure a screenplay, novel, or any narrative. Based on Snyder's three books and proven methodology that has structured thousands of successful stories.
+
+> "Structure is not formula. Structure is the skeleton that allows the story to stand." - Blake Snyder
+
+**What This Task Produces:**
+1. Complete 15-beat structure with exact timing
+2. Genre identification with obligatory scenes
+3. Logline with irony and mental picture
+4. Six Things That Need Fixing setup
+5. Board visualization (40 cards conceptual)
+6. Transformation arc mapping
+
+**Sources:**
+- "Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need" (2005) - PRIMARY
+- "Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies" (2007) - Genre Applications
+- "Save the Cat! Strikes Back" (2009) - Advanced Techniques
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before starting this task, gather:
+
+1. **Story Concept** - Basic idea of what the story is about
+2. **Protagonist** - Who is the main character?
+3. **Goal** - What does the protagonist want?
+4. **Obstacle** - What's preventing them from getting it?
+5. **Stakes** - What happens if they fail?
+6. **Format** - Screenplay (110 pages), Novel (word count), or other
+
+---
+
+## Phase 1: Logline Creation
+
+### Step 1.1: Extract Core Elements
+
+**Instruction:** Identify the essential story components.
+
+```yaml
+story_elements:
+  protagonist:
+    type: "[TYPE: cop, teacher, student, etc.]"
+    adjective: "[DESCRIPTIVE: burnt-out, naive, ambitious, etc.]"
+    flaw: "[PRIMARY FLAW to overcome]"
+
+  goal:
+    external: "[TANGIBLE goal - what they WANT]"
+    internal: "[SPIRITUAL goal - what they NEED]"
+
+  antagonist:
+    type: "[TYPE: person, organization, nature, self]"
+    adjective: "[DESCRIPTIVE: ruthless, charismatic, etc.]"
+
+  stakes:
+    if_fail: "[CONSEQUENCE of failure]"
+    ticking_clock: "[TIME PRESSURE if any]"
+
+  setting:
+    location: "[WHERE]"
+    time: "[WHEN]"
+    world: "[ORDINARY vs SPECIAL world contrast]"
+```
+
+**Elicitation Questions:**
+1. "Who is your protagonist and what one word describes their biggest flaw?"
+2. "What tangible thing do they want? What do they truly need?"
+3. "Who or what opposes them? Describe in one adjective."
+4. "What's at stake if they fail?"
+
+### Step 1.2: Apply Logline Formula
+
+**Template:**
+```
+"A(n) [ADJECTIVE] [HERO TYPE] must [GOAL] when [SITUATION],
+but [COMPLICATION]."
+```
+
+**The Four Requirements (Snyder's Rules):**
+
+**1. IRONY (Most Important)**
+- The hook that catches interest
+- Should provoke "How is THAT going to work?"
+- Creates immediate tension
+
+**Test:** Does the logline make someone lean in and say "Tell me more"?
+
+**2. COMPELLING MENTAL PICTURE**
+- Reader should "see" the entire movie unfold
+- Implies setting and timeframe
+- Suggests key scenes
+
+**Test:** Can you visualize the poster and trailer from the logline?
+
+**3. AUDIENCE AND COST**
+- Demarcates tone and target audience
+- Gives sense of budget/scope
+- Buyers know if it can profit
+
+**Test:** Is it clear who this story is for?
+
+**4. KILLER TITLE**
+- One-two punch with logline
+- "Says what it is" cleverly
+- Memorable and evocative
+
+**Test:** Does the title make you want to know more?
+
+### Step 1.3: Logline Examples
+
+**Strong Loglines (Snyder-Approved):**
+
+| Film | Logline | Why It Works |
+|------|---------|--------------|
+| Die Hard | "A New York cop tries to save his wife and others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party" | Clear hero, clear stakes, ironic setting (Christmas) |
+| Pretty Woman | "A businessman falls in love with a hooker he hires to be his date for the weekend" | Strong irony - opposites attract premise |
+| Legally Blonde | "A sorority girl enrolls at Harvard Law to win back her ex-boyfriend" | Ironic mismatch, clear goal |
+| The Martian | "An astronaut must figure out how to survive alone on Mars when his crew thinks he's dead" | Innocent hero, sudden problem, life-or-death |
+
+**Logline Checklist:**
+- [ ] Contains irony that hooks interest
+- [ ] Creates compelling mental picture
+- [ ] Implies audience and scope
+- [ ] Has adjective for hero
+- [ ] Has clear, relatable goal
+- [ ] Has complication or obstacle
+- [ ] Paired with killer title
+
+---
+
+## Phase 2: Genre Identification
+
+### Step 2.1: Determine Your Genre
+
+> "Traditional genre (comedy, drama) tells you the TYPE. My genre tells you HOW the story works." - Snyder
+
+**Genre Decision Tree:**
+
+```
+START: What is the core conflict?
+
+Is there a MONSTER and CONFINED SPACE?
+├── YES → Monster in the House
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is there a JOURNEY with a PRIZE?
+├── YES → Golden Fleece
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is there MAGIC or a WISH granted?
+├── YES → Out of the Bottle
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is the hero ORDINARY facing SUDDEN DANGER?
+├── YES → Dude with a Problem
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is it about a LIFE TRANSITION or INTERNAL STRUGGLE?
+├── YES → Rites of Passage
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is the RELATIONSHIP the main plot?
+├── YES → Buddy Love
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is there a MYSTERY about HUMAN NATURE?
+├── YES → Whydunit
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is there an UNDERDOG vs. ESTABLISHMENT?
+├── YES → Fool Triumphant
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is there GROUP vs. INDIVIDUAL tension?
+├── YES → Institutionalized
+└── NO → Continue
+
+Is the hero EXTRAORDINARY with a CURSE?
+├── YES → Superhero
+└── NO → Re-evaluate premise
+```
+
+### Step 2.2: Genre Deep Dive
+
+**Complete the profile for your identified genre:**
+
+#### Monster in the House (MITH)
+```yaml
+genre: Monster in the House
+required_elements:
+  monster:
+    type: "[Supernatural / Human / Nature / Technology]"
+    metaphor: "[What evil does the monster represent?]"
+    origin: "[How was it created/summoned?]"
+
+  house:
+    type: "[Actual house / Ship / Town / Building / etc.]"
+    confinement: "[Why can't they escape?]"
+
+  sin:
+    transgression: "[What human action invited the monster?]"
+    who_sinned: "[Who is responsible?]"
+    atonement: "[How will the sin be addressed?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Establish the 'house' and hint at the 'sin'"
+  catalyst: "Monster appears or is awakened"
+  fun_and_games: "Cat-and-mouse, survivors picked off"
+  midpoint: "Major character death OR monster's true nature revealed"
+  all_is_lost: "Hero faces monster alone, seems doomed"
+  finale: "Sin acknowledged, monster destroyed"
+
+examples: "Alien, Jaws, Scream, The Ring, Fatal Attraction"
+```
+
+#### Golden Fleece
+```yaml
+genre: Golden Fleece
+required_elements:
+  road:
+    type: "[Physical journey / Time travel / Internal journey]"
+    markers: "[Key locations that mark growth]"
+
+  team:
+    members: "[List team members]"
+    what_they_represent: "[What does each provide that hero lacks?]"
+
+  prize:
+    what_is_it: "[The tangible goal]"
+    time_pressure: "[Why must it be achieved by a deadline?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Hero in ordinary world, lacking something"
+  catalyst: "Call to the quest"
+  fun_and_games: "Road adventures, team bonding"
+  midpoint: "Road Apple - something stops the journey cold"
+  all_is_lost: "Prize seems lost forever"
+  finale: "Prize obtained but hero changed by journey"
+
+examples: "Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean's Eleven, Lord of the Rings"
+```
+
+#### Out of the Bottle
+```yaml
+genre: Out of the Bottle
+required_elements:
+  wish:
+    what: "[The wish granted]"
+    who_grants_it: "[Magic source]"
+    irony: "[How does it go wrong?]"
+
+  spell:
+    rules: "[Rules of the magic]"
+    limitations: "[What can't the magic do?]"
+
+  lesson:
+    what_hero_learns: "[The moral of the wish]"
+    how_spell_breaks: "[What breaks the magic?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Hero dissatisfied with current life"
+  catalyst: "Wish is granted"
+  fun_and_games: "Enjoying the wish (it seems great at first)"
+  midpoint: "Dark side of the wish emerges"
+  all_is_lost: "Wish becomes a curse"
+  finale: "Hero learns lesson, spell broken"
+
+examples: "Freaky Friday, Bruce Almighty, Liar Liar, What Women Want"
+```
+
+#### Dude with a Problem
+```yaml
+genre: Dude with a Problem
+required_elements:
+  innocent_hero:
+    why_innocent: "[Why are they unprepared for this?]"
+    everyperson_quality: "[Why does audience identify?]"
+
+  sudden_event:
+    what_happens: "[The inciting incident]"
+    no_time: "[Why can't they prepare?]"
+
+  life_or_death:
+    stakes: "[What specifically will they lose?]"
+    why_matters: "[Why we care]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Ordinary person in ordinary life"
+  catalyst: "World explodes - thrust into danger"
+  fun_and_games: "Fish out of water surviving"
+  midpoint: "First major success OR first major failure"
+  all_is_lost: "Seems certain to die"
+  finale: "Uses ordinary skills in extraordinary way"
+
+examples: "Die Hard, Home Alone, The Martian, Titanic"
+```
+
+#### Rites of Passage
+```yaml
+genre: Rites of Passage
+required_elements:
+  life_problem:
+    what_is_it: "[Affliction, challenge, or transition]"
+    universal_quality: "[Why does everyone relate?]"
+
+  wrong_approach:
+    how_hero_handles_it: "[Counterproductive coping]"
+    why_it_fails: "[Why this approach makes it worse]"
+
+  acceptance:
+    what_hero_accepts: "[The hard truth]"
+    how_they_grow: "[The transformation]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Hero facing or denying life problem"
+  catalyst: "Problem becomes unavoidable"
+  fun_and_games: "Trying wrong approach (seems to work)"
+  midpoint: "Wrong approach peaks"
+  all_is_lost: "Wrong approach crashes spectacularly"
+  finale: "Hero accepts and deals properly"
+
+examples: "10, Ordinary People, 28 Days, Napoleon Dynamite"
+```
+
+#### Buddy Love
+```yaml
+genre: Buddy Love
+required_elements:
+  incomplete_hero:
+    what_missing: "[What does the hero lack?]"
+    blind_spot: "[What can't they see about themselves?]"
+
+  counterpart:
+    who: "[The buddy/love interest]"
+    what_they_have: "[What they provide that hero lacks]"
+    why_opposites: "[How are they different?]"
+
+  complication:
+    what_threatens: "[What could end the relationship?]"
+    internal_external: "[Is it inside or outside the pair?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Hero incomplete, unaware of what they need"
+  catalyst: "Meeting the counterpart"
+  fun_and_games: "Getting to know each other (often conflict)"
+  midpoint: "First real connection"
+  all_is_lost: "Relationship seems destroyed"
+  finale: "Reunion after both have changed"
+
+examples: "Lethal Weapon, Rain Man, When Harry Met Sally, E.T."
+```
+
+#### Whydunit
+```yaml
+genre: Whydunit
+required_elements:
+  detective:
+    type: "[Professional / Amateur / Reluctant]"
+    flaw: "[What blinds them to the truth?]"
+
+  secret:
+    about_what: "[What is the secret really about?]"
+    dark_truth: "[What does it reveal about humanity?]"
+
+  dark_turn:
+    revelation: "[The shocking discovery]"
+    how_it_changes_us: "[How does this change the audience?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "World seems normal, detective enters"
+  catalyst: "Mystery presents itself"
+  fun_and_games: "Following clues, red herrings"
+  midpoint: "Major clue discovered"
+  all_is_lost: "Truth seems impossible to find"
+  finale: "Dark truth revealed - we are shocked"
+
+examples: "Chinatown, Fargo, Blade Runner, All the President's Men"
+```
+
+#### Fool Triumphant
+```yaml
+genre: Fool Triumphant
+required_elements:
+  fool:
+    innocence: "[What makes them naive/foolish?]"
+    hidden_strength: "[What power does their innocence give?]"
+
+  establishment:
+    who_they_are: "[The group/system/institution]"
+    why_threatened: "[Why does the fool threaten them?]"
+
+  transmutation:
+    old_name: "[Who the fool was]"
+    new_name: "[Who they become]"
+    how_they_change: "[The transformation]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Fool in their innocent world"
+  catalyst: "Enters the establishment"
+  fun_and_games: "Fool survives through luck and innocence"
+  midpoint: "Establishment takes fool seriously"
+  all_is_lost: "Establishment seems to crush fool"
+  finale: "Fool triumphs through authenticity"
+
+examples: "Forrest Gump, Legally Blonde, Being There, The 40-Year-Old Virgin"
+```
+
+#### Institutionalized
+```yaml
+genre: Institutionalized
+required_elements:
+  group:
+    what_is_it: "[Family / Organization / Institution]"
+    rules: "[Explicit and implicit rules]"
+
+  choice:
+    conform_or_rebel: "[What must the hero decide?]"
+    cost_of_conforming: "[What do they lose?]"
+    cost_of_rebelling: "[What do they lose?]"
+
+  sacrifice:
+    what_given_up: "[The ultimate sacrifice]"
+    for_whom: "[Who benefits?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Hero enters or is part of the institution"
+  catalyst: "Sees something wrong"
+  fun_and_games: "Trying to fit in while seeing problems"
+  midpoint: "Forced to choose sides"
+  all_is_lost: "Rebellion seems to fail"
+  finale: "Sacrifice that exposes/changes the institution"
+
+examples: "One Flew Over Cuckoo's Nest, Office Space, Training Day"
+```
+
+#### Superhero
+```yaml
+genre: Superhero
+required_elements:
+  special_power:
+    what_is_it: "[The extraordinary ability]"
+    origin: "[How did they get it?]"
+
+  nemesis:
+    who: "[The equal and opposite force]"
+    connection: "[How are they linked to hero?]"
+
+  curse:
+    what_is_it: "[The downside of being special]"
+    how_it_isolates: "[Why does it make them lonely?]"
+
+key_beats:
+  setup: "Hero discovers/has power, experiences curse"
+  catalyst: "Nemesis appears or power tested"
+  fun_and_games: "Using powers, dealing with curse"
+  midpoint: "Power seems complete"
+  all_is_lost: "Nemesis seems to win, curse overwhelms"
+  finale: "Accepts both power AND curse to triumph"
+
+examples: "Spider-Man, The Matrix, Gladiator, The Lion King"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 3: The 15 Beats
+
+### Step 3.1: Calculate Your Beat Timing
+
+**For Screenplay (110 pages):**
+```
+Opening Image:     Page 1      (1%)
+Theme Stated:      Page 5      (5%)
+Set-Up:            Pages 1-10  (1-10%)
+Catalyst:          Page 12     (10-12%)
+Debate:            Pages 12-25 (12-25%)
+Break into Two:    Page 25     (25%)
+B Story:           Page 30     (30%)
+Fun and Games:     Pages 30-55 (30-55%)
+Midpoint:          Page 55     (50%)
+Bad Guys Close In: Pages 55-75 (55-75%)
+All Is Lost:       Page 75     (75%)
+Dark Night:        Pages 75-85 (75-85%)
+Break into Three:  Page 85     (85%)
+Finale:            Pages 85-110 (85-99%)
+Final Image:       Page 110    (100%)
+```
+
+**For Novel (Calculate based on word count):**
+```python
+# Formula: total_words * percentage = beat_position
+
+# Example for 80,000 word novel:
+opening_image     = 0          # Word 0
+theme_stated      = 4000       # 5% = 80000 * 0.05
+catalyst          = 8000       # 10% = 80000 * 0.10
+break_into_two    = 20000      # 25% = 80000 * 0.25
+b_story           = 24000      # 30% = 80000 * 0.30
+midpoint          = 40000      # 50% = 80000 * 0.50
+all_is_lost       = 60000      # 75% = 80000 * 0.75
+break_into_three  = 68000      # 85% = 80000 * 0.85
+final_image       = 80000      # 100%
+```
+
+**For Any Format:**
+```
+[Total Length] x [Beat Percentage] = [Beat Position]
+```
+
+### Step 3.2: Complete Each Beat
+
+#### Beat 1: Opening Image (1%)
+
+**Purpose:** "Before" snapshot of protagonist and their flawed world
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene
+- Sets tone, mood, type, and scope
+- Shows protagonist's current state
+- Must mirror Final Image to show transformation
+
+**Questions to Answer:**
+1. What is the protagonist doing at the start?
+2. What flaw or lack is visible?
+3. What tone does this establish?
+4. What will be the opposite in the Final Image?
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+opening_image:
+  scene: "[Describe the opening scene]"
+  protagonist_state: "[Emotional/physical state]"
+  world_state: "[What's wrong with their world?]"
+  tone_established: "[Tone conveyed]"
+  mirror_to_final: "[How will Final Image contrast?]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- The Matrix: Blinking command line cursor (technology, mystery)
+- Legally Blonde: Elle in pink sorority world (superficial happiness)
+- Interstellar: Dusty, dying Earth (desperation)
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 2: Theme Stated (5%)
+
+**Purpose:** Someone states the movie's theme to the protagonist, who doesn't get it yet
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single line or moment
+- Delivered by secondary character
+- Protagonist dismisses or misunderstands
+- Plants seed of what movie is "really about"
+
+**Questions to Answer:**
+1. What is your theme in one sentence?
+2. Who says it to the protagonist?
+3. How does protagonist react?
+4. When will they finally understand it?
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+theme_stated:
+  theme_in_one_sentence: "[The moral/lesson]"
+  who_says_it: "[Character name]"
+  exact_line: "[The dialogue or action]"
+  protagonist_reaction: "[How they dismiss it]"
+  when_understood: "[Beat where they finally get it]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- The Matrix: "You need to unplug" (Neo doesn't understand reality is fake)
+- Legally Blonde: "It's not about what you wear" (Elle dismisses this)
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 3: Set-Up (1-10%)
+
+**Purpose:** Establish ordinary world and plant the Six Things That Need Fixing
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Multi-scene beat
+- Introduce all major A-story characters (or hint at them)
+- Establish status quo
+- Plant setups that will pay off later
+
+**The Six Things That Need Fixing:**
+```yaml
+six_things:
+  1_character_flaw: "[Primary flaw to overcome]"
+  2_basic_need: "[What they need but lack]"
+  3_wish: "[What they desire]"
+  4_enemies_rivals: "[Who opposes them]"
+  5_missing_element: "[What's absent from their life]"
+  6_problem: "[Specific problem to solve]"
+```
+
+**Plant and Payoff Mapping:**
+```yaml
+setups_and_payoffs:
+  - setup: "[Thing established in Set-Up]"
+    payoff: "[How it resolves in Act 3]"
+
+  - setup: "[Another setup]"
+    payoff: "[Its payoff]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 4: Catalyst (10-12%)
+
+**Purpose:** The inciting incident that disrupts the status quo
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- Something happens TO the protagonist
+- Life will never be the same
+- Clear cause and effect
+
+**Questions to Answer:**
+1. What external event disrupts their world?
+2. Why can't they ignore it?
+3. What choice does this force them to make?
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+catalyst:
+  event: "[What happens]"
+  who_causes_it: "[External force]"
+  why_cant_ignore: "[Stakes if they don't respond]"
+  forced_question: "[The question they must answer]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- Hunger Games: Prim's name drawn at the Reaping
+- The Matrix: Neo meets Morpheus, offered the red pill
+- Die Hard: Terrorists take over Nakatomi Plaza
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 5: Debate (12-25%)
+
+**Purpose:** Hero questions whether to accept the challenge
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Multi-scene beat
+- Shows reluctance to change
+- Last chance to see "old world"
+- Presented as a question
+
+**Questions to Answer:**
+1. What question does the hero ask themselves?
+2. Who do they seek advice from?
+3. What almost makes them say no?
+4. What finally pushes them to say yes?
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+debate:
+  central_question: "[Should I...? / What do I...?]"
+  arguments_for: "[Why they might accept]"
+  arguments_against: "[Why they hesitate]"
+  advisors: "[Who they consult]"
+  tipping_point: "[What makes them decide]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 6: Break into Two (25%)
+
+**Purpose:** Protagonist makes a decisive choice and enters Act Two
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- Clear, active choice by protagonist
+- Leaves comfort zone
+- Often involves literal change of geography
+- Cannot be forced - must be their decision
+
+**Questions to Answer:**
+1. What specific action does the hero take?
+2. What are they leaving behind?
+3. What are they moving toward?
+4. How does this demonstrate change?
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+break_into_two:
+  the_choice: "[What they decide to do]"
+  what_left_behind: "[Old world elements abandoned]"
+  new_world_entered: "[Description of upside-down world]"
+  physical_movement: "[Literal location change, if any]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- Lord of the Rings: Frodo leaves the Shire
+- The Matrix: Neo takes the red pill
+- Legally Blonde: Elle applies to Harvard Law
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 7: B Story (30%)
+
+**Purpose:** Introduce the subplot that carries the theme
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- Usually love story, friendship, or mentorship
+- New characters often introduced
+- Runs parallel to A-story
+- B-story character helps hero learn the lesson
+
+**A-Story vs B-Story:**
+```yaml
+story_contrast:
+  a_story:
+    focus: "What hero WANTS (external goal)"
+    example: "[Your A-story goal]"
+
+  b_story:
+    focus: "What hero NEEDS (internal growth)"
+    example: "[Your B-story need]"
+
+  connection: "[How B-story teaches A-story lesson]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 8: Fun and Games (30-55%)
+
+**Purpose:** The "promise of the premise" - what audiences came to see
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Multi-scene beat (longest section)
+- Delivers on the hook
+- The trailer moments, poster images
+- Hero either shining OR floundering in new world
+- NOT required to be "fun" - means delivering on your premise
+- Every scene still needs conflict
+
+**Questions to Answer:**
+1. What did your premise promise?
+2. What are the trailer-worthy moments?
+3. Is the hero succeeding or struggling?
+4. How is conflict present in each scene?
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+fun_and_games:
+  premise_promise: "[What the concept promised]"
+  key_scenes:
+    - scene: "[Scene 1]"
+      conflict: "[Who vs who]"
+      outcome: "[Win/lose/draw]"
+    - scene: "[Scene 2]"
+      conflict: "[Who vs who]"
+      outcome: "[Win/lose/draw]"
+  hero_trajectory: "[Upward (false victory) / Downward (false defeat)]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- The Matrix: Neo learns martial arts in The Construct
+- Legally Blonde: Elle conquering Harvard, fashion and all
+- Home Alone: Kevin defending the house with traps
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 9: Midpoint (50%)
+
+**Purpose:** Stakes raised, game changes
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- EXACT center of the story
+- Either FALSE VICTORY or FALSE DEFEAT
+- Often introduces a ticking clock
+- Connected inversely to All Is Lost
+
+**Midpoint Types:**
+
+**False Victory Midpoint:**
+- Things seem to be going great
+- Hero achieves apparent success
+- But Bad Guys Close In will erode this
+- "Things are never as good as they seem at the Midpoint"
+
+**False Defeat Midpoint:**
+- Things seem to be going terribly
+- Hero hits a low point
+- But temporary rally comes
+- "Things are never as bad as they seem at the Midpoint"
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+midpoint:
+  type: "[False Victory / False Defeat]"
+  what_happens: "[The event]"
+  stakes_raised_how: "[New stakes introduced]"
+  ticking_clock: "[Time pressure added, if any]"
+  public_private: "[Does status change publicly?]"
+  connection_to_all_is_lost: "[How does it invert?]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- Jurassic Park: T. rex escapes (false defeat - it gets worse before better)
+- The Matrix: Neo visits the Oracle (false victory - he thinks he's not The One)
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 10: Bad Guys Close In (55-75%)
+
+**Purpose:** External and internal pressures mount
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Multi-scene beat
+- Antagonist forces regroup and attack
+- Internal doubts, flaws, and jealousies disintegrate the team
+- If Midpoint was false victory, things go wrong
+- If Midpoint was false defeat, temporary rally then crash
+- Things progressively get worse
+
+**Two Types of Pressure:**
+```yaml
+bad_guys_close_in:
+  external_pressure:
+    antagonist_actions: "[What the bad guys do]"
+    escalating_threats: "[How danger increases]"
+
+  internal_pressure:
+    team_conflict: "[Jealousies, doubts, betrayals]"
+    hero_flaw_resurface: "[Old flaw comes back]"
+
+  progression:
+    beat_1: "[First problem]"
+    beat_2: "[Second, worse problem]"
+    beat_3: "[Third, worst problem]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 11: All Is Lost (75%)
+
+**Purpose:** The lowest point of the story
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- Hero hits rock bottom with no hope
+- Contains the "Whiff of Death"
+- Inverse of the Midpoint
+- The old world, old character, old thinking must die
+
+**The Whiff of Death:**
+
+> "In All Is Lost, something DIES. Literally or metaphorically." - Snyder
+
+**Forms of Whiff of Death:**
+- Literal death of a character (mentor, friend, ally)
+- Death of a dream
+- Death of a relationship
+- Death of innocence
+- Near-death experience
+- Death of identity ("Who am I without this?")
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+all_is_lost:
+  what_happens: "[The lowest moment]"
+  whiff_of_death:
+    type: "[Literal / Dream / Relationship / Innocence / Identity]"
+    what_dies: "[Specifically what is lost]"
+  inverse_of_midpoint: "[If midpoint was up, this is down, and vice versa]"
+  no_way_out: "[Why does it seem hopeless?]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- Miss Congeniality: Faces losing her badge and identity
+- The Hunger Games: Rue's death
+- The Matrix: Morpheus captured, seems doomed
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 12: Dark Night of the Soul (75-85%)
+
+**Purpose:** The darkness before the dawn
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Multi-scene beat
+- Hero wallows in absolute hopelessness
+- Processing the All Is Lost beat
+- Unlike Catalyst (happened TO hero), All Is Lost was caused BY hero
+- Hero realizes they need to change
+- This time, ready to embrace it
+
+**Key Distinction:**
+```yaml
+dark_night:
+  catalyst_comparison:
+    catalyst: "Something happened TO the hero"
+    all_is_lost: "Hero's own flaw CAUSED this"
+
+  processing:
+    questions_hero_asks: "[How did I end up here?]"
+    realizations: "[What do they finally see?]"
+
+  preparation:
+    old_way_abandoned: "[What they let go of]"
+    new_way_glimpsed: "[What they must become]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 13: Break into Three (85%)
+
+**Purpose:** The epiphany moment - A and B stories combine
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- Hero finds the solution
+- Uses what they learned from B-story
+- Understands what they must do
+- Synthesis of all learning
+
+**Template:**
+```yaml
+break_into_three:
+  epiphany: "[The realization]"
+  a_plus_b: "[How A-story goal combines with B-story lesson]"
+  solution_found: "[What they now know to do]"
+  transformation_visible: "[How they've changed]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 14: Finale (85-99%)
+
+**Purpose:** The final showdown - hero applies lessons and changes the world
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Multi-scene beat
+- Hero applies all lessons learned
+- Old world replaced by new world
+- Bad guys dealt with in ascending order
+- Not enough for hero to succeed - they must change the world
+
+**The Five-Point Finale (from Strikes Back):**
+
+```yaml
+five_point_finale:
+  1_gathering_the_team:
+    who: "[Allies assembled]"
+    how: "[How they come together]"
+
+  2_executing_the_plan:
+    plan: "[Initial strategy]"
+    early_success: "[What works at first]"
+
+  3_high_tower_surprise:
+    complication: "[What goes wrong at the worst moment]"
+    stakes_raised: "[New danger]"
+
+  4_dig_deep_down:
+    inner_strength: "[What the hero finds within]"
+    transformation_complete: "[How B-story lesson applies]"
+
+  5_execution_of_new_plan:
+    new_strategy: "[The adjusted approach]"
+    victory: "[How they win]"
+    world_changed: "[How the world is different]"
+```
+
+---
+
+#### Beat 15: Final Image (100%)
+
+**Purpose:** "After" snapshot showing transformation
+
+**Requirements:**
+- Single scene beat
+- Mirrors Opening Image
+- Shows how much has changed
+- Proof that the journey was worth it
+
+**Opening vs Final Image Comparison:**
+```yaml
+image_comparison:
+  opening_image:
+    scene: "[Opening scene description]"
+    protagonist_state: "[Before state]"
+    world_state: "[Before world]"
+
+  final_image:
+    scene: "[Final scene description]"
+    protagonist_state: "[After state]"
+    world_state: "[After world]"
+
+  transformation_shown: "[What changed and how it's visible]"
+```
+
+**Film Examples:**
+- The Matrix: Opening - cursor blinking; Final - Neo flying
+- Legally Blonde: Opening - shopping for engagement ring; Final - law school graduation speech
+
+---
+
+## Phase 4: The Board Method
+
+### Step 4.1: Create Your 40-Card Board
+
+**Board Structure:**
+```
+Row 1 (Act 1):    [Cards 1-10]   Pages 1-25
+Row 2 (Act 2A):   [Cards 11-20]  Pages 25-55
+Row 3 (Act 2B):   [Cards 21-30]  Pages 55-85
+Row 4 (Act 3):    [Cards 31-40]  Pages 85-110
+```
+
+### Step 4.2: Card Template
+
+**Each card must have:**
+
+```yaml
+card:
+  number: "[1-40]"
+  scene_heading: "[INT/EXT - LOCATION - DAY/NIGHT]"
+  scene_description: "[Brief description with beginning, middle, end]"
+  conflict: "[Who vs. Who - use >< symbol]"
+  emotional_change: "[Start emotion → End emotion, use +/-]"
+  page_range: "[Estimated pages]"
+  color: "[Color code for character/storyline/theme]"
+```
+
+### Step 4.3: Color Coding System
+
+```yaml
+color_system:
+  by_character:
+    protagonist: "Blue"
+    antagonist: "Red"
+    b_story_character: "Pink"
+    ally_1: "Green"
+
+  by_storyline:
+    a_story: "Blue"
+    b_story: "Pink"
+    subplot_1: "Yellow"
+
+  by_theme:
+    theme_1: "Gold"
+    theme_2: "Silver"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 5: Validation
+
+### Step 5.1: Beat Sheet Checklist
+
+**Act One (Thesis):**
+- [ ] Opening Image shows clear "before" state
+- [ ] Theme Stated by ~5%, protagonist doesn't understand
+- [ ] Set-Up introduces all major characters
+- [ ] Six Things That Need Fixing are planted
+- [ ] Catalyst disrupts status quo at ~10-12%
+- [ ] Debate shows reluctance to change
+- [ ] Break into Two at 25% - clear, active choice
+
+**Act Two (Antithesis):**
+- [ ] B Story introduced at ~30%
+- [ ] Fun and Games delivers promise of premise (30-55%)
+- [ ] Midpoint at exactly 50% - false victory OR false defeat
+- [ ] Stakes raised at Midpoint
+- [ ] Bad Guys Close In - external AND internal pressure
+- [ ] All Is Lost at 75% with Whiff of Death
+- [ ] Dark Night of Soul - hero processes and prepares
+
+**Act Three (Synthesis):**
+- [ ] Break into Three at 85% - A + B combine
+- [ ] Finale uses Five-Point structure
+- [ ] Bad guys dealt with in ascending order
+- [ ] World is changed, not just hero
+- [ ] Final Image mirrors Opening Image
+
+### Step 5.2: Genre Checklist
+
+**Verify your genre elements are present:**
+- [ ] All three required elements for your genre
+- [ ] Key beats match genre expectations
+- [ ] Obligatory scenes are included
+- [ ] Genre-specific payoffs delivered
+
+### Step 5.3: Transformation Arc Check
+
+```yaml
+transformation_verification:
+  hero_at_start:
+    flaw: "[Primary flaw]"
+    want: "[External goal]"
+    need: "[Internal need - unknown to them]"
+
+  hero_at_end:
+    flaw_resolved: "[How flaw was overcome]"
+    want_achieved: "[Did they get external goal?]"
+    need_fulfilled: "[How internal need was met]"
+
+  change_visible: "[Concrete proof of transformation]"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Phase 6: Common Mistakes
+
+### Snyder's Top Anti-Patterns
+
+| Mistake | Why It's Wrong | Fix |
+|---------|---------------|-----|
+| Catalyst too late | Audience gets bored | Move to page 12 |
+| Midpoint at wrong percentage | Destroys second act rhythm | Calculate exactly 50% |
+| No Whiff of Death | All Is Lost lacks impact | Add death element |
+| Break into Two is passive | Hero seems dragged into story | Make it an active choice |
+| Final Image doesn't mirror Opening | Transformation unclear | Create explicit contrast |
+| Fun and Games doesn't deliver | Broken promise to audience | What did premise promise? |
+| B Story carries no theme | Subplot feels disconnected | Link to central theme |
+| Double Mumbo Jumbo | Audience suspends disbelief once | Pick one magic system |
+
+---
+
+## Output Template
+
+### Complete Beat Sheet Document
+
+```markdown
+# [TITLE] - Save the Cat Beat Sheet
+
+## Logline
+[One-sentence logline with irony]
+
+## Genre: [Genre Name]
+**Required Elements:**
+- [Element 1]: [How it appears]
+- [Element 2]: [How it appears]
+- [Element 3]: [How it appears]
+
+## The 15 Beats
+
+### ACT ONE - THESIS (Pages 1-25)
+
+**1. Opening Image (p.1)**
+[Description]
+
+**2. Theme Stated (p.5)**
+[Who says what]
+
+**3. Set-Up (pp.1-10)**
+[World establishment + Six Things That Need Fixing]
+
+**4. Catalyst (p.12)**
+[Inciting incident]
+
+**5. Debate (pp.12-25)**
+[Hero's reluctance]
+
+**6. Break into Two (p.25)**
+[The choice]
+
+### ACT TWO - ANTITHESIS (Pages 25-85)
+
+**7. B Story (p.30)**
+[Subplot introduction]
+
+**8. Fun and Games (pp.30-55)**
+[Promise of premise scenes]
+
+**9. Midpoint (p.55)**
+[False Victory/Defeat + Stakes Raised]
+
+**10. Bad Guys Close In (pp.55-75)**
+[External and internal pressure]
+
+**11. All Is Lost (p.75)**
+[Lowest point + Whiff of Death]
+
+**12. Dark Night of the Soul (pp.75-85)**
+[Darkness before dawn]
+
+### ACT THREE - SYNTHESIS (Pages 85-110)
+
+**13. Break into Three (p.85)**
+[Epiphany - A+B combine]
+
+**14. Finale (pp.85-110)**
+- Gathering the Team:
+- Executing the Plan:
+- High Tower Surprise:
+- Dig Deep Down:
+- Execution of New Plan:
+
+**15. Final Image (p.110)**
+[Mirror of Opening Image]
+
+## Six Things That Need Fixing
+1. [Setup] → [Payoff]
+2. [Setup] → [Payoff]
+3. [Setup] → [Payoff]
+4. [Setup] → [Payoff]
+5. [Setup] → [Payoff]
+6. [Setup] → [Payoff]
+
+## Transformation Arc
+- BEFORE: [Who hero is at start]
+- AFTER: [Who hero becomes]
+- PROOF: [Visible evidence of change]
+```
+
+---
+
+## Sources
+
+### Primary Sources
+1. Snyder, Blake. "Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need." Michael Wiese Productions, 2005.
+2. Snyder, Blake. "Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies." Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
+3. Snyder, Blake. "Save the Cat! Strikes Back." Save the Cat Press, 2009.
+
+### Secondary Sources
+4. Save the Cat! Official Website: https://savethecat.com/
+5. StudioBinder Beat Sheet Guide: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/save-the-cat-beat-sheet/
+6. Kindlepreneur Complete Guide: https://kindlepreneur.com/save-the-cat-beat-sheet/
+
+---
+
+**Task Version:** 1.0.0
+**Created:** 2026-01-30
+**Agent:** @blake-snyder
+**Lines:** 850+
+**Quality:** Research-backed, based on primary sources