A beat sheet calculator tells you which page each story beat should fall on for a script of a given length. Enter your page count, choose a structure, and this calculator scales the beat positions to your script, so a 90-page comedy and a 120-page drama each get their own targets.
How to use the beat sheet calculator
- Enter the length of your script in pages, or the running time in minutes; at a page a minute they're the same.
- Choose a structure: three-act, fifteen-beat sheet or hero's journey.
- Read the page for each beat, or download the table as a CSV for a spreadsheet.
How the calculator works
Each beat sits at a share of the story. The catalyst lands about 10% in, the midpoint at 50%, and the break into act three around 77% in the fifteen-beat sheet. The calculator multiplies each share by your page count and rounds to a whole page. For a 110-page script the midpoint lands on page 55; for 90 pages, on page 45.
| Beat | Share | 90 pages | 110 pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalyst (inciting incident) | 10% | 9 | 11 |
| Break into act two | 20% | 18 | 22 |
| Midpoint | 50% | 45 | 55 |
| All is lost | 68% | 61 | 75 |
| Break into act three | 77% | 69 | 85 |
Targets, not rules
Treat the page numbers as a check, not a mold. If your midpoint arrives on page 70 of a 110-page draft, the middle may be sagging, or your first act may be long. If it arrives on page 45, the story may be rushing. A few pages either way is normal; ten or more is worth a look.
The structures
- Three-act structure: seven anchor points from the opening image to the resolution. See the three-act structure guide.
- Fifteen-beat sheet: the finer grid popularized by Blake Snyder's book Save the Cat!, from opening image to final image. See the beat sheet guide.
- Hero's journey: stages of the mythic journey, from the ordinary world to the return. See the story structure guide.
Beats that move with your script
In Scenaloom you can generate beats from a structure with page targets for your script's length, and compare them with where your scenes actually fall as you write. Start free, or download the beat sheet template.
Questions
Where should the midpoint fall in a screenplay?
At about half the page count: page 55 of a 110-page script, page 45 of a 90-page one. A few pages either way is normal.
Is this a Save the Cat beat sheet calculator?
The fifteen-beat option follows the beat sheet popularized by Blake Snyder's Save the Cat!, with the commonly used percentages. The calculator is an independent tool and isn't affiliated with the book.
Can I use it for a novel?
Yes. Enter the planned length in chapters or in hundreds of words instead of pages; the beat shares stay the same.
What if my script is a TV episode?
Enter the episode's page count. Most TV structures add act breaks for commercials, so use the beats as story checkpoints rather than act breaks.