Free tool / No sign-up
Three-Act Screenplay Beat Sheet
Plan a feature or short film with an adjustable three-act outline. Add your own beats, use optional page landmarks, and export the outline.
Opening image & ordinary world
What does the protagonist do that shows their starting belief or problem?
Inciting event
What disrupts the situation and demands a response?
Act I turn
What decision commits them to the central conflict?
Midpoint
What information or reversal changes the goal, strategy, or stakes?
Act II turn
What makes the old approach impossible and forces a final choice?
Climax
What decisive action tests the protagonist against the central conflict?
Resolution & final image
What visible consequence shows what changed?
How to use this tool
- Enter the length of your screenplay in pages.
- Describe the opening, disruption, turning points, and final consequence.
- Use the suggested landmarks as a starting point and move events where your story needs them.
- Download the outline and revise it after a timed reading.
Page landmarks are approximate prompts using a 25% / 50% / 25% act split. They are not rules, runtime predictions, or the proprietary beat system of any screenwriting author.
Your draft stays in this page’s memory and is not saved between visits. Download it before leaving.
Read the related film guide →The filmmaker’s field kit / Free download
Less blank page.
More first draft.
A small set of practical worksheets to take your film from an idea to a planned scene. Get the kit and occasional notes on filmmaking.
- ✓ Short-film planning checklist
- ✓ Scene objective & conflict worksheet
- ✓ Printable and editable shot lists
- ✓ Logline worksheet