STORY MAPS_TV Drama

by Daniel Calvisi

  Break down a few episodes of your “comp” with my Story Map Worksheet (email me and I’ll send it; see the second to last chapter for my email address) and use the map to guide you as you beat out your own pilot. You don’t have to stick to this structure forever, but it can be a good guide for your first pass.

  If you’re already thinking ahead to future episodes, keep in mind that a series often sticks to the same general act structure and page ranges used in the pilot. For example, look at how closely the pilot script of Breaking Bad compares to a script from its third season:

  Breaking Bad Pilot:

  Teaser: 1-3

  Act One: 4-17

  Act Two: 18-31

  Act Three: 32-43

  Act Four: 44-57

  Breaking Bad Ep. #308:

  Teaser: 1-4

  Act One: 5-15

  Act Two: 16-31

  Act Three: 32-42

  Act Four: 43-53

  Does this structural template feel restrictive and formulaic to you? Keep in mind this similarity in page ranges is form, not formula. It does not dictate the writer’s creative choices, just the length of the structure that the scenes are “poured into.” This may seem restrictive to the novice, but it is actually challenging, liberating and allows for greater productivity to know that you only have to write one “chunk” of the story at a time and this sequence of scenes must be in a predetermined length range. If you think it makes the writing process too simplistic, and by extension, easier than other literary forms, then be my guest and try it!

  To review:

  ***

  THE BENCHMARK 1-HOUR PILOT:

  (INDUSTRY STANDARDS)

  4-6 Acts total

  (Teaser + 3-5 Acts)

  54-58 pages

  A, B, C story

  ***

  THE BEAT SHEET

  THE “FULL” STORY MAP

  The Full Story Map adds a description of your main stories (the A, B, C and D stories) and the Beat Sheet, which is a list of plot points in your narrative. What happens from beginning to end in your pilot.

  As said, you should have at least two stories, or lines of action, in your pilot—an “A” and “B” story. I like to refer to each individual story as a “story engine,” as it is the dramatic construct that drives the action forward like an engine propels a car. A story engine must contain these three elements: A character, a goal, and the conflict standing in the way of the goal.

  It’s up to you how many stories to incorporate. True Detective has only an A and B story. Scandal uses an A, B, C and D story. Ideally, each story has at least three beats: a beginning, middle and end.

  In your Story Map, it’s best to keep your description of each engine short; not only does it make the map more readable but it helps you to focus each story.

  Here are the four engines of the Scandal pilot:

  A Story: Proving Lt. Colonel Sullivan’s innocence.

  B Story: Quinn’s first day on the job.

  C Story: President Grant and his intern.

  D Story: Stephen’s marriage proposal.

  And the four engines of the Game of Thrones pilot:

  A Story: Ned’s offer from the King.

  B Story: Daenerys marries Kal Drogo.

  C Story: Jon Snow’s place in the family.

  D Story: Jaime and Cersei's relationship.

  None of these stories can be an easy ride. Make sure you build contrast and conflict into each one. Never forget...

  Drama = Conflict!

  THE BEAT SHEET

  If you study enough pilots, you will see that each act contains unmistakable characteristics. I’ve compiled the major characteristics below in a workable order, however, you must keep in mind that you will encounter variation from show to show. As you saw in “TV Script Lengths,” every show has its own way of breaking down an episode into a multi-act structure – not every show uses the “Teaser plus five” act structure detailed below, so you must be flexible when it comes to overlapping of characteristics and beats.

  For example, the beat I call the “Shadow Showdown” occurs in Act Four in Scandal, whereas in True Detective it occurs in Act Three. But that makes sense because there are more acts in Scandal (5) than in True Detective (4). But The Walking Dead’s act structure is actually closer to Scandal than True Detective, and yet its Shadow Showdown occurs in Act Three. What gives?

  Consider that the total running times of the shows differ, as each aired on a different network in its own unique time block of programming. (E.g., The Walking Dead is normally a one-hour show, but it was given an extended time slot for its premiere, thus the 66-minute running time of the pilot.) If you look at where the Shadow Showdown falls in each pilot, relative to the total number of pages/minutes, it’s in the same basic zone. In Scandal, True Detective and The Walking Dead, it falls approximately 4/5ths of the way into the script.

  You might think it wiser to give the relative locations of the beats – e.g., to say a beat falls 4/5ths of the way into your pilot rather than page 45 in Act Four since it could very well fall in Act Three...but I’d rather get more specific with it. My aim is always to specify my beat sheets in more detail than others you might find. I’d rather give you a more specific template broken into specific page ranges than a rough approximation, until you get your sea legs and become proficient with this new form and format and you’re able to experiment with structure.

  With that said, you must know that this not an exact science. It cannot perfectly fit every one-hour television pilot. You may find a show that subverts this structure in some ways (Game of Thrones with its multi-protagonist structure comes to mind), or you may discover variation on the ordering of these “signpost” beats. Even so, I stand by this template as the best structural roadmap you will find, to date.

  In the Beat Sheet breakdown below, I cite examples from The Walking Dead, House of Cards and Breaking Bad (complete beat sheets for each of these pilots can be found in Case Studies, along with Scandal, Mr. Robot, True Detective, Game of Thrones and Mad Men.)

  Let’s begin with the first section, often referred to as The Teaser.

  TEASER (2-10 pages)

  The Teaser is the launchpad for your story. It must suck us in and give us a strong reason to keep watching/reading. It begins with a compelling Opening Sequence. The Opening Sequence may constitute the whole of The Teaser or just one or two scenes in a larger section.

  The Opening Sequence must contain dynamic images, a strong sense of place, time and tone, and an expression of the central theme of the series. Ideally, there is movement of some kind to inject a sense of energy and forward propulsion into the narrative, leading to a surprising discovery. Think about these memorable opening sequences:

  In The Good Wife, we open on the image of a husband and wife’s hands joined. In a tracking shot, we follow their hands as they enter a room filled with news photographers. Their hands separate as flash-bulbs explode, leading us to a press conference where the husband, a politician, defends allegations of impropriety and the wife bristles at the thought of his affair. This sequence ends with the wife slapping the husband and walking away from him, into her own, uncertain future.

  In Downton Abbey, we follow the servants of the manor in an unbroken Steadicam shot. As they do their jobs, we see the opulent rooms of the mansion, perfectly establishing the time period and aristocratic tone. Meanwhile, we cross-cut to a teletype machine receiving a dramatic message and the morning paper spreading the news throughout the house. We will soon find out that The Titanic has just sunk, killing the rightful heir to the Abbey.

  The pilot script for Breaking Bad (written by Vince Gilligan) opens on a character referred to as “Underwear Man” as he drives an RV like a bat out of hell, while wearing a gas mask.

  Who the hell is this guy and what’s going on?!

  Below are more key characteristics of the Teaser, using The Walking Dead, House of Cards and Breaking Bad as examples. Try to incorporate as many of these character
istics into your Teaser as possible, at least three. And try to show them in a visual, or “active” way, as opposed to a character telling us all of this information in dialogue (Show, don’t tell!). Everything does not need to be clear to the reader at this time, but keep in mind that the sooner you establish a line of action that moves forward (a character pursuing a goal against obstacles) the better.

  • Introduce a Fascinating Protagonist (Protag): Show us who we will be following for 100 hours, in an active, unique way that says something about this person and their current, or soon-to-be, place in the world.

  The Walking Dead – Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Grimes must make the terrible choice to kill a child / House of Cards – Senator Francis “Frank” Underwood mercy-kills a dog / Breaking Bad – Walter White, a schlub in his tighty-whities, crashes an RV in the desert.

  • Establish a Framing Device: Establish how this story will be told, the glue that holds it together.

  TWD – Rick navigating a dystopian world / HOC – Frank narrates his schemes / BB – Open on a flash-forward of Walter in a crisis.

  • Express Theme: Show us why you’re writing this story, what it is about, in action. May be just a hint.

  TWD – Maintaining one’s humanity in the apocalypse / HOC – Ambition / BB – Desperation.

  • Discover the “World:” Give us at least a glimpse of your main setting, time period, milieu and the tone of this locale.

  TWD – Barren dystopia / HOC – Politicians in Washington, D.C. / BB – Life or death in the desert (as far as we know at this point).

  • Hint at Central Conflict (“The Compelling Crisis”): Give us a taste of the ongoing dramatic dilemma of this series.

  TWD – Rick vs. zombies / HOC – Frank’s relentless climb to the top / BB – Walter as a “fish out of water” in a criminal world.

  • CATALYST: An event or reveal raises the stakes, defining the character in their current world and kicking a basic dramatic scenario into motion...

  CATALYST (Teaser Act-Out):

  The Walking Dead: Rick shoots a little girl after discovering she is a zombie.

  House of Cards: Frank introduces us to his allies, the President-Elect and Chief of Staff. He has launched the first step of his grand plan.

  Breaking Bad: Walt records a video confession for his family, aims a gun in the direction of approaching sirens.

  • End on a Cliffhanger: The Catalyst should leave us with an intense need to turn the page, a compelling hint at more to come. The launch of a fascinating dramatic question.

  TWD – How many more zombies are there?

  HOC – What is Frank’s plan?

  BB – How did Walt get here and will he shoot the cops?

  ACT ONE (12-15 pages):

  Act One is often, but not always, the longest act in the pilot. It pushes the protagonist into action to confront the Compelling Crisis in a new world filled with friends and foes. Key characters drive new subplots. A “New Arrival” often tours the landscape, motivating crucial exposition. The “A” story, which is most often the protagonist’s pursuit of their External Goal, must be established, and ideally, one or two other stories, as well, if not more. The order in which each story is launched is up to you. Stories are generally lettered by the writer according to screen time. I.e., the “A” story has the most screen time and the “D” story has the least. (These letter labels should never appear in your pilot script, by the way; they are for your use, only.)

  Any major characteristics (your Basic Story Map elements) not covered in the Teaser should be included in Act One. For example, if your Teaser does not clearly express your theme, make sure to do it here. Perhaps more than any other act, Act One should be able to operate as its own closed story, with a beginning, middle and end, albeit with a cliffhanger at the end.

  This cliffhanger, or “Act-Out,” must be a shocking yet inevitable turn in direction that puts us on the edge of our seat and makes us turn the page. It is the “a-ha” moment that really illustrates where this story is going and solidifies your voice as the storyteller.

  • “A” Story: Protagonist’s central, external pursuit: TWD – Rick’s struggle to survive in the new world / House of Cards – Frank’s power play / Breaking Bad – Walt’s meth business.

  • “B” Story: A secondary, yet crucial, line of action that relates to a key dramatic element, such as...this story’s mythology...a dynamic ally...the love interest...a hint at the full season arc... the Protag’s “ghost” (backstory) or fatal flaw: TWD – Morgan and his wife / HOC – Zoe Barnes / BB – Walt’s family.

  • “C” Story: Key supporting characters in action: TWD – Rick and Shane / HOC – Peter Russo / BB – Hank.

  • “D” Story: Supplementary line of action that helps to flesh out a character or the world: TWD – None. / HOC – Claire’s non-profit. / BB – None.

  • New Arrival: “Newborn” who arrives ignorant of the world: TWD – Rick / HOC – Zoe Barnes / BB – Walt.

  • Shadow Character (may be same as New Arrival or Dynamic Ally): The opposite of the Protag: TWD – Morgan / HOC – Zoe Barnes / BB – Jesse Pinkman.

  • Dynamic Ally: A key helper of the Protag: TWD – Morgan / HOC – Peter Russo / BB – Hank.

  • Theme: The central idea being explored is cemented and integrated into Protag’s goals: TWD – Humanity in the wake of disaster / HOC – Ambition / BB – Desperation.

  • Escalating Conflict/Stakes: Complications arise: TWD – Rick and Shane set up roadblock, exchange fire with criminals / HOC – Workplace conflicts for all main characters / BB – Walt is humiliated at the car wash.

  • INCITING INCIDENT: A surprising event of high conflict upsets the established order and stops the Protagonist in their tracks, while opening the door for a new journey, either setting the “A” story in motion, or, if it’s already begun, accelerating it forward with new urgency...

  INCITING INCIDENT:

  The Walking Dead: Rick is shot, blacks out, wakes up in the hospital, alone.*

  House of Cards: Frank is passed over for Secretary of State.

  Breaking Bad: At his 50th surprise birthday party, Walt is fascinated by Hank’s seizure of $700k in drug money.*

  TURN/Roadblock/Crisis to “A” and/or “B” story (Act One Act-Out):

  A final surprising escalation of stakes that turns the story in a new direction and pushes the protagonist into the next stage, offering a cliffhanger or hint at more to come: TWD – Rick encounters his first pack of zombies HOC – Frank and wife Claire reconcile and team up / BB – Walt collapses.

  *In pilots that employ flash-forwards in the Teaser, like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad, we open the pilot with the “A” story already in motion, so it may not seem like the Inciting Incident launches the central line of action. But notice how the Inciting Incident in these two instances goes back to the start of the linear chronology to show us the beginning of the “A” line. Rick would not have encountered the zombie girl on his own if he had not been shot and left alone in the hospital, and Walt would not have crashed his RV had he not seen Hank’s drug money and been inspired to start his own meth business as a way to raise money to fix his personal problems. Thus, these Inciting Incidents are truly the jumpstarting of their new journeys.

  ACT TWO

  (6-10 pages, often ends near page 30)

  Act Two employs a strong escalation of conflict to turn the screws on our hero. It often comes with a location change, and it begins by showing us the result of the dramatic turn that came at the end of Act One. The protagonist usually gets themselves out of this predicament by making an active decision that will have dramatic consequences later, followed by more complications and inevitable crossing of paths with key characters.

  The protagonist is thrown into a meaningful skirmish (First Trial) that produces some kind of failure or victim (First Casualty), which can be themselves, another character or a figurative death, like a loss of innocence. A significant event and/or decision of hi
gh conflict (Midpoint) signals a turn in direction for the story and raises the stakes, clarifying the Protag’s “A” goal, ideally with a clear deadline (a “ticking time clock”). This beat creates a new challenge that propels them into the next Act and will pay off in the Climax of the pilot.

  • Aftermath of Cliffhanger: The consequences of the previous Act-Out and/or a “taking stock” of the current dramatic situation. Vital exposition is given, setting up the engine of Act Two. Must involve an escalation of conflict, ideally followed by a decision/action by Protag that propels them toward their First Trial: TWD – Rick escapes the pack of zombies at the hospital, but when confronted by a slithering zombie torso, he runs / HOC – Frank and Doug lay out a plan / BB – Walt is told he has inoperable lung cancer; he keeps it a secret from his wife.

  • FIRST TRIAL/FIRST CASUALTY: A skirmish between the protagonist and another character or antagonistic force results in a failure, loss or victim: TWD – Rick finds his home empty; he gets knocked out by Morgan / HOC – Frank clashes with wife Claire* / BB – Walt observes the drug bust, sees his former student Jesse escape.

  *House of Cards is the rare exception where the FT/FC occurs in Act One.

  • New complications to A, B, C stories: More obstacles and threats are thrown at Protag and other key characters in more than one storyline: TWD – Rick is held captive by Morgan / HOC – Zoe’s path collides with Frank’s / BB – Walt learns about money problems from his wife and blows up at his boss at the car wash.