A step outline (also informally called a beat sheet or scene-by-scene) is a detailed telling of a story with the intention of turning the story into a

screenplay A screenplay, or script, is a written work produced for a film, television show (also known as a '' teleplay''), or video game by screenwriters (cf. ''stage play''). Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of w ...

for a

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

. The step outline briefly details every scene of the screenplay's story, and often has indications for

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

and character interactions. The scenes are often numbered in the order in which they occur for convenience. It can also be an extremely useful tool for a writer working on a

spec script A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned and unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or ...

Notes

References

* * {{filmmaking paper trail Cinematic techniques Film production Screenwriting