Act as a panel of 3 experts on screenwriting. The panel will brainstorm ideas for a movie script. Each expert will share 1 step of their thinking with the group, then everyone goes to the next step, etc. If, at any point, one of the experts realizes their answer is not optimal or disagrees with the other two, then they leave. DO NOT DISPLAY THE EXPERTS' DISCUSSION. Only output the final answer.
Goal: Based on the user's ideas, create a "Save the Cat" beat sheet that explains the storyline for a box-office hit movie in detail. Include a list of major characters.
Follow these rules carefully:
- Use a bulleted outline with Markdown for the plot points.
- Separate each section with a heading.
- Each plot point must have a scene description that includes actions and environment.
- Use a Markdown table for the characters.
- Each character must have an archetype, appearance description, a brief backstory, and a personality description.
- The descriptions must not be longer than 250 words.
- Adhere strictly to the word count constraint by utilizing this Python code, where the variable
text refers to your output draft: word_count = len(text.split()) Repeatedly revise your draft until it fits within the word count limit before generating the final output.
- DO NOT ACCESS THE INTERNET. The script must be completely original.
User Input:
I want to tell a heart-wrenching story about an urban coyote pack that lives in the leftover wild spaces squeezed between the American suburbs. The movie should make the viewer care about the environment and have compassion for animals sometimes seen as pests, but the emotional theme should be more about being strengthened by our relationships and dealing with the inevitable cycle of change. The main characters should be a family of coyotes, but supporting characters can be other urban wildlife such as raccoons, foxes, squirrels, or even stray cats and dogs. The animals cannot understand human speech, so do not include any scenes about talking to humans.
Response
Major Characters
| Character |
Archetype |
Appearance |
Backstory & Personality |
| Kael |
The Underdog Hero |
A young, lean coyote with soft gray fur and oversized, expressive ears. His frame is slighter than his siblings, and his eyes are wide with a mix of fear and curiosity. |
The youngest son of the pack's matriarch, Kael has always lived in the shadow of his stronger brother, Fen. He is hesitant, thoughtful, and empathetic, often observing instead of acting. His journey is one from follower to leader, forced to find a new kind of strength not in brute force, but in intelligence, adaptation, and compassion. |
| Fen |
The Fallen Prince |
A large, powerful coyote with a thick, dark coat and a scar across his muzzle. He carries himself with an air of confident authority. |
The heir apparent, Fen believes the pack's survival depends on traditional strength and dominance. He is proud, protective, and initially dismissive of Kael's caution, viewing it as weakness. His humbling experiences force him to reconsider what it means to be strong and to respect his brother's different approach to leadership. |
| Willow |
The Mentor / Matriarch |
An old, silver-furred coyote. She is thin and walks with a slight limp, but her eyes are sharp and intelligent. |
Having led the pack for years, Willow has seen the suburban landscape change and understands the old ways are not enough. She is the moral center of the story, delivering the central theme. Wise, patient, and resilient, she sees the potential in Kael that others, including Kael himself, overlook. Her physical frailty masks an unbreakable spirit. |
| Pip |
The Cynic / Trickster |
A portly, middle-aged raccoon with a notched ear and clever paws. He is missing his left eye, a testament to a past skirmish. |
A hardened survivor, Pip lives on the fringes, believing in a simple rule: look out for number one. He is sarcastic, pragmatic, and an expert on navigating the human world. Initially helping Kael for his own benefit, he develops a grudging respect and genuine friendship, revealing a loyalty he thought he’d lost long ago. |
Save the Cat Beat Sheet
Opening Image (Pages 1-2)
- Dawn breaks over a manicured suburban neighborhood. The camera glides past pristine houses and pushes into "The Green Vein," a sliver of untamed woods. Kael, a young coyote, watches his family—matriarch Willow, brother Fen, and two pups—emerge from their den into the morning light. The world is serene and whole.
Theme Stated (Page 5)
- While teaching the pups to track scents near a creek, Willow nudges Kael. "The pack is a circle, little one," she says softly. "We draw strength from each other, but a strong circle must know how to change its shape when the world changes." As she speaks, a water strider breaks the pack's circular reflection in the water.
Set-Up (Pages 1-10)
- The pack's daily life unfolds. During a hunt, a clumsy Kael fails to catch a squirrel, but Fen effortlessly takes down a rabbit, reinforcing Kael's dependence. Pip, a one-eyed raccoon, warns them from a tree about the "yellow monsters" (construction equipment) at the edge of their territory. Fen scoffs, dismissing Pip as a coward. Later, the pups are startled by a human hammering a bright orange surveyor's flag into the ground just yards from their den.
Catalyst (Page 12)
- The roar of engines shatters the morning. A bulldozer tears into the woods, its metal treads collapsing their den. In the ensuing panic and chaos, the family scatters. As they regroup in the unfamiliar woods, they realize one of the young pups is missing.
Debate (Pages 12-25)
- Huddled in a concrete storm drain, the displaced pack argues. Fen insists they must push deeper into the woods and fight a rival fox for new territory. Willow, who sustained an injury to her leg during the escape, cautions against it. She looks to a terrified Kael and urges him to think for himself, reminding him that strength isn't always aggression.
Break into Two (Page 25)
- Rejecting Fen's aggressive plan, Kael makes a choice. He decides to venture into the dangerous, unknown world of the suburbs to find his lost sibling. He seeks out Pip, the only one who knows how to survive in that world. He slips under a chain-link fence, leaving the familiar woods behind for a strange landscape of artificial lights and geometric lawns.
B Story / Fun and Games (Pages 30-55)
- Pip begrudgingly teaches Kael the rules of the suburbs. A montage shows Kael learning to navigate this new world: dodging sprinklers, hiding from dogs, and raiding trash cans. He and Pip form an unlikely bond built on shared purpose. Kael grows more confident, using his wits to survive. They follow the pup's faint trail through a maze of backyards.
Midpoint (Page 55)
- Kael and Pip find the lost pup, being cared for by a wary stray cat in a backyard shed. It’s a false victory. As Kael plans their return, he sees a human from Animal Control setting a large cage trap nearby. The stakes are raised: it's no longer just a rescue, but an escape.
Bad Guys Close In (Pages 55-75)
- The Animal Control truck patrols the neighborhood streets with increasing frequency. Headlights sweep across the shed, trapping Kael's small, makeshift pack. Kael's old self-doubt resurfaces. Meanwhile, a wounded and defeated Fen appears, having lost his fight with the fox. He is humbled to see Kael has succeeded where he failed.
All Is Lost (Page 75)
- Trying to create a diversion for the others to escape, Fen misjudges and springs the trap. The metal door slams shut, capturing him. Kael watches, horrified, as his powerful brother is trapped and helpless. The Animal Control truck arrives. Kael is forced to flee with the pup and Pip, leaving his brother behind. The "whiff of death" is the loss of his protector and his old world.
Dark Night of the Soul (Pages 75-85)
- Hiding beneath a roaring highway overpass, Kael is at his lowest. He has failed his brother. He looks at the terrified pup and the cynical raccoon who now depend on him. He remembers Willow's words about the circle changing shape and realizes his pack is now this strange, new group. He finds his resolve, not in the past, but in his new responsibility.
Break into Three (Page 85)
- Kael synthesizes his knowledge. He formulates a new plan: use the suburban infrastructure to free Fen and lead his family to a rumored safe haven—a state park on the other side of the highway. He communicates his plan to Pip, who, seeing Kael's new confidence, agrees to help.
Finale (Pages 85-110)
- Kael and Pip reunite with Willow and the other pup. Kael, now the clear leader, guides them to the Animal Control depot. In a tense "heist," Pip uses his nimble paws to unlatch Fen's cage while Willow creates a sound diversion. The reunited family makes a final, desperate dash across a highway off-ramp. When Willow falters, Kael shields her from oncoming headlights, completing his transformation into the pack's protector. They scramble up the embankment and into the safety of the dark, quiet park.
Final Image (Page 110)
- On a hill overlooking the vast, wild state park, the coyote family and their raccoon friend watch the sunrise. The shot mirrors the opening, but the circle is different—changed, tested, and stronger. Kael stands tall, no longer an underdog, but a leader who has guided his family home.
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| Model: |
gemini-2.5-pro |
| Temperature: |
0.2 |
| Max output tokens: |
8192 |
| TopK: |
40.0 |
| TopP: |
0.95 |
|
