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What does (beat) refer to in a script and what other elements can we put instead of (beat)?

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Right below "It's starting to feel like it", we see (beat), but it's like something outside of the dialogue and I am not sure what's the purpose for it and what other elements we can put aside (beat) in the same location. Can someone tell me what it's used for?

Sayaman
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2 Answers2

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A beat is a pause in the dialog. It indicates he says the first part and then, after a bit, the second.

If you want something to happen between the parts, you put that in. If not, you want "(beat)".

Mary
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  • If this is a script for a graphic novel or a comic book (which I suspect it might be, since it refers to "panels" and "pages"), then the "beat" might be portrayed by having two connected speech balloons. – Michael Seifert Jul 14 '22 at 21:37
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It indicates a quick physical gesture of some sort that breaks up the dialogue. I think it probably is used to indicate a break in the scene, a transition from one flow of dialogue to the next, a change in pace.

In filmmaking, a beat is a small amount of action resulting in a pause in dialogue. Beats usually involve physical gestures like a character walking to a window or removing their glasses and rubbing their eyes. Short passages of internal monologue can also be considered a sort of internal beat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_(filmmaking)#:~:text=In%20filmmaking%2C%20a%20beat%20is,a%20sort%20of%20internal%20beat.

levininja
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