Arguably some of the best creative films have come out of Pixar’s labs: Inside Out, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Toy Story. Everyone has a Pixar movie that they absolutely love regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or background. Pixar harnesses the power of master storytellers to impart some kind of wisdom to the audience.
But what if I told you that all Pixar movies are essentially the same?
At first glance, you might not notice the common threads that run through these films. After all, what does a story about monsters have to do with a story about toys that come alive? They can produce tons of films each decade, and the reason is simple: they have a powerful formula when it comes to telling stories. Each one of their films follows the same six plot points.
Here is the formula for how you can tell a great story that appeals to the masses, Pixar-style.
Once Upon a Time…
The first plot point that Pixar uses in their storytelling is the Once Upon a Time beat. This shows us where the characters are at the start of the movie, both literally and figuratively. We can see who the story is going to be about, where they are located, and maybe a little bit about what it is that makes them special.
This is the time to start thinking about that inciting incident and the start of your story we talked about in the last blog post.
While you shouldn’t wax eloquently for pages, this beat gives readers a sense of what’s going to go down in the rest of the novel.
Every Day…
Closely related to the Once Upon a Time beat, this is where you firmly establish the status quo. What do your characters do, day after day? This should be the time to set a course for the rest of the story. The action should change something fundamental about their everyday life, but that can only happen if the reader knows what the norm is.
In other words, who are they when no one is watching and what is going to be at stake for them in the story to come?
That doesn’t mean you have to spend pages and pages telling us what life is like. A scene or two is usually enough to give us a firm foundation of the norm for your story world and your character. Too much exposition in this section weighs us down when we want to get to the next plot point.
One Day…
Now we know who your characters are and what is going on in their world. The important thing now is to shake things up. In storytelling, this is often called the catalyst or the inciting incident. It is the event that sets the rest of the story into motion, no matter how big or small it may be.
Chances are that you can name the One Day beat in just about any Pixar movie you’ve ever seen.
Take Finding Nemo, for example. The catalyst for the story is the day that Nemo goes to school for the first time and doesn’t follow his overprotective dad’s rules about staying safe. A diver scoops him up and takes him to a dentist’s aquarium, away from the only life he has ever known.
It takes just a few minutes of screen time, but the outcome is clear: Nemo’s life will never be the same again.
Because of that…
The idea that you can write a Pixar story in six beats is a bit deceptive. This is the one beat where you will repeat items again and again until you get to the bottom of things. The catalyst sets the action (or the premise) of the story into motion. Now, your protagonist and side characters are going to respond to that incident.
But there is something important to note here about how this story beat is phrased.
Everything that happens after the One Day beat should be linked to the event that came before it. Readers need to see a clear and logical connection between story events if you want them to follow along for the journey. Some people view this beat more as “then this happened” but that is a mistake.
The goal for the meat of your story which is contained in this beat should all be connected. Drive the plot forward by making sure everything flows from the One Day beat, ensuring that a bunch of unrelated items don’t take over the story. This is also the place to start thinking through what your character will learn and who they will become by the end of the story.
Until Finally…
If you know anything about story structure following other methods, then you likely already have a good idea of what this beat is all about. Until Finally is the final stop from your Because of That beat, giving your readers the climax of the story. It should be the pivotal moment when someone figures out what they need to do to solve the problem laid out at the beginning of the book.
This should be the moment when your readers see that your protagonist really has changed and can now face their problem head-on. We can cheer for them and guide them along the path to the change that will ultimately resolve their internal or external dilemma.
Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be a linear progression toward Until Finally. They might take one step forward and two steps back in the Because of That beat. By the time they land here, the lesson has truly been learned and they can move full steam ahead to the next beat.
And Ever Since That Day…
This is the ultimate moment for your characters to demonstrate who they are on the other side of the problem they faced several story beats ago. They can showcase their character change and transformation, and they may even be looking into the future to see how this affects every little detail ahead.
It could be the place where you include a Happily Ever After, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule.
Instead, you could leave a few things open-ended for your readers to think about what it might mean for your protagonist (or set you up to write the sequel!).
How Does Your Story Align with Pixar?
There are only six beats to the Pixar storytelling method, but they pack a powerful punch for your story development. If you have ever struggled to figure out how events are connected in your story world or how to move from one scene to the next, consider applying this framework to your story.
If nothing else, it’s a great excuse to pop on a Pixar movie and take a masterclass on storytelling.
What’s your favorite Pixar movie and how can you apply these beats to the storyline?