“Your story comes from your heart, and then you structure it to deliver it in the best way.” — Rain Bennett

Ever hear the term "story beat" and wonder what it really means?

In this episode, Rain breaks down the mysterious middle ground between scenes and acts—the story beat. And he uses Blake Snyder’s popular (and sometimes polarizing) Save the Cat beat sheet to do it.

You’ll get a clear explanation of what a beat is, how the 15-beat structure works, and why it's helped thousands of storytellers—from screenwriters to brand strategists—craft more compelling narratives.

Rain walks you through the full beat sheet, explains how it maps to The Lion King, and shares tips on how to use this structure for your own business, brand, or film storytelling. If you’ve been overwhelmed by big frameworks, this episode will give you a clear, practical tool to work with.

In this episode, you will learn to:

Define what a story beat is and understand how it fits between scenes and acts.
Use Blake Snyder’s 15-beat sheet to outline or revise your story with more clarity.
Apply structural thinking without becoming rigid or formulaic.
Break down familiar films like The Lion King to see how classic stories follow this shape.
Build emotional momentum in your stories by anchoring each beat to character decisions.

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Ezra Buzzington, Blair Socci and Dan Van Kirk guest