ABOUT US
"Each beat tracks how pressure transforms the protagonist—whether they rise, break, or surrender to the truth."
My work is rooted in narrative structure—specifically the Protagonist’s Plight. I write using my own 12 Story Beats framework, a drama-forward system inspired by other methods like Save the Cat and the Hero’s Journey, but designed to be more stringent on the Protagonist. Each beat tracks how pressure transforms the protagonist—whether they rise, break, or surrender to the truth. I used this framework to co-write Tribes of the Vampire TV pilot, shaping the story around inevitability rather than spectacle.
Beyond screenwriting, I bring the same discipline to directing, creative development, and documentary filmmaking. From screenplays to short-form branded content, my focus is always on clarity of intention, emotional momentum, and stories that feel lived-in rather than manufactured. I migrated from New Zealand to the U.S. in 2016 and have since worked across scripted and nonfiction storytelling—writing original screenplays, and producing an award-winning documentary. Thank you for stopping by!
Scripts
Tribes of the Vampire
TV Pilot | Supernatural | Drama
When a grieving American expat stumbles upon London’s underbelly, she encounters a powerful vampire—together their forbidden love could expose his deadly clan.
Opioid Cowboy
Feature | Thriller | Drama
A woman lives to tell the tale of how she married two Appalachian brothers, both Iraq vets with PTSD, who pushed drugs during the opioid crisis—one for the cartel, the other for big pharma.
Door Ajar
Feature | Bio | Drama
The true story of an LGBTQ+ African American janitor, the college professor who discovered him and his art, and their friendship in the Jim Crow south of the 1950s and beyond.
FRAMEWORK
12 Story Beats
The Protagonist’s Plight
The 12 Story Beats framework centers on the Protagonist’s Plight. In the beginning, our often naïve and unsuspecting Protagonist stands on the brink of change. Destined for a transformation, they will undergo a metamorphosis that serves their deepest needs, whether they like it or not. The 12 Story Beats chart a path through the classic three-act structure, guiding the Protagonist as they struggle to overcome adversity and claim their story. With every beat, the Protagonist is tested and shaped—wearing them down until they submit to the underlying process that will propel them either toward their goal or their demise.
The 12 Story Beats
ACT 1
Beat 1: In the beginning: We meet the protagonist in their world or story setting.
Beat 2: Someone needs to hear this: The protagonist is exposed to the goal.
Beat 3: The Trigger: An event that forces the protagonist to face the truth.
Beat 4: Living in denial: The protagonist tries ignoring the truth.
Beat 5: Accepting one’s fate: The protagonist accepts their fate.
ACT 2
Beat 6: Feet first: With reckless abandon the protagonist attacks the goal.
Beat 7: No turning back: Right or wrong, the protagonist doubles down.
Beat 8: I told you so: Reality punches the protagonist in the face!
Beat 9: The lowest of lows: The protagonist experiences the darkest of nights in hell.
ACT 3
Beat 10: A slither of hope: Somehow the protagonist finds a way out.
Beat 11: The comeback: The protagonist applies learnings and reaches their goal or not.
Beat 12: The spoils: The protagonist savors the spoils and is remembered or fails and is forgotten.
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Contact JohnReyer.com
If you’d like to discuss any of the scripts, just send me an email, and we can set up a time to talk.
Phone:
(662) 701-7220
Email:
scripts@johnreyer.com
Address:
1723 University Ave Suite B #247 Oxford, MS 38655, United States