simply googling "beat script" gives you your answer

>>70692177
It's a noticeable verbal pause before the dialogue picks back up.

>>70692177
a line or action which is a noticeable in the script which changes characters in someway

>>70692177
It's called a beat outline. If you knew anything about screenwriting, you would know that.

>>70692177
it's when you smack the viewer over the head with something obvious

the coen bros like to type out when they do a stroke of their penis, aka are beating it, aka a beat, as they are writing, it's just a stupid in-joke of theirs

It comes from theater. A beat is a pause, it indicates a moment is passing in silence.

It's essentially dramatic punctuation.

Ex.
INT. ELEVATOR
Character A and Character B stand across from one another. Their eyes meet.

CHARACTER A
Lovely weather we're having, huh?

Character B loudly farts. Character A turns to the door.

A beat.

CHARACTER B
Absolutely.

>>70692177
The first draft for Let Me In was full of these, like thrice the usual amount. Cringey as fuck.

>>70692177

I've always thought of it as a pause in the dialog or action, used for pacing, or dramatic effect which, at the minimum, lasts anywhere from 2 to 5 seconds, but may be longer, lasting as long as several minutes, depending upon the scripted content. I believe it is used whenever there is a need to indicate or imply that a character is thinking, conveying unspoken thoughts, has had an idea, realization, or epiphany of some kind, or as a transition from one scene to another.

But that's just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

From what I gather by what you guys say here and comparing the "beat" moments of the script with that in the movie yeah it seems like a moment in a scene where a character doesn't do something specifically but something is still conveyed. What exactly that is should be informed by the context of the scene.

And yeah, they seem to be 2-5 seconds long. Dirk Diggler's long stare during the Jesse's Girl scene from Boogie Nights sure as hell isn't a beat.