Also known as page-one · ground-up rewrite
A ground-up rewrite that rebuilds the script from a new structural plan while keeping what still serves the story — not a line edit.
A page-one rewrite starts from a new structural plan: new want, new act design, or a premise that finally has teeth. Keep the old draft available on a named save point or a full draft line so useful scenes remain recoverable without trapping you inside the broken engine you are leaving behind.
Rebuild against a fresh beat sheet before you rescue favorite set pieces from the prior draft. Nostalgia reintroduces the old structure one "keep this" at a time. When an experiment is local -- another button, another scene landing -- use a take and promote the winner instead of forking the whole document.
Today incorporate lands a winning draft line as a whole after you preview it and click Incorporate. For scene-scoped winners after a rebuild, open a take on that scene or run Agent Mode against the range, then keep the winner.
In a WGA-covered theatrical deal, page-one rewrite can also be a compensation term rather than only a craft description. The 2026 MBA establishes a new minimum for qualifying page-one rewrites beginning May 2, 2026. Check the current agreement and contract before assuming that every structural restart falls under that provision.
When the premise, protagonist want, or act design is wrong. If cosmetics cannot hide a soft engine, stop polishing and rebuild from a new plan.
Park the prior draft on a save point or draft line, rebuild against new beats, then recover only what still earns its place under the new spine.
Use a draft line when the whole document must live in parallel. Use a take when you are testing a scene or act alternate inside the rebuild.
Not today. Incorporate lands the whole winning draft line. For scene-scoped winners now, open a take or run Agent Mode on that scene.
Yes for qualifying WGA-covered theatrical deals beginning May 2, 2026. The contract provision has specific conditions, so confirm the current agreement and engagement.
