@masterraalkivictorieux Master Ra’al Ki Victorieux

Discover the magic of storytelling with Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! 📽️✨ Master your screenplay with actionable techniques and create characters that resonate! #Screenwriting #SaveTheCat #Storytelling 📚✍️ https://wp.me/p3JLEZ-7y9

Unlock your storytelling potential with Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! and transform your screenwriting journey! This essential guide presents actionable techniques that take you from concept to captivating characters, ensuring your narrative resonates with audiences. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a seasoned screenwriter, Save the Cat! offers invaluable insights into crafting compelling plots and character arcs that not only engage but also inspire. Embrace the magic of storytelling and elevate your screenplay to new heights—discover the secrets within Save the Cat! today!

Save the Cat! Overview

Save the Cat! is a series of non-fiction book on screenwriting by spec-screenwriter Blake Snyder, exploring plot structure in mainstream film. Snyder’s approach has been widely adopted throughout the film industry and the book has remained a bestseller since publication.

Who is Blake Snyder?

Blake Snyder (October 3, 1957 – August 4, 2009) was a successful screenwriter and author recognized primarily for his contribution to the field of screenwriting. Born in 1957, he made a mark in Hollywood with successful films such as Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and Blank Check. Snyder’s principal achievement is his influential book, Save the Cat!, which has become a cornerstone of screenwriting education. The trilogy gained immense popularity because it presents a straightforward, actionable approach to story structure, making it accessible to aspiring writers and seasoned screenwriters alike. The engaging writing style, combined with practical examples, helped Snyder’s ideas resonate deeply within the film industry, leading to the book being a bestseller for years.

Save the Cat! 6 Book Series

Save the Cat! is the first in the Save the Cat! book series, and was followed by two books also written by Blake Snyder: Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies (2007) and Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get Into… and Out Of (2009).

After Snyder’s death in 2009, the series continued with Save the Cat! Blake’s Blogs: More Information and Inspiration for Writers (2016), which is a compilation of Blake Snyder’s blog posts and other writings on the subject of screenwriting.

The first book in the series not to feature Snyder’s writing was Save the Cat! Goes to the Indies, a 2017 book by Salva Rubio that analyzes independent films according to Snyder’s principles. It was followed in 2018 by Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing That You’ll Ever Need by Jessica Brody.

1. Save the Cat! (2005)

Published in 2005, Save the Cat! outlines Snyder’s unique approach to screenwriting. The title refers to a crucial storytelling principle: the protagonist needs to perform an act that elicits empathy from the audience, creating a connection. He demonstrates that is worth rooting for. Snyder writes, “It’s the scene where we [first] meet the hero”, in order to gain audience favor and support for the main character right from the start. In the opening scene of the movie Frequency, for example, Frank Sullivan, played by Dennis Quaid, is a veteran firefighter who jumps into a manhole to save two workers from a gas explosion. Snyder argues that Frank’s casual confidence facing danger makes him interesting to the audience. From this point, the audience is fully invested in Frank’s well-being and rooting for him to succeed.

According to Snyder, this crucial element is missing from many of today’s movies. He referenced Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) as being a film that focused on making the character Lara Croft “cool” and sexy (via a “new latex body suit for Angelina Jolie”) instead of likable.

The book introduces the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (BS2), a specific structure that divides a screenplay into 15 essential beats, which serve as guideposts for writers to develop both compelling narratives and characters. This structure emphasizes the importance of planning, character arcs, and tension, making it a valuable tool for screenwriters seeking to craft engaging stories that appeal to mainstream audiences.

Snyder’s method expanded the 15 beats further into 40 beats, which are laid out on “The Board.” The Board is divided into 4 rows, with each row representing a quarter of the story, namely the 1st Act, the 1st half of the 2nd Act, the 2nd half of the 2nd Act, and the 3rd Act.

Snyder also introduced 10 genres in his book that distinguished how stories are structured. According to Snyder, standard genre types such as Romantic Comedy, Epic or Biography did not say much about the story, only the type of movie it is. Snyder’s system explored genre more fully, with categories such as “Monster in the House”, “Golden Fleece”, “Buddy Love” and others.

2. Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies (2007)

In Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, released in 2007, Snyder expands upon the principles from his first book by analyzing popular films through the lens of the BS2. He categorizes various movies according to their plot structures, providing readers practical insights into how successful films utilize his techniques. The book serves as both an instructional guide and a source of inspiration, making it an essential companion for writers looking to understand the mechanics behind their favorite movies. By breaking down the elements that make these films work, Snyder helps aspiring screenwriters learn and apply proven techniques to their scripts.

The book took 50 landmark movies, identified their specific genres, and broke them down into the 15 beats of the BS2.

3. Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get Into . . . and Out Of (2009)

Released shortly before Snyder’s passing in 2009, Save the Cat! Strikes Back builds on the foundations laid in the first two books, offering new insights and further development of his techniques. This sequel dives deeper into character development and enhances the timeless principles of storytelling. Snyder introduces additional story types, allowing writers to explore more complex narratives and character dynamics. The guidance offered in this book aims to help screenwriters navigate the challenges they face in crafting compelling narratives while staying true to the principles outlined in his earlier works.

This was the last book in the series to be authored by Snyder himself.

4. Save the Cat! Blake’s Blogs: More Information and Inspiration for Writers (2016)

Following Snyder’s death, Save the Cat! Blake’s Blogs: More Information and Inspiration for Writers was published in 2016 as a compilation of his blog posts and other writings. This collection serves as a testament to Snyder’s passion for teaching storytelling and screenwriting. The book compiles topics relevant to writers, including practical advice, personal anecdotes, and insights into the industry. Each section echoes his signature style, blending humor and knowledge, reinforcing the core principles of his approach while providing valuable resources for aspiring and seasoned writers alike.

5. Save the Cat! Goes to the Indies (2017)

The fifth book in the series, Save the Cat! Goes to the Indies, published in 2017, deserves attention for its distinct focus on independent films. Authored by Snyder’s student, Spanish screenwriter Salva Rubio.

Key themes include low budgets, innovative storytelling, and character-driven narratives. This book applies Snyder’s principles to the specific nuances of indie filmmaking. It features the analysis of 50 independent, European, auteur and cult films. By analyzing independent films through the lens of the BS2, this installment expands the application of Snyder’s ideas, empowering indie filmmakers and screenwriters with the tools they need to succeed in a market traditionally characterized by limitations.

6. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need (2018) by Jessica Brody

Chapter 1: What Is It?
Snyder begins by arguing for the importance of developing a logline prior to writing the script. He defines a logline as a one or two sentence summary of a film that encapsulates its tone, potential, dilemma, characters, and audience. Snyder states that the ideal logline must satisfy four requirements:

1. Irony: The logline must be ironic and emotionally involving.
2. A compelling mental picture: The logline must imply the entire movie.
3. Audience and cost: The logline must demarcate the target audience and potential production cost.
4. A killer title: The logline must include a title that cleverly communicates the story’s substance.

All of this, Snyder suggests, relates to the idea of high-concept, a term describing works that can be easily pitched to potential audiences. Snyder states that the best way to test loglines is by pitching your movies to anyone that will listen and adjusting accordingly.

Chapter 2: Give Me the Same Thing… Only Different!
Snyder stresses the importance of screening movies similar to yours and to analyzing them for their strengths and weaknesses. He suggests that dividing movies into categories based on their story types is more valuable than using traditional genre (e.g. romance or action). The genres that he uses are:

1. Monster in the House (examples cited include Jaws, Alien, The Exorcist, and Fatal Attraction). The 3 elements of a Monster in the House are:
   • 1. A monster that is supernatural in its powers – even if its strength derives from insanity and “evil” at its core.
   • 2. A house, meaning an enclosed space that can include a family unit, an entire town, or even “the world”.
   • 3. A sin. Someone is guilty of bringing the monster in the house… a transgression that can include ignorance.
2. Golden Fleece (examples cited include Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and Back to the Future). The 3 elements of a Golden Fleece are:
   • 1. A road spanning oceans, time – or across the street – so long as it demarcates growth. It often includes a “Road Apple” that stops the trip cold.
   • 2. A team or a buddy the hero needs to be guided along the way. Usually, it’s those who represent the things the hero doesn’t have: skill, experience or attitude.
   • 3. A prize that’s sought and is something primal; going home, securing a treasure, or re-gaining a birthright.
3. Out of the Bottle (examples cited include Groundhog Day, Bruce Almighty, and Freaky Friday). The 3 elements of Out of the Bottle are:
   • 1. A wish asked for the hero or another, and the clearly seen need to be delivered from the ordinary.
   • 2. A spell, which we must make logical by upholding “The Rules.”
   • 3. A lesson: Be careful what you wish for! It’s the running theme in all OOTB’s. Life is good as it is.
4. Dude with a Problem (examples cited include Die Hard, Titanic, and Schindler’s List). The 3 elements of a Dude With a Problem are:
   • 1. An innocent hero who is dragged into a mess without asking for it, or even aware of how (s)he got involved.
   • 2. A sudden event that thrusts our innocent(s) into the world of hurt – and it comes without warning.
   • 3. A life or death battle is at stake – and the continued existence of an individual, family, group, or society is in question.
5. Rites of Passage (examples cited include Ordinary People, Days of Wine and Roses, and When a Man Loves a Woman). The 3 elements of Rites of Passage are:
   • 1. A life problem: from puberty to midlife to death – these are the universal passages we all understand.
   • 2. A wrong way to attack the mysterious problem, usually a diversion from confronting the pain.
   • 3. A solution that involves acceptance of a hard truth the hero has been fighting, and the knowledge it’s the hero that must change, not the world around him.
6. Buddy Love (examples cited include Bringing Up Baby, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, E.T., Rain Man, and Dumb and Dumber). The 3 elements. ofa Buddy Love are:
   • 1. An incomplete hero who is missing something physical, ethical, or spiritual; (s)he needs another to be whole.
   • 2. A counterpart who makes that completion come about of has qualities the hero needs.
   • 3. A complication, be a misunderstanding, personal or ethical viewpoint, epic historical event, or the prudish disapproval of society.
7. Whydunit (examples cited include Citizen Kane, Chinatown, and All the President’s Men). The 3 elements of a Whydunit are:
   • 1. The detective does not change, we do; yet he can be any kind of gumshoe – from pro to amateur to imaginary.
   • 2. The secret of the case is so strong it overwhelms the worldly lures of money, sex, power, or fame. We gots to know! And so does the Whydunit hero.
   • 3. Finally, the dark turn shows that in the pursuit of the secret, the detective will break the rules, even his own – often ones (s)he has relied on for years to keep her or him safe. The pull of the secret is too great.
8. The Fool Triumphant (examples cited include Amadeus, Forrest Gump, and The Pink Panther). The 3 elements of a Fool Triumphant are:
   • 1. A fool whose innocence is his strength and whose gentle manners makes him (or her) likely to be ignored – by all but a jealous “insider” who knows too well.
   • 2. An establishment, the people or group a fool comes up against, either within his midst, or after being sent to a new place in which he does not fit – at first.
   • 3. A transmutation in which the fool becomes someone or something new, often including a “name change” that’s taken on either by accident or as a disguise.
9. Institutionalized (examples cited include Animal House, MAS*H, The Godfather, and American Beauty). The 3 elements of institutionalized are:
   • 1. Every story in this category is about a group – a family, an organization, or a business that is unique.
   • 2. The story is a choice, the ongoing conflict pitting a “Brando” or “Naif” vs. the system’s “Company Man.”
   • 3. Finally, a sacrifice must be made and you get three endings: join, burn it down… or comit “suicide.”
10. Superhero (examples cited include Gladiator, Dracula, and A Beautiful Mind). The 3 elements of a Superhero are:
    • 1. The hero of your tale must have a special power – even if it’s just a mission to be great or do good.
    • 2. The hero must be opposed by a nemesis of equal or greater force, who is the “self-made” version of the hero.
    • 3. There must be a curse for the hero that he either surmounts or succumbs to as the price for who (s)he is.

Chapter 3: It’s About a Guy Who…
In this section, Snyder discusses character and the importance of finding the right hero for each story. The ideal hero, he argues, experiences the most conflict in the story’s situation, has the longest emotional journey, and has a primal goal (e.g. survival, hunger, sex, protection of loved ones).

Chapter 4: Let’s Beat It Out!
Here Snyder introduces what Save the Cat! is most famous for: the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (or the BS2, as he calls it). The BS2 follows classic three-act structure but is more specific. Snyder refers to each act as thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, respectively.

1. Opening Image (p. 1) – The Opening Image is the first visual of any movie, and it should give an impression of the movie’s tone, mood, type, and scope.
2. Theme Stated (p. 5) – A secondary character states the theme of the movie, usually in an offhand manner.
3. Set-up (p. 1–10) – The Set-up, the first ten pages of the script, shows the hero’s world before the change that the story will bring. All major characters in the A-story are introduced or hinted at. The set-up should present the “Six Things That Need Fixing”—the things missing or need to be changed in the hero’s life, from character flaws to basic needs to wishes. (Snyder states that six is an arbitrary number).
4. Catalyst (p. 12) – The Catalyst is a life-changing moment, something that presents the journey to the hero or makes it impossible for the hero to continue in their current stasis. This is also referred to as the Inciting Incident or the Call to Adventure.
5. Debate (p. 12–25) – During this section, the hero debates what to do about the Catalyst, and sometimes refuses the challenge, only to accept it later.
6. Break into Two (p. 25) – The hero makes the choice to go on the adventure. This propels them into Act II, the antithesis of Act I.
7. B Story (p. 30) – The B story is a break from the main story and carries the theme of the movie—usually in line with the A story but different in scope. It is often a love story, and new characters may be introduced. Snyder argues that the role of the B story here is to give the audience a breather after the Break into Two.
8. Fun and Games (p. 30–55) – The Fun and Games section, the first half of Act Two, provides “the promise of the premise”—the fun heart of the movie, which isn’t as concerned with the forward progress of the story. It is often lighter in tone than the rest of the film.
9. Midpoint (p. 55) – The Midpoint is either a false victory or a false defeat, through which the stakes are raised. Often, the All Is Lost beat will inversely correspond to the Midpoint: for example if the Midpoint is a false defeat, the All Is Lost moment will be a false victory.
10. Bad Guys Close In (p. 55–75) – Things begin to get worse for the hero during this section, while the bad guys regroup. The hero faces increasingly complex and seemingly insurmountable obstacles to his or her goal.
11. All Is Lost (p. 75) – This is the lowest beat in the story—the hero’s life falls apart, and there is no hope. Often there is a “whiff of death,” anything that involves a death (for example, the hint of suicide or the death of a mentor).
12. Dark Night of the Soul (p. 75–85) – This is the darkness before the dawn, when the hero wallows absolute hopelessness—before picking themself up, digging deep and finding a solution.
13. Break into Three (p. 85) – The A and B stories intertwine and help the hero to find the solution. The final act (synthesis) begins.
14. Finale (p. 85–110) – The journey is resolved as the hero applies the lessons they have learned, the old world turns over, a new world is created, and the bad guys are dealt with in ascending order (from minor importance to greater importance). Snyder suggests that it’s not enough for the hero to succeed, they must change the world.
15. Final Image (p. 110) – The Final Image mirrors the Opening Image, showing that a change has occurred.

Chapter 5: Building the Perfect Beast
Snyder introduces his method of story planning, which he refers to as The Board: a cork board or similar divided into four rows (Act One, the first half of Act Two, the second half of Act Two, and Act Three), on which are pinned index cards corresponding to scenes. The writer creates an index card for each scene which are also written emotional change, and conflict. Snyder encourages color-coding these cards based on characters, storylines, and themes.

Chapter 6: The Immutable Laws of Screenplay Physics
Here Snyder lists tricks and rules that he has collected over the years, including the eponymous Save the Cat rule: the hero must do something that makes the audience like them and want them to win (for example, in Disney’s Aladdin, Aladdin shares his stolen food with some hungry kids). Other rules and tricks include The Pope in the Pool (a trick for introducing exposition without boring audiences),

Chapter 7: What’s Wrong with This Picture?
In this section, Snyder offers methods for troubleshooting a finished script by identifying weak points and fixing them.

Chapter 8: Final Fade In
In the final chapter, Snyder discusses strategies for selling a script and making it in the film industry.

Reception

Save the Cat! book series has been commercially successful, and has remained a bestseller on Amazon for fifteen years. As late as 2020, Save the Cat! remained Amazon’s number-one bestseller in both the Screenplay and Screenwriting categories. The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet has become “a staple in writing classes,” and critics have argued (positively and negatively) that the book differs from other screenwriting books due to “the absolute specificity of Snyder’s formula, as well as its widespread adoption by the film industry.”

Peter Suderman, writing for Slate magazine, suggested that the book is responsible for a decline in creative storytelling in contemporary film:

“In Save the Cat!, [Snyder] stresses that his beat sheet is a structure, not a formula, one based in time-tested screen-story principles. It’s a way of making a product that’s likely to work—not a fill-in-the-blanks method of screenwriting. Maybe that’s what Snyder intended. But that’s not how it turned out. In practice, Snyder’s beat sheet has taken over Hollywood screenwriting. Movies big and small stick closely to his beats and page counts. Intentionally or not, it’s become a formula—a formula that threatens the world of original screenwriting as we know it.”

Suderman goes on to argue that many pre-Snyder blockbusters, such as Jurassic Park, do hit all of Snyder’s beats, but out of order and out of proportion. He suggests that the real issue is the film industry’s current adherence to Synder’s exact beats, order, and page counts, making movies feel formulaic.

Critics have also argued that Snyder’s analysis is sexist. Mary M. Dalton, writing in the Journal of Film and Video, described Save the Cat! as “pithy and almost unbelievably sexist in its central assertions.” This criticism was echoed by Suderman in his Slate review: “Save the Cat! doesn’t go so far as to require that protagonists be men. But… It’s not an accident that the chapter on creating a hero is called ‘It’s About A Guy Who…’ not ‘It’s About A Person Who… ‘”

Other reviewers have been more positive. Screentalk Magazine described Save the Cat! as “quite simply one of the most practical guides to writing mainstream spec scripts on the market,” and Baptiste Charles, writing for Raindance, praised Save the Cat! for being “one of the most to the point books you can get your hands on.

Software

As a companion to his books, Snyder developed a story structure software product called Save the Cat! The Last Story Structure Software You’ll Ever Need. The software places Snyder’s Beat Sheet and Board on an end user’s desktop, phone, or tablet. In 2008, Snyder and the software company Final Draft, Inc. specializing in script formatting, became partners in building import/export functions between the two programs. Snyder’s company, Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC, released an iPhone app of the software in November 2009 and an Android app in 2016. Version 4 of the software and apps, which includes new templates for novelists and television writers, was released in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Workshops and consultations

Snyder developed two weekend workshops for writers, filmmakers and executives. The introductory class, The Beat Sheet Workshop, helped participants come up with the solid structure of the 15 beats, before they embark on the actual writing of the script. In addition, The Beat Sheet Workshop was expanded to be led internationally.

The second workshop, a continuation of the first, called The Board Workshop, had participants take their 15 beats and expand them into 40 cards for a more detailed story structure. Snyder held his workshops all over the United States, Europe and Asia. The workshops were run year round. Snyder also taught his method at such universities as UCLA, Chapman University, Vanderbilt University and the Beijing Film Academy.

The in-person Beat Sheet Workshops continue, taught by “Master Cats” who were mentored by Snyder. The Beat Sheet Workshops expanded with online courses in 2017.

Following the release of his first book, Snyder provided script analysis to studios such as Disney, DreamWorks, Laika and Nelvana.

Dedications

How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks, 2010) was dedicated to Snyder. Whispers Under Ground (Gollancz, 2012) by Ben Aaronovitch was dedicated to him as well.

Filmography

• Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
• Blank Check (1994)

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