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This microbook is a summary/original review based on the book: Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
Available for: Read online, read in our mobile apps for iPhone/Android and send in PDF/EPUB/MOBI to Amazon Kindle.
ISBN: 1932907009
Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
This book is a foundational guide for aspiring screenwriters, offering a clear, structured approach to creating exciting screenplays. The book introduces the "Blake Snyder Beat Sheet," a step-by-step outline that breaks down the pacing and structure of a screenplay, including when to introduce characters, establish themes, and create pivotal conflicts. Snyder illustrates these concepts using popular movies, providing practical examples of how successful films adhere to his formula.
One of the most memorable concepts in the book is the "Save the Cat" moment. This refers to a scene early in the story where the protagonist does something that earns the audience’s empathy—like saving a cat, hence the title. Snyder argues that this moment is crucial for helping viewers connect with the hero and invest in their journey.
Snyder discusses the crucial importance of clearly defining and articulating what a movie is about—particularly through the use of a strong, attention-grabbing logline. This concept plays a central role not only in pitching a screenplay to potential buyers but also in shaping the story itself. He begins by drawing a parallel between an experience many people can relate to—choosing a movie to watch with friends on a Saturday night.
If you’re the one reading the movie options aloud, you're tasked with describing the film in a way that grabs your friends' attention. If you fail to explain what the movie is really about in clear, concise terms, you’re likely to hear the dreaded phrase: “what else is playing?” This simple interaction highlights the core issue in movie marketing and pitching: if you can’t immediately answer the question, "what is it?" you risk losing your audience’s interest before you even begin.
This scenario is not unique to casual movie nights but is highly relevant in Hollywood’s fast-paced industry, where everyone from producers to agents to marketing teams is trying to answer the same question: “what is it?” Each person is trying to understand and condense the essence of a film into a clear and compelling concept. This is especially important because today’s entertainment landscape is saturated with options—television, movies, the internet, music, and more.
With so many distractions competing for attention, audiences don’t have the patience or time to sit through a vague or confusing explanation. This drives the industry to favor “pre-sold franchises” like sequels, reboots, and adaptations, where the concept is already familiar to the audience, making it easier to pitch.
However, for aspiring screenwriters working on spec scripts, the challenge is that they typically don’t have access to these established franchises. They have to create something fresh and original that stands out in a crowded marketplace. Snyder suggests that to increase the likelihood of success, a screenwriter must first focus on developing a single, clear sentence—a logline—that answers the question, "what is it?" This step is crucial because if you can’t pitch your film in one concise sentence, then the chances of capturing someone’s interest—whether it’s an agent, producer, or potential viewer—are slim.
Snyder goes on to explain the importance of crafting the perfect logline, which is often neglected by writers who are more focused on the intricacies of their plot and characters. He argues that the logline is the first step in making sure your story resonates and gets noticed. The logline, or one-line pitch, should contain several critical elements. It must be clear, intriguing, and capable of drawing attention.
He emphasizes that irony is an essential component of a great logline because it makes the concept more compelling. Irony can take the form of unexpected situations or contradictions that draw in the audience’s curiosity. For example, a movie about a cop visiting his estranged wife in L.A. only to find himself facing a terrorist takeover—Die Hard—captures interest immediately because of its ironic twist.
In addition to irony, a good logline should present a compelling mental picture. This means that within just a few words, the logline should give a sense of the movie’s visual and emotional tone, making the audience picture the story unfolding. For instance, a logline like "a newly married couple must spend Christmas Day at each of their four divorced parents' homes" immediately conjures a specific setting and situation, sparking interest in how the story will unfold.
Another critical factor in a successful logline is that it must implicitly communicate the intended audience and the film’s potential budget. For example, a film like 4 Christmases targets a broad audience with a medium budget, relying on its humorous, family-oriented premise to attract a wide demographic. This helps executives determine whether the project fits within their financial parameters and their target market.
Snyder begins by discussing the writer’s constant struggle to avoid clichés. Cliché elements can seem tempting to use, but they fail to capture the audience’s attention in a meaningful way. The goal is to find a fresh twist on familiar ideas. This requires more than just understanding the surface of what’s been done before, but also knowing the underlying mechanics of how movies work—how emotions are manipulated, how characters develop, and how plotlines unfold. Snyder emphasizes that to create something unique, you must fully understand traditional movie genres and the tropes they often employ.
A good screenwriter, according to Snyder, is someone who knows hundreds of films and can break them down to understand what makes them tick. It's not just about memorizing lines but understanding the structure and how each movie functions within its genre. For example, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are two directors who are known for their vast knowledge of films and how each movie can teach lessons on plotting and character development. Therefore, a screenwriter needs to watch not just the latest films but also explore older films that helped shape the genres.
One of the key lessons in these chapters is that every screenplay belongs to a specific genre, even if the writer tries to create something entirely new. Whether it's a comedy, drama, or thriller, every story can be categorized. Snyder argues that understanding the genre your screenplay belongs to is crucial because it helps avoid clichés and gives you a foundation to create fresh, inventive twists.
By acknowledging the rules and conventions of a genre, writers can subvert them to surprise the audience with something different. If you’re writing a screenplay in the horror genre, for example, you can understand the typical tropes and then look for ways to break away from them to make your film stand out.
Snyder warns against the common pitfall of using vague or overused descriptions for pitches, like “It’s X-Men meets Cannonball Run!” or “It’s Die Hard in a bowling alley!.” These types of descriptions lack substance and don’t give a clear idea of what the movie is about. Instead, writers should focus on understanding the deeper structure of their genre and how other films within that category can help shape their story.
This step is important because it helps you make sure your screenplay stays grounded in a particular genre and doesn’t wander aimlessly. Many successful screenwriters and filmmakers, including Spielberg, often reference other films in the same genre to understand why certain elements work. By studying movies that share similar themes, you can learn from the successes and mistakes of other films and avoid repeating tired tropes.
Snyder explains that a good movie idea must involve a hero that the audience cares about. This character, whom we focus on throughout the film, is essential for the plot. Whether you're writing a blockbuster or a smaller story, there must be someone we want to follow, understand, and cheer for. The "who" is the key to hooking the audience in and making the story compelling.
The job of a screenwriter, then, is to create heroes that are both relatable and serve the story well. It’s about finding the right fit between the character and the concept. Sometimes, the "who" might not come to mind right away, and you might start with the idea itself. Once you have the idea, you must work to define the best character who will bring that concept to life.
For instance, in one of Snyder’s examples, a logline for a comedy about a man who has to go back to third grade was developed by considering what type of character would fit this situation best. They settled on a successful but immature man who needs to learn basic life skills, creating both humor and emotional depth for the story. Snyder emphasizes that when you come up with a concept, it’s important to fine-tune the hero to match the needs of the story.
A critical element of developing the central character is ensuring they have clear and compelling motivations. Snyder advises that the hero’s goal should be something primal, something that taps into basic human instincts, like survival, love, or protection of family. These desires make the character’s journey compelling because they create high stakes. If a story is lacking these primal goals, it may fall flat.
For example, in 4 Christmases, the conflict is based on a couple who comes from broken families and struggles with their relationship. The audience can connect with the couple because they want them to succeed in staying together, which is a primal desire for love and family. Similarly, in Ride Along, the hero’s journey is driven by his desire to prove himself worthy of his fiancée, a deep-seated need that resonates with the audience. Snyder points out that without primal stakes, the story loses its urgency and relatability.
Snyder further explains that to make a story work, you need to choose the right character, not just any character. The best characters create the most conflict, offer the longest emotional journey, and appeal to the target audience. A good movie hero is someone who feels real and whose journey resonates with viewers on a deep, primal level. The hero's personal growth, whether overcoming fear, learning a life lesson, or fighting for a loved one, must feel significant.
The author also stresses that casting is a separate process that should not be pre-decided when writing the script. Writers often make the mistake of envisioning specific actors in their roles, but that can limit the potential of the script. It's important to let the story shape the character and not be overly fixated on casting. Snyder shares a personal experience of writing a script called Chicken Hawk Down, which was a comedy about the President of the United States. The script was great, but the writers were overly focused on a specific actor to play the President, limiting their options and ultimately not selling the script.
Snyder acknowledges the excitement of starting a screenplay but stresses the importance of building a strong foundation before jumping into writing. By this stage, you should have a solid story idea, an intriguing hero, and a clear antagonist. The next step is to organize these elements into a screenplay structure that will guide the narrative and allow you to keep the audience hooked from start to finish.
He introduces the concept of “beating out” a script, which means mapping out your scenes and the character's actions on a board to ensure they align with the overall plot. This allows you to assess the need for each scene and identify any gaps in the story. Snyder underscores the importance of structure in making a screenplay "ironclad"—the strength of the framework ensures the story remains intact even if the details (dialogue, specific scenes, and characters) are changed during the production process. Strong structure guarantees that your screenplay will survive even if others tinker with it.
The author reflects on how he came to appreciate structure after a few years of struggling. Initially, Snyder pitched ideas with little to no understanding of how to connect the dots between scenes. It wasn’t until he studied Syd Field’s Screenplay and later Viki King’s How to Write a Movie in 21 Days that he began to understand the necessity of a clear structure to guide the writing process.
Snyder then developed his own structure, known as the "Blake Snyder Beat Sheet," which breaks the screenplay down into 15 key beats, or moments, that structure the narrative. Each of these beats is designed to occur at specific points in the screenplay, ensuring that the pacing is steady and the plot progresses logically.
Snyder introduces "The Board," a tool that helps writers organize their story structure and scenes, offering a clear view of the story’s progression and helping identify issues before writing begins. He highlights the significance of mentors like Mike Cheda, who can provide valuable insights into story structure. Snyder shares how Cheda, with his experience in screenwriting, fixed the story of Next of Kin with a simple solution, demonstrating the power of a "magic story touch."
The central tool in Snyder's discussion, "The Board," helps writers organize their screenplay into manageable parts. Using index cards to represent scenes, writers can visualize the structure and pacing of the story. Though it may seem tedious, this process allows writers to spot problems early on. Snyder emphasizes that planning key story beats, such as the breaks into Act Two and Act Three, is essential for shaping the direction of the story.
Snyder advises against focusing on backstory or irrelevant details, recommending writers keep the board centered on key scenes that move the plot forward. Once the major beats are placed, gaps—what Snyder calls "black holes"—can be identified, signaling areas that need further development. He also points out that Act Three often starts underdeveloped, but as the story is organized, it fills in. The setups from Acts One and Two must pay off in Act Three, ensuring the story feels complete and satisfying.
“Save the Cat!” is often recommended for those who want to navigate the screenwriting world, offering specific, actionable advice to help writers create compelling scripts that can be sold and produced. Snyder’s influence extends beyond screenwriting, with many novelists and short story writers also finding value in his advice. His methods help writers structure their stories in a way that is vivid, visual, and emotionally engaging, offering a clear path from concept to finished script. Although some parts of the book may feel dated or overly simplistic, the core principles Snyder presents remain relevant.
The book’s humor and directness make it a memorable read, and the beat sheet, in particular, is highlighted as one of the most practical tools for structuring a screenplay. For those who struggle with narrative structure, Snyder provides an invaluable framework that can guide them through the creative process. Overall, the book is a must-read for anyone looking to write commercial screenplays, offering insights that are not only useful for screenwriters but also for writers of all kinds.
If you want to understand human behavior and become a master at reading people, “Read People Like a Book,” by Patrick King, is the book you are looking for! This is an insightful, hilarious journey into understanding the psychology behind how people act, what their body language really says, and how you can use that knowledge to connect deeply with others.
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He was a celebrated screenwriter, author, and educator best known for his “Save the Cat!” series, which transformed storytelling with its practical, accessible approach. His books introduced the widely used Beat Sheet, a tool for crafting compelling stories. Snyder’s Hollywood career included hits like “Blank Check” (1994) an... (Read more)
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