“One of the most comprehensive and insightful how-to’s out there. Save the Cat! is a must-read for both the novice and the professional screenwriter.” — Todd Black, Producer, The Weather Man, S.W.A.T, Alex and Emma, Antwone Fisher “Want to know how to be a successful writer in Hollywood? The answers are here. Blake Snyder has written an insider’s book that’s informative — and funny, too.” — David Hoberman, Producer, The Shaggy Dog (2005), Raising Helen, Walking Tall, Bringing Down the House, Monk (TV) “This just may be the BEST book you’ll ever need, or read, on the subject of how to break into the big screen big time. Snyder is a working, selling writer himself, so he gives the reader a true inside glimpse into what it’s like, what it takes, and what to expect on the long road to screenwriting stardom. Many screenwriting how-to tomes are written by guys and gals who have few or no real studio credits, so with this book you can be sure you are getting the info direct from the source of a successful member of the Hollywood elite. This is no doubt the one book that will do more to help you achieve success and get your two-brad-bound puppy through the door than any other I’ve read so far. And believe me, folks, I’ve read them all.” — Marie Jones, www.AbsoluteWrite.com “You’d have to look far and wide to find a better book to help you achieve your goals. Quite simply one of the most practical guides to writing mainstream spec scripts on the market.” — Screentalk Magazine “Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! could also be called Save the Screenwriter!, because that’s exactly what it will do: Save the screenwriter time, save the screenwriter frustration, and save the screenwriter’s sanity. Blake takes you behind the scenes and into the decision-makers’ offices as he explains how the Hollywood system works and what writers should do and expect as they journey through the perilous maze of Hollywood.” — Andy Cohen, Literary Manager/Producer; President, Grade A Entertainment “Shockingly informative, stunningly funny — I wish I’d had Save the Cat! to read when I was just starting out. It would have saved time, tears, and trees.” — Susan Jansen, Writer-Producer, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Maybe This Time (TV), Boy Meets World (TV); Writer, Home Improvement (TV) “Save the Cat! offers the insight and knowledge needed to write and sell screenplays in today’s competitive marketplace. Fun, fresh, and informative. Way to go, Blake!” — Valarie Phillips, Head of Motion Picture Literary, Paradigm Agency “Blake is one of the brightest and most original thinkers in screenwriting today. His how-to approach is Grade-A, rock-solid advice.” — Craig Baumgarten, Producer, Peter Pan, Shattered Glass “As an executive I always looked for a way to fix an existing screenplay. And now, as a producer, I need a way to conceptualize as quickly and efficiently as possible — and Blake Snyder’s insightful book is it!” — Kathryn Sommer Parry, Producer, The Marine (2005); Development Executive, Basic Instinct, Rambo, Terminator 2, Chaplin, 12 Monkeys, I Spy “Imagine what would happen in a town where more writers approached screenwriting the way Blake suggests? My weekend read would dramatically improve, both in sellable/producible content and in discovering new writers who understand the craft of storytelling and can be hired on assignment for ideas we already have in house. Save the Cat! is like a Berlitz guide to interpreting the secret language of every studio exec and producer in town. Once you learn to think like the people with the checkbook, you’re one step closer to success.” — From the Foreword by Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Vice President, Development at Zide/Perry Entertainment Published by Michael Wiese Productions 11288 Ventura Blvd., Suite 621 Studio City, CA 91604 tel. (818) 379-8799 fax (818) 986-3408 [email protected] www.mwp.com Cover Design: Michael Wiese Productions Book Layout: Gina Mansfield Editor: Brett Jay Markel Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc., Saline, Michigan Manufactured in the United States of America © 2005 Blake Snyder All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Snyder, Blake, 1957- Save the cat! : the last book on screenwriting you’ll ever need / Blake Snyder. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 1-932907-00-9 1. Motion picture plays–Technique. 2. Motion picture authorship. I. Title: Last book on screenwriting you’ll ever need. II. Title. PN1996.S65 2005 808.2’3–dc22 2004009134 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD The official stamp of approval of the Save the Cat method from Sheila Hanahan Taylor, producer and development executive for Zide/Perry (American Pie, Final Destination, Hellboy) INTRODUCTION Why another screenwriting book? — Some background on the author and the reason for the book — And what does the phrase “Save the Cat” mean anyway? CHAPTER ONE: WHAT IS IT? The importance of “the idea” — What is a “logline” and what are the four requirements to creating a better one? — What is “high concept” and why is it still relevant? — Test pitching your movie for fun and profit — Plus five games to jump-start your idea-creating skills. CHAPTER TWO: GIVE ME THE SAME THING… ONLY DIFFERENT! All about genre — The 10 genres that every movie ever made can be categorized by — How genre is important to you and your movie — Plus ways to peg every movie’s type. CHAPTER THREE: IT’S ABOUT A GUY WHO… The subject is the hero — Why the hero must serve the idea — How to adjust the hero to make your movie idea work better — The myth of casting your movie — Jungian archetypes and why we need ’em. CHAPTER FOUR: LET’S BEAT IT OUT! The beats of a movie as defined by the official “Blake Snyder Beat Sheet” a.k.a. the BS2 — An in-depth discussion of each of the 15 beats found in a successful movie as found in the BS2 — How the beats apply to Miss Congeniality. CHAPTER FIVE: BUILDING THE PERFECT BEAST Putting it up on the board — Sectioning off four horizontal rows, one for each section of the movie — 40 index cards and 40 only! — Troubleshooting based on the layout — How a screenplay is like a business plan and how you can create one that sells. CHAPTER SIX: THE IMMUTABLE LAWS OF SCREENPLAY PHYSICS Common sense rules of screenwriting based on experience in the trenches of Hollywood, such as: Save the Cat, The Pope in the Pool, Double Mumbo Jumbo, Laying Pipe, Too Much Marzipan a.k.a. Black Vet, Watch Out for That Glacier!, and Covenant of the Arc. CHAPTER SEVEN: WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? Despite everything, you’ve written 110 pages of nada — How to get back on track by using 6 fast double-checks on your work: The Hero Leads; Make The Bad Guy Badder; Turn, Turn, Turn; The Emotional Color Wheel; “Hi How Are You I’m Fine;” Take A Step Back — all ironclad and proven rules for script repair. CHAPTER EIGHT: FINAL FADE IN Before you send your script out, how can you smooth the way? — Marketing ideas for both the newbie and the established professional that will help you get your script sold and made — Plus personal examples. GLOSSARY From A to Z, a review of every slangy STC expression and Hollywood-inside-the-310-area-code term.