Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

This was a very enjoyable and informative read. I've read a few books on screenwriting as part of my reading about writing in general, and the author of this book, the late Blake Snyder, is correct in his early statement that many of those other books, though excellent resources, -do- hold a reverence for film that perhaps obscures and interferes with their ability to give advice. I'm thinking of Robert McKee's 'Story,' right off the bat. Not a bad thing, and of course you'd want someone to be reverential of the medium in which they choose to work. But it's refreshing reading a more light-hearted approach that still takes the craft just as seriously. There are many who oppose what they see as the rigidity of Snyder's approach. These people are even called out in the text: 'But what about Memento?' these people ask. As in: what about movies that don't follow this structure? Being as Snyder died in 2009, I think I can answer the this criticism thusly: Christopher Nolan directed Memento in 2000. Since then, he's directed Batman movies and Inception. Wonderful, successful, creative movies, but also movies that lean more heavily on the structure outlined in this book than Memento. And I would argue that more people have seen Memento since then in a quest to watch all of this very successful director's past work than saw it before he started writing his creative scripts in a more structured way. Basically, I think people who think that learning techniques that other people working on the craft employ will ruin their 'art' aren't really as artistic as they think they are. It's something you always hear. If your 'artistry' is so fragile that it would evaporate after hearing about three act structure, maybe you're not the cinematic Picasso you fancy yourself to be. Another criticism is that Blake Snyder only had two scripts produced. Neither, admittedly, a very artsy film: 'Stop or my Mom will Shoot' and 'Blank Check.' Two things: Snyder says that family comedy is the type of movie he writes. Both of these were profitable movies in that genre and though they came out in like 1989 and 1993, lots of people have still heard of them 25 and 21 years later, so they have had a bit of lasting impact. Secondly, Snyder has had an enormous amount of scripts BOUGHT, including one from Steven Spielberg for one million dollars. I've seen criticism from people that seems to equate scripts produced to scripts bought, and say he wasn't so successful as a screenwriter that they need to listen to him. That's fairly ridiculous. What are the percentage of people who set out to be screenwriters who even get one film produced, let alone two? Not very high of a percentage. And the number of screenplays sold that get produced is equally low. So it evinces a fairly amateurish understanding of the industry to not grasp these points. And I'm saying this as someone who doesn't write screenplays, only novels and short stories. Even in my reading, I've learned as much. But that is all more defense of the utility of the book than review. There are a number of helpful terms, in addition to 'Save the Cat,' such as 'Pope in the Pool,' that are easily remembered and express important points for any writer, whether their working on screenplays or manuscripts. This book was well worth the time it took to read it and the money invested, and I'm certain I want to move on to Snyder's other two books. Recommended for anyone interested in storycrafting of any sort.

I have published plays and fiction, plus a few nonfiction items, but I have always wanted to be a successful screenwriter and have been struggling mightily toward that goal for five years or so. Like so many other would-be screenwriters, I've read books from the masters, and most of them were excellent books. However, I hadn't really yet come across a book that seemed to speak directly to me until I came across Save the Cat. Not only is the book packed with lots of useful, practical information, but it's written in a style that's a joy to read. Humorous, practical, and above all, useful. I know other reviewers have said this, but I wish I had had this book when I started screenwriting. Snyder covers everything from the logline to beats to practical ways to troubleshoot your script. One of the most helpful things to me was the glossary in the back. Every "Hollywoodish" term Snyder uses he gives a simple definition for in the glossary. For the first time, I believe I can actually understand the lingo. Some chapters that were especially helpful to me were chapter two, a discussion on genre; Chapter four, a section on structure; and Chapter six, common sense screenplay rules. These are just my favorite chapters; I found helpful information in every single one -- no exaggeration. In discussing genre, Snyder doesn't just use the basic ones like romance or science fiction. Read "The Monster in the House" to see just one example of a genre. He also writes on such topics as "The Pope in the Pool." I could go into a lot more of the book, but you can't get the benefit of it unless you read it yourself. I have had consultations, I have had coverage, and I have even taken one of the best online screenwriting courses out there, but I could have bought this book and saved myself a lot of money -- not that the other experiences weren't good ones because they were. This book just brings all you need to know right in one spot. I am going to be ordering the sequel to this one right away. By the way, Snyder gives you his email in the book, and yes, he did answer me when I dropped him a note. I don't know if that would mean anything to you, but it meant a lot to me.

It's amazingly good and focuses on one very important thing: the logline. If you can't write a good one, you're not going to get a director or producer or actor (or audience) interested in your story. There are plenty of screenwriting books out there, such as the incredible one by Robert McKee, but this one ranks at the top.

Comprei para dar de presente. A pessoa gostou bastante.

Like all good stories all the elements in this book have been heard before. the structure is not unique, but it is delivered in a different way. The different way that Blake is trying to get across is the essence of good writing! This is not a quick fix! For those who have read other screenwriting theory books in the past the honest truth is that this book isn't going to tell you anything ground breaking. If you are looking for an easy way to make, write and sell a billion dollar film this isn't going to magically make one appear on the table. However, it is a great read and it will take you through a very logical approach to screenwriting, It emphasises certain areas you may have overlooked as minor detail and tells you that these are the key to getting it all right a. It is also all written in a very readable way. This isn't a book of theory that will beat you over the head until you are sick of hearing terms like 'three act structure.' It is a book of good advice from someone who has been there and lets face it Blake Snyder is a legend!!! The Blake Snyder beat sheet looks like a very useful resource, though I can't say I have tried it yet. Overall this has been an incredibly useful read to me if only to bring me back to basics and get me fired up again for a new batch of writing. This book would be invaluable for new writers and is still well worth a read for those who have been doing it for years. If nothing else Blake seems like a friend who is here to help you through and in the world of writing that is a precious thing to have!

A lire en anglais (car la traduction française est nulle). Je l'ai lu déjà 2 fois, et j'y reviens régulièrement. On peut appliquer les conseils... ou pas. C'est un bel outil de travail, plus simple d'accès que Story de Robert McKee. Complémentaire. Je l'offre régulièrement (j'ai déjà dû l'acheter 2 ou 3 fois !)

Your don’t need this

Dieses Buch ist auf english, es gibt auch eine deutsche Version.