Blake Snyder was a successful screenwriter with more than 12 spec script sales under his belt. Some for over a million dollars. He was trucking along in Hollywood when he realized a pattern to the scripts he was selling. There was an identifiable structure that seemed to please executives and audiences alike. So Blake Snyder set to work on what would become Save the Cat, a bestselling book that would require multiple printings. It was first published in 2005 and now is in its 34th printing. Today, Save the Cat is taught in film schools, sold on Amazon, and has become ubiquitous with screenwriting in general. I want to do a deep dive into this book, its beat sheet, and talk about why it remains so popular. Let's climb a tree and save the cat. What is the Save the Cat Beat Sheet and Why is it Popular? First up, we need to define a few things. What does it mean to save the cat? Basically, this is an expression that comes from the fireman going up a tree to save cats in old-time TV and comics. Those heroes always did something to ingratiate themselves with the audience. Like saving a cat from a tree. It's how the people watching knew they were the good guys and to root for them. Blake got it from Aliens when Ripley literally saves the cat. And we love her for it. This recognition of the audience's desires was expanded into fifteen beats...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday