Popular screenwriting formula; What is "Save the Cat" and why is it so popular?

Blake Snyder is one of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters, selling more than 12 screenplay ideas. Some of his works have even sold for millions of dollars. He was so successful in Hollywood that he realized that his successful screenplays all had a certain pattern. There seemed to be a recognizable structure in them that satisfied the producers and the audience.

So Snyder worked on a project that later became known as Save the Cat, a best-selling book that Several series of it have been published. The book was first published in 2005 and is now in its 34th edition.

Currently, "Save the Cat" is taught in film schools, is a bestseller on Amazon, and is widely discussed It is a screenplay, this book is also in the languages. But why is this book so popular? They have a fireman climb a tree to save a cat. Those heroes always did something to become more intimate with the audience, for example, rescuing a cat from a tree. In doing so, the audience realized that they were good people and gained more empathy.

Blake borrowed the term from the movie "Alien", where Ripley really saves a cat. We also fall in love with Ripley because of this.

Save the cat "

Blake Snyder believed that all stories are about evolution; The page, numbered), wanted to show something like this. Let's take a look at each of his hits and see exactly What they mean and function in the story.

In this hits, you are assuming that you are writing a 110-page screenplay. The number after the titles is the page number of your script that you should normally be on when writing.

1. Opening Image (1): How does your story begin? What are we going to see?
2. Theme (5): What is the driving force behind your story?
3. Chinese Introduction (1 - 10): Familiarity with characters, dangers, life in the fictional world.
4. Catalyst (12): What happens that makes the process out of the ordinary?
5. Discussion (12 - 25): where the characters decide What to do in response. The pressure increases.
6. Entering the second part (25): The decision has been made. The story begins.
7. Story B (30): What else is happening? Are we following another storyline?
8. Entertainment and Games (30 - 55 ): This is where you offer the "Promised Default". All the discoveries and wonders that are compatible with the genre you are looking for are here.
9. Midpoint (55): Situation changes. Your goal is the same, but a new way has been found to achieve it.
10. Bad people are approaching (55 - 75): Your goal is overshadowed by the anti-hero of the story trying to hit you.
11. Everything is lost (75): Just when you think you have succeeded, your character faces its biggest failure.
12. Dark Night of the Soul (75 - 85): Your hero wants to step aside. Everything is broken.
13. Entering the third part (85): Something happens again and convinces your character that it should continue.
14. Final Section (85 - 110): In the last pages, we see all your characters trying to win the battle.
15. Final Image (110): Like the opening, this is the last thing you see. The image that gathers the film.

Popular screenwriting formula

screenwriting is one of the few jobs in Hollywood that you do not need expensive equipment to enter. All you need is a screenwriting software, whoever you are, you can sit down and write a story. It may sound awful, but you can do it anyway.

There are hundreds of different screenwriting textbooks. Converts a formula. The blows in it can be identified in today's cinema Is. The rest of the book's further explanation of this formula.

Another point is that Blake Snyder himself was a successful author. Although his career as a screenwriter was short-lived, he was also earning a good income at the same time. Perhaps this pride has led to the widespread sale of this book. Many people like to come and test their talents in this area.

The problem is that this is not the last book you need for screenwriting. In fact, you do not need a book at all.

All you have to do is watch the whole movie and work on your design. Writing is much more useful to you than reading about writing. Storytelling is an innate talent or skill. We have a whole bunch of great movies in which no cat is rescued. Some change this rule, some ignore it altogether.

In defense of Snyder, we must also say that he himself was aware of this fact and later added points about it to his book. Since he sadly passed away in 2009, it can be said that he did not see the legacy he left behind. If he was himself, he probably said the same thing as in the previous paragraph.

Apart from these discussions, focus your time on writing. If multiplying by Blake Snyder helps you do that, go for it.

Blake Snyder himself says somewhere: Sell to people bigger than ourselves. Have a big sale, and keep an eye on the widest possible audience. We want a successful work, and if possible another sequel. If you are not looking to win, why did you enter this game at all? And although I love independent cinema, I would love to be able to enter the world of big studios. "That's why this book is mainly for those who want to succeed in the mainstream film market."

Source: No Film School