World Famous Comics: Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told
By: Blake Snyder Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Format: Illustrated Label: Michael Wiese Productions Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 287 Publication Date: October 01, 2007
Product Description: In the long-awaited sequel to his surprise bestseller, Save the Cat!, author and screenwriter Blake Snyder returns to form in a fast-paced follow-up that proves why his is the most talked-about approach to screenwriting in years. In the perfect companion piece to his first book, Snyder delivers even more insider's information gleaned from a 20-year track record as ?one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters, ? giving you the clues to write your movie. Designed for screenwriters, novelists, and movie fans, this book gives readers the key breakdowns of the 50 most instructional movies from the past 30 years. From M*A*S*H to Crash, from Alien to Saw, from 10 to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Snyder reveals how screenwriters who came before you tackled the same challenges you are facing with the film you want to write ? or the one you are currently working on.
Snyder Gives Up the Keys to the Kingdom You demanded a book on screenwriting by a working, successful screenwriter; better yet, someone who has sold not one, not two, but dozens of scripts to Hollywood. You got it with Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat" where he reveals the "secrets" he used to write and sell those screenplays, including two that sold for $1 mil a piece.
Then you wanted more proof that his guidelines worked in other films as well. In "Save the Cat Goes to the Movies" he shows you that your favorite movies from the past and present used these very same storytelling elements, which have been around since ancient times when people told tales around the fire.
In his first book, he spilled the beans on how he became a successful screenwriter; in this sequel, he shows how other successful screenwriters have been using the same bag of beans in your favorite movies, you just didn't know it.
Moviegoers know if they liked a movie or not; but they couldn't tell you all the reasons why. Snyder does, in a very readable format where all you have to do is add your great idea and some elbow grease and you will have a script that has a fighting chance for success.
Good writing!
Helpful & better than I originally thought. Give it 3 stars. Adds little to the ideas in the original book but what there is is helpful. I originally gave this two stars but having read more, I would give it three. The book is most helpful in elucidating sub-genre but you still need the original STC.
Many of the movies analyzed I admittedly find distasteful, would never watch, and am greatful I didn't write; that's just my personal opinion and does not effect the book's value.
Remember that the author's approach is not cut-and-paste. Snyder's suggestions are just suggestions. Even with the original I had to rewrite both this book and the original to make them fit my writing style. Again, you still need the original and IMO you still need to edit both books heavily to make them your own. Even so, these books are not the whole. They are about conceptualizing before you write and neither will help much with the actual writing or marketing.
A new way to explain movies I love going to the movies and people know it. So there is always someone asking me about them. After reading this book now I can go beyond this is an action movie or a suspense movie. Who knew that Lethal Weapon and the Black Stallion were the same kind of stories.
The Secret to Screenwriting Exposed! This book is awesome!
If you want to write a spec script that will get sold then READ THIS BOOK and it's companion (the original Save the Cat book). This book literally blows the roof off the "secrets" behind successful screenwriting.
My collection of screenwriting books is ridiculous. The problem with ALL of those other books (with the exception of those by Cynthia Whitcomb) is that they are by people who have NEVER SOLD A SCRIPT. If you are serious about becoming a SUCCESSFUL screenwriter then you MUST limit ALL of your study to that material by successful screenwriters ONLY. Seems logical and yet there are hundreds of people like Robert McKee who prey upon the hopes and dreams of aspiring screenwriters while sucking their wallets bone dry.
My only issue with the Save the Cat series (actually two issues) is that Blake spilled the beans on the secrets so now everyone will know how to write a successful spec script -- so will there be less of an advantage? (Doubtful because most people are lazy and never write anything...but if everyone used this powerful information then it would flood the Hollywood market with wonderful scripts, thus making it harder for someone to break into the industry.)
My second issue is that in both the Save the Cat books Blake doesn't cover anything about the business. I understand that this book isn't about that. The first book could have included information about breaking in or getting a break.
So...Blake Snyder, if you're reading this: PLEASE MAKE YOUR NEXT BOOK ABOUT HOW TO BREAK INTO THE BUSINESS! PLEASE! You're the only guy who writes USEABLE books on screenwriting that are HONEST and tell the REAL DEAL about how things work. So, if you write another book, please use that same honesty to (1) talk about how Hollywood really works, and (2) how to realistically break into the industry.
Excellent, once again... Save the Cat has done it once again, but this time on a much higher scale. After a great introduction to the BS2 (Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet) and a few extras, Blake includes a beat-for-beat layout of various films in 10 popular Hollywood genres.
Excellent purchase! I'm convinced these books will give me the knowledge I need to succeed and I recommend 'Save The Cat' for anyone interested in screenwriting.
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