BSA 104 (Scriptwriting) Week 3 : Save The Cat

We were asked to research a storytelling paradigm called Save the Cat, the author Blake Snyder set out to communicate what he thinks makes a successful Hollywood blockbuster, by breaking the plot points down and even giving recommended page numbers he provides readers with a clear narrative structure that can be applied to any high concept screenplay.

Snyder came up with the name "Save the Cat" to describe a moment where the hero does something nice, like saving a cat. The author believes that this is what is lacking in so many modern movies (modern meaning when this book was written so around 2003-2005), he feels that writers try to make characters took cool and sexy and not likable enough. His inspiration fro this title came from Alien (1979) where the main character saves a cat.

The structure that Snyder proposes works almost like a beat sheet, on which writers can simply add their own stories and characters.

OPENING IMAGE (1)

The Opening Image establishes the film's type, mood, scope and tone. This opening image also gives us the starting point for the hero, a glimpse into his normal life. Snyder says that this image is contrasted with the final image of the film which acts as an "After" to the Opening Shot's "Before".

(Snyder B, 2005, p.72)

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained's opening image sees the main character being led through the desert in chains. It established the type of film - where the dark reality of slavery is directly juxtaposed to the upbeat and almost heroic theme music. It also gives the audience a glimpse at the hero's normal life, here being that of a slave.  This image contrasts with the final image where Django rides away on his own horse, his wife next to him, a free man.

THEME STATED (5)

Snyder believes that a well structured screenplay establishes the theme within the first five minutes. A character, usually not the protagonist or main character, will pose a question or make a statement that acts as the main theme or moral message of the film. "This statement is the movie's thematic premise".

(Snyder B, 2005, p.73,74)

SET-UP (1-10)

In the first ten minutes of a screenplay Snyder believes that the author has to set-up the hero, the stakes, the goals and make it interesting. This is also where important character traits and behaviors get set-up to be payed of later on in the film. When the hero's life starts changing we have to be able to see how and why this affects his life. Snyder recommends including six things that need fixing, realities of the hero's life that can be made better throughout the film.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.75)

CATALYST (12)

The catalyst is a moment in which the hero's life is changed, when the character receives what seems like bad news and which changes their lives forever. The catalyst is when the story kicks off, when the set-up is over and things start happening.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.76)

DEBATE (12-25)

This section of the film is when the character has time to breath and decide what they are going to do. In a way it reminds me of the Refusal of The Call that is present in some versions of The Hero's Journey. Snyder calls it the debate because this is where the character has to argue with himself about what he's going to do. Of course just like The Hero's Journey it will always end in him going on the adventure. It's an important part for the character because it makes them more motivated when they do decide to set off on their adventure.

(Snyder B, 2005, p. 77)

BREAK INTO TWO (25)

This is where the Hero leaves the ordinary world and enters the special or supernatural one. The same reasoning as the previous step applies here, the hero has to make the decision to leave because it shows they are proactive and gives them greater motivation. The reason it's called "break into two" is because the author is adhering to the three act structure, and this is where he believes Act Two should start.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.79)

B STORY (30)

Snyder subscribes the same school of thinking that we've been taught in class when it comes to A stories and B stories. The B story is essentially a subplot that works with the main story to support the themes, but which is not integral to the overall plot.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.79)

FUN AND GAMES (30-55)

Snyder describes this part of a movie as the reason to make it in the first place, this is where the promise of the premise is fulfilled. Save the Cat is based on high concept ideas - ones that are immediately interesting and easy to sell - this part of the screenplay is where that idea is actually played with.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.81)

MIDPOINT (55)

The midpoint falls in the direct middle of the film and serves as a peak for the hero. This is also the part of the film where fun and games end and the stakes are raised.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.84)

BAD GUYS CLOSE IN (55-75)

Snyder considers this to be the hardest part of a screenplay to write, the reason for this is that the Bad Guys Close In section works as a transition between the part of the film where the protagonist is at their highest point and the part where they are at their lowest.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.86)

ALL IS LOST (75)

This is the point where the bad guys win, Snyder says that this usually involves death in some way, which forces the hero to leave behind his old life and start anew. He explains the the old world is the thesis, the upside down world is the antithesis and this is the point in the movie in which the process of synthesis starts.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.87)

DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL (75-85)

This part of the screenplay is the hero's reaction to the All is Lost moment, he/she needs to contemplate their next action and change their approach to the situation.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.88/89)

BREAK INTO THREE (85)

The protagonist finds a solution to their problem and now need to execute it. Where Act Two starts with the hero entering the special world and ends with them being defeated, the Third Act starts with them finding a new solution, and a new drive to solve their problem.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.89)

FINALE (85-110)

This is where the Hero carries out his plan and triumphs, beating his opponents as the old world becomes new. Where the Hero's actions change the world around him.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.90)

FINAL IMAGE (110)

The opposite of the opening image, proving that change has occurred throughout the story.

(Snyder B, 2005, p.90)

Snyder's structure is controversial because of how specific it is, the strict rules of his formula and addition of page numbers makes all the script adhering to this formula feel the same.

I can see why people both like and dislike Snyder's method.

On one hand Snyder's approach to script-writing follows many common conventions already established - specifically The Hero's Journey and Three Act Structure - a lot of what he says is hard to argue with because of how many beats he shares with such universally accepted storytelling structures.

On the other hand, his specificity isn't necessary because not all films have the same beats or timing. We recently watched Gladiator and I think that's a good example of how not adhering to Snyder's method improves the film. In that movie the final act is hard to pin-point and it is very short when compared to the other two acts, but it works in that movie because it's where the protagonists story needed to end.

The thing about Snyder's template that will alienate people is how limiting it is. Structure is something that has been proven to be the most interesting thing in script-writing to me because of the filmmakers I grew up watching. Tarantino and Nolan are two practitioners who played with the conventions in structure to great success. Structure is something that we can alter in order to best suit the story being told, when this is done well it makes a movie much better than it would be with a more generic template.

Take The Prestige for example, the way the mystery is explored in that film is completely dependent on the film's structure. The movie wouldn't be nearly as effective if it used the Save The Cat structure. Which makes me question the validity of Snyder's statement that this structure can be applied to any genre. Snyder's method seems applicable only to genre films, and even then only some specific genres.

Reading this book and studying Romantic Comedies for my power-point I've come to realize why genre movies are so often dismissed as works of art. When talking about structure it seems that there is no limit to what a drama film can do, each one is different and serves it's story in a different way, but genres like modern superhero movies or romantic comedies stick very heavily to one type of structure. This makes those movies feel boring and samy, Snyder encouraging young screenwriters to produce more of these generic films is not something I support. When I go to watch a movie I don't want to know what's going to happen, using a structure template makes this unavoidable. That is why Nolan's Batman films are so loved, he didn't treat them like movies specific to that genre, he treated them like dramas. The distinction between drama and genre films have become very clear to me, and I think the best way to treat a movie sharing elements to a specific genre is to tell it like a drama – with no rules or guidelines. To tell it the best way it can be told.

In his book Snyder even criticizes Memento for it's experimentation with structure, he says “Existential Dilemmas are what closes on Saturday night, as the low-performing art house gem Memento proves. Gimmick or really dull movie? You decide”. Snyder's values are based on what does and does not do well financially, his teaching methods encourage success at the box office, not at exploring the art form. This is the reason I think so many people reject his teachings, he turns film into a product meant to be sold. He comes across as more of a businessman than someone who cares about film.

His statement holds some truth to it though, the most profitable films from both Nolan and Tarantino are those that most closely follow a generic structure. Django Unchained, Tarantino's highest grossing movie, in particular is very similar to The Hero's Journey and has a clear three act structure. The film even shares some of Snyder's conventions like the opening image (Django led through the desert in chains) contrasted with the final image (Django rides away with his wife as a free man).

I think there is some value to his teachings, learning about the industry from someone who's worked and been successful in it means that he brings a lot of relevant information to the table. However, his book feels like a “get rich quick” scheme and not like an exploration of the medium. His solution is simple and shallow, I doubt that any great screenwriter can come from his school of thought, especially when compared to a book like STORY by Robert McKee (something I recently started reading).

Reference:

Snyder B (2005) Save the Cat: The Last Book On Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, Michael Wiese Productions.