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Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told By Blake Snyder ( Michael Wiese Productions )
Release Date: 2007-10-01
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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.
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The Secret to Screenwriting Exposed! ( monicamain )
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.
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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.
5 out of 5 stars!!!
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 A companion book rather than a sequel
"Save the Cat Goes to the Movies" is not so much a sequel to the original "Save the Cat", but an elaboration of the ideas put forward in the first book. In "Save the Cat", Snyder claimed that every (mainstream) movie ever made can be classified into one of 10 basic genres (a claim that I do not entirely agree with). In "Save the Cat Goes to the Movies", Snyder shows what makes up each of these genres by taking 50 well known (and mostly recent - you've definitely heard of most of them) films and breaking them down into "beats". If you subscribe to Snyder's genre theory and want to use it, then this book is a handy reference. Even if you don't subscribe to his theory, this is an interesting book to flip through. However, "Save the Cat Goes to the Movies" offer no new advice that wasn't given in "Save the Cat", and whereas I read "Save the Cat" from cover to cover, I skipped over a lot of passages in this book.
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Formula Revealed
This book holds the keys that unlock the secrets to screenwriting success. Even though the first book by Blake Snyder was suppose to be the only screenwriting book you'd ever need, this second book uses examples from the movies to explain what needs to happen when in greater detail. A must read for any screenwriter.
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Fantastic Storytelling Tool
You can take classes and buy other books, but the simple technique illustrated in this book is something everyone can use immediately. If you're a writer and sometimes get lost in the plot trap, Snyder's categories like "Dude With A Problem" and "Buddy Love" really helps you cut through the clutter to find the heart of your story. It's a fun read and insightful. It compelled me to go back and watch "Three Days of the Condor" and "All the President's Me." That's a big plus for real movie lovers. Well worth the price.
C.A.Compton
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