Blake Snyder
Encyclopedia
Blake Snyder was an American screenwriter based in Los Angeles, who became one of the most popular writing mentors in the film industry. The author of three books on screenwriting and story structure, Snyder led international seminars and workshops for writers in various disciplines, as well as consultation sessions for some of Hollywood's largest studios. Blake Snyder died unexpectedly August 4, 2009, of a pulmonary embolism
. A public memorial was held at the Writers Guild of America, West
on September 29, 2009.
, Big Blue Marble and the cult classic Roger Ramjet
.
At the age of eight, Snyder was hired by his father as a voice talent for an animated special starring Sterling Holloway
. Snyder continued doing kids' voices alongside Gary Owens
, June Foray
and others until his voice changed. He was promptly fired by his producer father.
Snyder went on to earn a B.A. degree in English from Georgetown University
, and returned to Los Angeles where he began his career writing for the Disney TV series Kids Incorporated
. Snyder began writing full time as a screenwriter in 1987. He was a member of the Writers Guild of America
for over 20 years.
Snyder's first spec
screenplay sale was in 1989 for the script Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which sold for $500,000 in a bidding war. He went on to sell 12 more original screenplays and was named "one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters" by Hollywoodlitsales.com. Million dollar script sales include Blank Check
, co-written with Colby Carr for Walt Disney Pictures, and Nuclear Family, co-written with James Haggin for Steven Spielberg
/Amblin Entertainment.
. In the United States
it was reprinted fourteen times.
In his book, Snyder gave greatest emphasis on the importance of structure
through his Blake Snyder Beat Sheet or the "BS2" which includes the 15 essential "beats" or plot points that all stories should contain.
Snyder's method expanded the 15 beats further into 40 beats, which are laid out on "The Board." The Board is divided into 4 rows, with each row representing a quarter of the story, namely the 1st Act, the 1st half of the 2nd Act, the 2nd half of the 2nd Act, and the 3rd Act.
Snyder also introduced 10 genres in his book that distinguished how stories are structured. According to Snyder, standard genre types such as Romantic Comedy, Epic or Biography did not say much about the story, only the type of movie it is. Snyder's system explored genre more fully, with categories such as "Monster in the House", "Golden Fleece", "Buddy Love" and others.
In 2007, Snyder wrote a follow-up, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies. The second book took 50 landmark movies, identified their specific genres, and broke them down into the 15 beats of the BS2.
The third book of Snyder's series, Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble For Screenwriters To Get Into… and Out Of,was published in November, 2009.
, Inc. specializing in script formatting, became partners in building import/export functions between the two programs. Snyder's company, Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC, released an iPhone app of the software in November, 2009.
In 2010, Snyder Enterprises plans to launch the Save the Cat! University, an online school that would make Snyder's workshops available year round to writers around the globe.
The second workshop, a continuation of the first, called The Board Workshop, had participants take their 15 beats and expand them into 40 cards for a more detailed story structure. Snyder held his workshops all over the United States, Europe and Asia. The workshops were run year round. Snyder also taught his method in such universities as UCLA, Chapman University
, Vanderbilt University
and the Beijing Film Academy
.
Following the release of his first book, Snyder provided script analysis to studios such as Disney, DreamWorks
, Laika
and Nelvana
.
How to Train Your Dragon
(DreamWorks, 2010) was dedicated to Snyder .
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
. A public memorial was held at the Writers Guild of America, West
Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
on September 29, 2009.
Early Life
Snyder began his Hollywood career early in life. His father, Kenneth C.T. Snyder, was an Emmy-winning TV producer of many children's shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Among them were The Funny Company, Hot Wheels, animated segments on Sesame StreetSesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, Big Blue Marble and the cult classic Roger Ramjet
Roger Ramjet
Roger Ramjet is an animated American children's television comedy series that first ran in 1965 and has aired in syndication since. Starring Roger Ramjet and the American Eagle Squadron, the show was known for its crude animation, frenetic pace, and frequent references to popular culture, which...
.
At the age of eight, Snyder was hired by his father as a voice talent for an animated special starring Sterling Holloway
Sterling Holloway
Sterling Price Holloway, Jr. was an American character actor who appeared in 150 films and television programs. He was also a voice actor for The Walt Disney Company...
. Snyder continued doing kids' voices alongside Gary Owens
Gary Owens
Gary Owens is an American disc jockey and voice actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offers deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Owens is equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and is...
, June Foray
June Foray
June Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
and others until his voice changed. He was promptly fired by his producer father.
Snyder went on to earn a B.A. degree in English from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, and returned to Los Angeles where he began his career writing for the Disney TV series Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
. Snyder began writing full time as a screenwriter in 1987. He was a member of the Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
for over 20 years.
Snyder's first spec
Spec
-Specification:* Specification , an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, or service** "Spec sheet" or datasheet used to describe something technical...
screenplay sale was in 1989 for the script Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which sold for $500,000 in a bidding war. He went on to sell 12 more original screenplays and was named "one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters" by Hollywoodlitsales.com. Million dollar script sales include Blank Check
Blank Check (film)
Blank Check is a 1994 film directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer, Tone Lōc, Michael Lerner and James Rebhorn and released by Walt Disney Pictures.-Plot:...
, co-written with Colby Carr for Walt Disney Pictures, and Nuclear Family, co-written with James Haggin for Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
/Amblin Entertainment.
Save the Cat! Screenwriting Manual
The nonfiction book Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need the no-nonsense and conversational tone of which has resonated with both seasoned and novice screenwriters, made it the number one selling book among screenwriting manuals on AmazonAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
it was reprinted fourteen times.
Origin of the title
The title Save the Cat! is a term coined by Snyder and describes the scene where the audience meets the hero of a movie for the first time. The hero does something nice — e.g. saving a cat—that makes the audience like the hero and root for him. According to Snyder, it is a simple scene that helps the audience invest themselves in the character and the story, but is often lacking in many of today's movies.In his book, Snyder gave greatest emphasis on the importance of structure
Structure
Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society...
through his Blake Snyder Beat Sheet or the "BS2" which includes the 15 essential "beats" or plot points that all stories should contain.
Snyder's method expanded the 15 beats further into 40 beats, which are laid out on "The Board." The Board is divided into 4 rows, with each row representing a quarter of the story, namely the 1st Act, the 1st half of the 2nd Act, the 2nd half of the 2nd Act, and the 3rd Act.
Snyder also introduced 10 genres in his book that distinguished how stories are structured. According to Snyder, standard genre types such as Romantic Comedy, Epic or Biography did not say much about the story, only the type of movie it is. Snyder's system explored genre more fully, with categories such as "Monster in the House", "Golden Fleece", "Buddy Love" and others.
In 2007, Snyder wrote a follow-up, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies. The second book took 50 landmark movies, identified their specific genres, and broke them down into the 15 beats of the BS2.
The third book of Snyder's series, Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble For Screenwriters To Get Into… and Out Of,was published in November, 2009.
Save the Cat Software and Online Training
As a companion to his books, Snyder developed a story structure software called Save the Cat! The Last Story Structure Software You'll Ever Need. The software places Snyder's Beat Sheet and Board on an end user's desktop. In 2008, Snyder and software company Final DraftFinal Draft
Final Draft is screenwriting software for writing and formatting a screenplay to meet the screenplay submission standards set by theater, television and film industries. The program is developed and owned by Final Draft, Inc., headquartered in Calabasas, CA; the company also owns Script magazine...
, Inc. specializing in script formatting, became partners in building import/export functions between the two programs. Snyder's company, Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC, released an iPhone app of the software in November, 2009.
In 2010, Snyder Enterprises plans to launch the Save the Cat! University, an online school that would make Snyder's workshops available year round to writers around the globe.
Workshops and Consultations
Snyder developed two weekend workshops for writers, filmmakers and executives. The introductory class, The Beat Sheet Workshop, helped participants come up with the solid structure of the 15 beats, before they embark on the actual writing of the script. In addition, The Beat Sheet Workshop was expanded to be led internationally.The second workshop, a continuation of the first, called The Board Workshop, had participants take their 15 beats and expand them into 40 cards for a more detailed story structure. Snyder held his workshops all over the United States, Europe and Asia. The workshops were run year round. Snyder also taught his method in such universities as UCLA, Chapman University
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California affiliated with the Christian Church . Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media...
, Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
and the Beijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy
Beijing Film Academy is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specialised in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia...
.
Following the release of his first book, Snyder provided script analysis to studios such as Disney, DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
, Laika
Laika
Laika was a Soviet space dog that became the first animal to orbit the Earth – as well as the first animal to die in orbit.As little was known about the impact of spaceflight on living creatures at the time of Laika's mission, and the technology to de-orbit had not yet been developed, there...
and Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
.
How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon is a series of nine books set in a fictional Viking world. The books were published starting in 2003 as children's novels written by British author Cressida Cowell and published by Hodder Children's Books...
(DreamWorks, 2010) was dedicated to Snyder .
Filmography
- Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
- Blank CheckBlank Check (film)Blank Check is a 1994 film directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer, Tone Lōc, Michael Lerner and James Rebhorn and released by Walt Disney Pictures.-Plot:...
(1994)
External links
- www.blakesnyder.com
- Interview with Blake Snyder at Groupee Backstage
- Interview with Blake Snyder from The Vancouver Sun
- Blake Snyder and Final Draft, Inc. Software Development Partnership Announced at Final Draft, Inc. Press Release
- Blake Snyder interview by Ari Eisner at Creative Screenwriting, The Cat With the Golden Fleece: Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, October 5, 2007
- Blake Snyder interview by Therese Walsh at www.WriterUnboxed.com
- Blake Snyder interview by Jenna Glatzer at www.absolutewrite.com
- Blake Snyder interview at www.Hollywoodlitsales.com
- Nuclear Family spec sale report at www.Hollywoodlitsales.com
- Blake Snyder at www.IMDB.com