I’ve written a separate blog in which I explore the Snyder’s Beat Sheet in far more detail. The numbers next to each of these beats represents approximately on which page or page range they should occur (given that each page of a screenplay is typically about one minute of screen time.)
He offers 15 different “beats” that screenwriters should be cognizant to include in the storyline. It’s a lot more than just Act I, Act II and Act III. It’s the skeleton on which we will soon put on flesh. Snyder’s beat sheet from Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need is the primary structure or foundation by which we are going to build our story. Write them in first person to really get inside their heads. Usually 5-7 total bios are enough including the hero and the villain, a couple paragraphs long. This should include: a little background on likes/dislikes, personality traits, personal but brief autobiographical background, etc. speed and other comparisons.Ī character bio is similar in that we need to take some real time to “X-Box” several of your characters: the hero (protagonist), the villain (antagonist), and that handful of other important supporting characters that will shape the story and move it along. We would select clothing, accessories, power vs. My guy was like 6’6”, dark-tanned, ripped to the core, cut-off T-shirt….the perfect me on my own virtual tennis court. I would do the same when I would play some of the simpler games like tennis. When my kids first got into Xbox and other gaming systems, they would create their avatar before ever entering a game or battle or whatever. Think of it like that two page summarized book report on The Lord of the Flies you had to write in 10th grade English! This is giving your logline some legs now.
This is a fun stage where you really write down for the first time the entire arc of the narrative in a shortened “prose” version of what will eventually become a “screenplay formatted” story. If it’s good it will be the common touchstone between you and the producer to which you’re selling your script. If it’s good it will guide you through the tough spots of the writing process. If it’s good it has all the earmarks of a winner.
Snyder says be a “slave to the logline” since it is your story’s DNA code. The logline usually covers three areas of interest: main character, his/her goals and central conflict. Writing can be exhilarating but it’s hard work. If we can’t summarize our idea into one sentence it reveals that we have not thought through our idea enough. What are the carefully crafted words that will attract a reader to check out your story after reading JUST ONE SENTENCE? Stage 1 of Screenplay: LoglineĬoncentrate on distilling your grand story idea into one sentence. Here is an 8-step guide to writing great screenplays that I learned in that summer class. A great screenplay requires a lot of work and preparation before writing that first slugline on page one. What I learned most was that good cinematic stories are memorable and influential for a reason: words are not formed and stringed together by accident or by some crazy 4-hour trip. In that particular class on screenwriting I discovered many other important components or “stages” to crafting that perfect screenplay. I was first introduced to this book in 2011 during my first year studies in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Screenwriting and Film Studies at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. Written by the late Blake Snyder, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need has quickly become a classic among aspiring screenwriters.
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