Save The Cat! 2.0

by Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC

Product Features

• This product has been replaced by Version 3.0 of the software

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001CNSYFW
• Item model number: 001
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 31, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,250 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)

Product Description

Based on Blake Snyder’s best-selling Save the Cat! Books, the Save the Cat 2.0 software will help you create a meaningful story making it the last story structure software you will ever need! Save the Cat! 2.0 will help you: Develop a powerful Logline and Title. Choose one of 10 Genres, each with recognizable traits that will help you write something that is “the same, only different”: Monster in the House, Golden Fleece, Out of the Bottle, Dude with a Problem, Rites of Passage, Buddy Love, Whydunit, The Fool Triumphant, Institutionalized, and Superhero. Fill in a Blake Snyder Beat Sheet with the 15 key beats for every screenplay: Opening Image, Theme Stated, Set-up, Catalyst, Debate, Break into Two, B Story, Fun and Games, Midpoint, Bad Guys Close In, All Is Lost, Dark Night of the Soul, Break into Three, Finale, and Final Image.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It just makes good sense..., November 25, 2008

By 

J. White "Whytevox" (Burbank, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Save The Cat! 2.0 (CD-ROM)

Blake Snyder is the king of making the impossible look easy. When you read his book "Save The Cat", you begin to understand that modern screenwriting does, in general, follow a pretty specific set of rules - the only problem is that the rules aren't that easy to learn by yourself without someone to guide you through the morass of screenwriting self-help books that are on the market. "Save The Cat" - the book - is a kind of nexus-point for all the data out there on the subject of screenwriting - it provides a very clear, understandable road map of how to get from "fade in" to "fade to black". Blake's formula is amazingly accurate at breaking down the "beats" of modern films - when I first read the book I watched several films and looked for the timing of the beats described by Blake's method - and I was shocked at how right-on he was! Most modern movies drop right into Blake's framework with little or no adjustment.

I mention all that stuff about the books because you really should read them before using the software - although you don't need to - the software is very usuable right out of the box with no previous intro to Blake's format - but if you have read the books, the software is immediately the most important tool in your writing kit. It replaces all the corkboards and index cards, push pins and stickies that clutter up your writing space and puts all those weapons of mass distraction in your computer - where they belong. Now you can focus on getting the structure of your story right before you jump in and begin writing scenes. The software breaks apart your structure and shows it to you in a very clear graphic way - you can see your ups and downs, your tension dynamics, character paths, act breaks, etc. - and when you can see the whole movie on one page like that, it's very easy to see what you need to do in order to make the structure - the foundation of the script - as solid and supportive as it needs to be. I love this software (gee, can ya tell?) and have written 2 screenplays with it already. Between the STC books and the STC software, I've got all the guidelines I need to create well-crafted screenplays. AND, as if that weren't enough, Blake is one of the most accessible authors you'll ever meet - if you have a chance to attend one of his seminars, by all means, do it. It's one "a-HA!" moment after another, and you leave wondering why it all seemed so difficult before. Check out Blake's website - http://www.blakesnyder.com - for more info on Blake's products and classes. You won't be dissappointed.

Joe Whyte
Burbank, CA

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Save The Cork!, November 26, 2008

By 

Kurt H. Kalbfleisch "Yoda, I Am" (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Save The Cat! 2.0 (CD-ROM)

You know that scene in Star Wars Episode IV when Han Solo says, "Chewie, make the jump to hyperspace," so Chewie moves ONE LEVER, all the stars leap into streaks of light, and you FEEL the acceleration?

That's what the Save The Cat! software does for your screenwriting.

I've never been much for outlines and notecards and storyboards, but Blake's method makes so much sense it's impossible to miss the value of it. I knew this from reading his book, "Save The Cat!", and from taking his Beat Sheet Workshop, of course. Putting it all together in a practical way seemed unattainable, because let's face it, a cork board big enough to handle 40+ 3x5 cards just isn't practical when you live in an apartment.

That's where the STC! software comes in. Desktop real estate is much cheaper than buying a house, and no matter where you write, your board is right there with you.

The STC! software doesn't just give you virtual 3x5 cards to pin up, it aids in tying the story elements together. The beats are clearly marked, setups and payoffs are connected, intra-scene conflict and tension annotated. Each card's color can be changed to suit your tastes, and to help you visualize your story.

If you insist on having actual cards to hold in your hand and pin with actual pins, one of the printing options is compatible with Avery laser index cards. Another printing option gives you a straight scene list, which can be a handy tool for pitching.

As another reviewer mentioned, STC! Software 2.0 ties in directly to Final Draft, giving you a leg up when you start to write.

One final thought: I'd never have finished my first screenplay without my copy of STC! software, and I now consider it as indispensable a writing tool as my computer itself.

Kurt H. Kalbfleisch
San Diego, CA

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Software that brings the books to life!, November 26, 2008

By 

Elliott (New York, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Save The Cat! 2.0 (CD-ROM)

Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat" series of screenwriting books have brought clarity and humor to a sometimes arduous and overwhelming process.

He's followed it up with a screenwriting program that is simple, straightforward and sophisticated, and works seamlessly with Final Draft. Without sounding like an infomercial, I've made more progress in one week using the software, than I had in two months without it. And while there's no guarantee that those who use the program will write the next smash Hollywood hit, hey.... you never know!