Save the Cat!® Masters AI Workshop – Live in Los Angeles
December 9 - December 10
$395.00
AI is a productivity tool for your creative soul, and this class will teach you how to maximize your creative energy… productively.
You will learn the principles of both ChatGPT and Save the Cat! and discover how to:
- integrate and manage AI as you develop your unique screenplay or novel
- workshop the questions to ask and the questions to avoid so that your productivity stays on track
- avoid the traps and understand the limits of AI when it comes to creative writing
By the end of the workshop, you will have your story’s beat sheet and the first 5-10 pages of your screenplay or novel.
Saturday, December 9, 2023: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM pacific
Sunday, December 10, 2023: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM pacific
Your instructor is Matt R. Allen. Matt is an accomplished screenwriter, producer, and emerging prompt engineer. For over two decades Matt has earned widespread recognition for co-writing such hit films as Four Christmases and Soul Surfer. He penned Mighty Oak (2019) and co-produced and co-wrote Block Party (2022) with writing partner Krista Suh. He also produced 2021’s Run & Gun. Diving into the future of storytelling, Matt is pioneering as a prompt engineer, where he utilizes artificial intelligence to elevate the creative writing process.
There will be a maximum of 20 students.
Requirements: Each student must bring a computer and have access to ChatGPT.
Day 1: The Foundation of Your Story
9:30 AM – Introduction and Overview
* Welcome and introductions
* Overview of ChatGPT and Save the Cat! principles
* Integration of AI with screenwriting
10:00 AM – The Logline: Articulating Your Story’s Core
* Workshop: Crafting a compelling logline with AI assistance
* Group brainstorming session
10:50 AM – Break (20 minutes)
11:10 AM – The Title: Capturing Interest
* Workshop: Generating and selecting effective titles with ChatGPT
* Individual work and group feedback
12:00 PM – Lunch Break (1 hour)
1:00 PM – The Beats: Outlining the Structure
* Understanding the 15 beats of Save the Cat!
* Using ChatGPT to develop beat sheets for your story
2:20 PM – Break (20 minutes)
2:40 PM – The Three Acts: Structuring Your Plot
* Applying the 3-act structure to your beats
* Interactive session with ChatGPT to outline your screenplay
3:40 PM – Wrap-Up and Homework Assignment
* Assignment: Refine your title, logline, and beat sheet
* Preview of Day 2: Diving into the script
Day 2: From Beats to Script
9:30 AM – Review and Feedback
* Review homework
* Group critique and AI-augmented revisions
10:20 AM – Break (20 minutes)
10:40 AM – The First Scene: Starting Your Script
* Workshop: Writing your opening scene with ChatGPT
* Live demonstration and individual writing time
12:00 PM – Lunch Break (1 hour)
1:00 PM – The Script Pages: Bringing Scenes to Life
* Workshop: Expanding your beats into scripted scenes
* Hands-on guidance with ChatGPT
2:20 PM – Break (20 minutes)
2:40 PM – The Final Push: Completing Your Script Blueprint
* Finalizing the 15 beats into a detailed outline
* Structuring your first 5 pages with ChatGPT’s help
3:40 PM – Course Wrap-Up and Next Steps
* Recap of Save the Cat! principles and ChatGPT usage
* Discussion on the future of AI in screenwriting
* Networking and sharing contact information
As low as $36/month with Affirm – See in cart.
EVENT LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY
ABOUT THE BEAT SHEET WORKSHOP
Over the course of 2 weekends, you will:
- Learn the difference between a pitch and a logline, and why you must nail each one.
- Lock down your logline with the Save the Cat! mini-story template to get out of any logline jam.
- Learn the 15 key beats found in any story to make yours resonate with what is “primal.”
- Crack the “Magical Midpoint”—the secret of every story’s power.
- Find out why the Opening Image and the Final Image are your way to “doublecheck the math” of a hero’s transformation.
- Practice your pitch and improve your technique in front of a friendly group of fellow writers eager to help you succeed.
THE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
DAY ONE
- Find your story according to Blake’s four elements of every successful logline.
DAY TWO
- Learn to “beat out” your story using the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (the BS2).
DAY THREE
- Pitch your pillar beats: Opening Image, Catalyst, Break into 2, Midpoint, Break into 3, Final Image
- Discover the five steps that make a great finale.
DAY FOUR
- Pitch your story to the class using the 15 key beats every successful story must have.
TESTIMONIALS FOR THE BEAT SHEET WORKSHOP
“If I had to come up with a simple and poignant way to describe it, I’d call it the only workshop that you’ll ever find in Hollywood that encourages your story’s individuality.”
— Ebony Jones in her review on Coverage, Ink. Read Ebony’s entire review here.
“I loved taking the Save the Cat! workshop with Ben in NYC. I was working on my second Lemoncello book at the time and it went on, after great input at the seminar, to become a New York Times best seller. In fact, I use what I learned from Ben and STC! in all the middle grade novels I write…and one, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, even became a movie on Nickelodeon last fall! Thanks, Ben!” — Chris Grabenstein, #1 New York Times best-selling author
“Whether you’re aspiring to start your first screenplay or you’re an established writer looking to work out some new material, the Save the Cat! workshop offers tools for success. Early in my career, Ben and STC! helped my understanding of story structure, which is information I still use every day on every draft of every script I write.” — Jordan Gershowitz, screenwriter and producer, Warner Bros, Disney, and Nickelodeon (The Good Catholic, Random Tropical Paradise, Total Frat Movie, Temps, and writer for Tom & Jerry TV)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- Should you choose to cancel, a full refund will be given if a written cancellation notice sent by the registrant is received by Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC 10 days or more prior to the event.
- Registrants canceling less than 10 days prior to the event will not receive a refund.
- Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC reserves the right to cancel an event at any time for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies and will give as much advance notice as possible. Should that occur, Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC will send the registrant a full refund. If Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC does cancel, it will not be liable for trip cancellation expenses, such as travel or hotel arrangements.
*A writing team working on a single project will be counted as a single writer at a special fee. If you write with a partner, email BJ Markel for a special price.
If you have any questions about the class, please contact BJ Markel at [email protected].