I’ve just learned that we’ve had a third spec script sale that came out of our workshops. Hopping Mad, written by Mark David Hatwood from our Cat! group in Cornwall England was the first, Dr. Sensitive by Ben Frahm who attended one of our first L.A. workshops had a big sale to Universal with his script, and now I hear that Mike Pietrzak sold his screenplay, Cooked, that he worked out in our class last year. Mike is an amazing talent whose Golden Fleece film Three Days to Vegas premieres in January. I also know of a fourth spec developed this summer that I have high hopes for and should know about soon. But all this is just the tip of the iceberg.
So many people have gotten agents, gotten optioned, saved re-writes and landed jobs using STC! CAA is just one talent agency that recommends it to their writer clients, as do many managers, agents, and producers who pass it along to their writer allies. At the studio level, Cat! is a secret weapon and I’ve heard from more than one screenwriter tell of an exec’s demand for a better “save the cat” moment when re-writing a script.
We’ve been doing seminars and workshops since December 2005. It was sporadic at first, one every few weeks, but now we are zipping around the world doing two and three a month; we are also consulting on all manner of projects — movies, documentaries, TV series, and even helping speakers work out the structure of their speeches — and all have gotten that much needed clarity we all seek when assaying a creative venture.
I am way proud of everyone and mostly proud of the energy our participants all seem to have in common.
This past weekend, for instance, we had a wild and woolly Beat Sheet class with 10 participants. Wow! What energy! Everyone was accomplished, and had bragging rights in their own list of successes, but what all shared was a desire to help their fellows and contribute to the betterment of all the projects in the room!
And what amazing creativity!
I love our classes, and I love the people in them. We get together and fire up our imaginations and see the same movie in our minds; we twist it and turn it and add to it and straighten out its “spine” — and both the author of the project and those chiming in with suggestions share the same goal: making it better!
We also may have our first amoba-like split in our L.A. Cat! group. Greg Field, who has been doing such a fantastic job running the Cat! meetup, has become a model for perhaps a second group that is forming here in town from this weekend’s participants. And I couldn’t be more pleased. Nothing like a little healthy competition in town — and elsewhere.
We now have active groups all over the world. And I know that after my trip up to Seattle next month to do two weekend workshops, we will have a new Cat! group there too.
As they say in show business: Give yourselves a hand! You are all doing great work. And I know that lots more spec screenplay sales — and other successes — will be happening very soon.
p.s. We also just hit #1 on Amazon with the second book, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, which comes out in a few weeks. Thanks everyone!
Blake Snyder
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CONGRATS, BLAKE!!! You so deserve every bit of success you’re enjoying because you’re GIVING so much to the people you teach!!! I can’t wait to read the new book!!!
Cheers!
Joe
Congrats to all!
I’m sure everyone worked their arses off. These things don’t write themselves.
As an aside, Blake, any approximate idea of when the NYC BSW will be? I want to make sure to keep that weekend open.
Blake,
Every bit of this post is great news!
I can attest to the positive energy and EXCITEMENT that comes out of a BSW: 8 months later, and I am still riding that high. (My STC! software stays open on my laptop all the time, so I can consult The Board while I’m writing. That, in concert with the charge I got in the BSW, makes the writing flooooow!!)
As the lone neophyte in the workshop I attended, you and they made me feel that not only am I capable of writing a screenplay, but that the idea I offered on that Saturday morning is a story that MUST BE TOLD AS ONLY I CAN TELL IT.
Powerful stuff, that.
Kurt
The Hit’s keep rolling!
Congrats to all “leaving the nestâ€
It’s becoming apparent to expect this when STC is applied well.
Many thanks for sharing the focused knowledge of the “CAT†Blake!
I consider it a privilege to be a part of the newest era of storytelling refinement.
Working diligently to make “All you Cats†proud.
Looking forward to your next Denver visit.
John