It's about deciding who they want to be in relationship to it, and the risks and reward of same. Blake signs "Save the Cat! Fool Triumphant fool assumes a new name – When the hero enters Act Two and takes on a new moniker, e.g., when “Michael Dorsey” becomes “Dorothy Michaels” in Tootsie. Again, they make the hero's life harder, in ways that demand to be solved.
6.
Save the Cat!® Podcast: Blake Snyder Explains His Genres, One of my fave Snyder “glossary” concepts is Stasis = Death. "Will they or won't they end up together?" The ten genres Snyder uses: Monster in the House. This is the “false mentor” who can tell the hero — and us — the horror of what dealing with the monster will entail — and who is sure to die (usually at page 75)! BUDDY LOVE - All movies have relationships with problems. I think if you look at the most successful writers and movies, that is what they have done (whether consciously or unconsciously). GOLDEN FLEECE - This often seems to be the "catch-all" genre when no other will fit. Rites of Passage stories have the power to heal their heroes and your audiences. But it, too, has its own specific requirements that must be met for it to really work. You cannot be led to believe aliens and vampires exist in one world.
But when I looked at the vast variety of movie examples that Snyder fit into these ten genres, I realized how flexible and wide-ranging this system was.
The Fool Triumphant has a character who is innocent to some aspect of the real world. The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, Blake Snyder categorizes movies into ten basic plots. Registration confirmation will be emailed to you. Other Terms two-hander – A movie where we follow two characters, each has an arc, and each grows because of the other, e.g., the rom-com Two Weeks Notice. Registration confirmation will be emailed to you. Is it big enough, with enough in the way, and growing difficulty and stakes over the course of the story, to an exciting climax? company man – The one who has so bought into the establishment that he has sacrificed his humanity for it, resulting in robotic side effects that often include sexual dysfunction and a general crankiness, e.g., Frank Burns and Margaret “Hot Lips” O’Houlihan in M*A*S*H. naif – The character that is “us,” such as Jane Fonda in 9 to 5 and Tom Hulce in Animal House, who, by being brought into the system, helps explain its rules. My first and most important tip is this: PICK ONE! Often used by the Nemesis to threaten the Superhero.
Think Big, Aladdin, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar or Field of Dreams. But this particular genre dictates a certain type of problem: one that is life-or-death and immediate, that must be solved through some sort of physical battle, right now. Often, I find in scripts purporting to be a "Fleece" that the "prize" is unclear, or not big or challenging enough, and the journey toward achieving it thus not as compelling as it could be. not too arbitrary or contrived) like a carnival wish machine, an electrical storm, or some established mythology like genies or witchcraft. Those descriptions included some key terms, which we define for you today — each listed under the appropriate genre name.
Think The Black Stallion, Starsky and Hutch, Pretty Woman, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, or An Officer and a Gentleman.
Golden Fleece — This is the category of movie best exemplified by Star Wars; The Wizard of Oz; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Back To The Future; and most “heist movies. I think we as writers tend to become interested in an idea for a story that has some elements that attract us, but often it doesn't add up to a premise that has the potential to compel and entertain a large audience (and move our careers forward).
double mumbo jumbo – In movies using “magic,” the tendency of the writers to pile it on, or use several forms of it, and unwittingly make the story feel fuzzy or confusing. all stories are about transformation – This is not a Hollywood term… it is our motto! A way to come up with one idea after another, I have read and agree to the terms & conditions, Software Inquiries: tech@blakesnyder.com, Workshops & Script Analysis: cs@blakesnyder.com. Institutionalized Brando – The rebel.
It should be printed out and put on top of our computers as a reminder of why we do this job. Erik Bork won two Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his work as a writer-producer on the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and From the Earth to the Moon, working with executive producer Tom Hanks (and Steven Spielberg, on Band of Brothers). In last week’s podcast, Blake described his 10 genres or story types. Superhero mascot – The loyal and very human underling who looks up to the title character but can never be him, e.g., Jimmy Olsen in Superman and Timon in The Lion King. DUDE WITH A PROBLEM - Every story, in essence, is about a "dude with a problem." In last week’s podcast, Blake described his 10 genres or story types. I would say more about it but Blake says it best here: Stasis Equals Death. So I have a few tips below based on this work.