What Is “Save the Cat” – Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet Explained

What does “Save the Cat” mean? If you’re interested in screenwriting or learning the craft, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Save the Cat” in some context. Explaining it takes a bit of extra context, because the term is both a verb and a noun. In other words, “Save the Cat” is both a book about screenwriting and a storytelling device. Let’s start with an overview of the book, then dig into the title’s suggestion and look at everything else the book offers.

What Is “Save the Cat”?

Save the Cat is a bestselling nonfiction book on screenwriting techniques written by Blake Snyder. Published in 2005, Save the Cat quickly became recognized as one of the authoritative books on screenwriting.

“Save the Cat” has now become shorthand for a traditional screenplay structure that can be applied to many modern Hollywood films.

Features of Save the Cat:

• Three-act structure

• Fifteen story beats

• Most commonly used in American Hollywood films

Who Is Blake Snyder?

Blake Snyder was a successful Hollywood screenwriter who sold multiple scripts, sometimes for seven-figure sums. Two of his feature scripts were produced and released.

Snyder drew on his experience in the film industry to write what he hoped would be the definitive guide for aspiring professional screenwriters.

Save the Cat has several sequels, including Save the Cat Strikes Back and Save the Cat! Writes for TV. Some of these sequels were written by Snyder himself, and others were written by his students after his sudden death in 2009.

The advice in Save the Cat is widely praised, but it has also faced criticism. Critics argue that the book’s advice leads to formulaic storytelling and complain that it encourages writers to lean on familiar, proven approaches instead of pushing creativity and originality.

What Does “Save the Cat” Mean?

The title “Save the Cat” is a screenwriting term coined by Blake Snyder referring to a specific plot device. The Save the Cat method involves having the protagonist do something admirable at the beginning of the story to present them as likable and get the audience on their side. The hero “saving the cat” can be literal or metaphorical.

Including a “Save the Cat scene” at the beginning of a script can quickly spark sympathy and affection for the protagonist. Some writers and critics push back against this device, saying the scene can feel manipulative or clichéd. Some also object to the idea that a protagonist must always be likable and/or admirable.

Other Screenwriting Takeaways

The plot device in the title is far from the only insight in Save the Cat. The book also includes structural analyses of successful films, loglines, formulas for writing original loglines, and more.

Even more acclaimed than the Save the Cat plot device is the Save the Cat beat sheet.

The Save the Cat beat sheet quickly became one of the most popular screenplay structure models. The 15 beats outlined in this three-act structure model are based on proven patterns that Snyder compiled by analyzing the structure of dozens of successful movies and scripts.

The beat sheet is the structural model Snyder used in his own high-selling scripts. Some readers of the book have even sold their own scripts after using the Save the Cat beat sheet.

Save the Cat Story Beats

So what are these hallowed story beats? Snyder carefully refined his fifteen beats, even specifying on which page each should occur. Of course, these are only recommendations, and every story is different. But they do provide a clear starter guide.

This one is fairly self-explanatory. Snyder says the opening image of the film (the first scene) is important because it establishes the world, tone, and characters. Nearly every script follows this rule, whether or not it adheres to the Save the Cat structure.

Most good films have some kind of theme. Sometimes a film has multiple running themes. But according to Snyder, the primary theme should be stated by page five.

For example, suppose your film’s theme is the power of community, which the protagonist learns over the course of the story. Around page five, you might have the protagonist’s coworker say, “Devon, why do you never accept any help?” That’s your theme stated.

The first ten pages are crucial. Using Save the Cat, you should establish the film’s look and feel, and introduce most of the main characters.

This is also when you define the protagonist’s baseline—what their life looks like before everything is turned upside down.

Speaking of blowing up the protagonist’s life—this is the big one, often called the inciting incident by screenwriting scholars.

Your character may initially reject the importance of the catalyst, but by the end of Act One it will have launched them onto an entirely new trajectory.

After the catalyst, the protagonist is unsure whether to act.

Suppose the catalyst is someone showing up to tell the protagonist they’re the protagonist’s child from the future, and that the protagonist must find a scientist in Antarctica to save the world. The following pages should show the protagonist wrestling with this information. That can’t really be their future kid, right? Why should they be the one to save the world?

This is the decision the protagonist makes that truly kicks off the story. Continuing our example, the protagonist boards a ship bound for Antarctica. Now we’re into Act Two.

The main plot is underway, so it’s time to start a B story. Maybe while searching for the scientist in Antarctica, the protagonist meets someone who eventually becomes their future husband.

This is one of Snyder’s least rigid beats. Now that your protagonist has entered their new world or discovered their new power, spend time with them as they explore.

In Harry Potter, a lot of time is spent establishing Harry’s new world:

What are the rules of this world? What’s different? What’s the same?

The midpoint can take many forms. The protagonist might experience a false victory—they think they’ve won, but there’s still a lot of trouble ahead.

Or they might suffer a massive setback—they lose a friend, have a crisis of faith, and so on. The nature of the midpoint is up to you. What matters is that it’s a major turning point. Below, we’ll take a closer look at how midpoints work.

Filming the iconic “final image”:

This doesn’t have to be literal on the page, though it can be. Essentially, this is the part of the script when everything becomes more difficult. Let’s go back to our Antarctica story.

In the midpoint, the protagonist finds the scientist, but this turns out to be a false victory. The scientist has no idea what the protagonist is talking about and thinks he’s crazy. In these pages, the protagonist must now try to figure out on his own what his future child meant.

The lowest point. Nothing is going right for the protagonist.

This is where we really punish our character with plot. Maybe they lose their mentor. Maybe they’re overwhelmed with self-doubt.

In these pages, your protagonist is reacting to the “all is lost” moment. This is probably when they’re the most discouraged. They’re about to give up. Maybe they already have.

We’re heading into the final act. Break into Three is the last gasp—the protagonist essentially says, “To hell with it. Let’s do this.” It could be a stroke of luck, or simply a new sense of purpose.

Either way, this beat tells us that although our character is down, they’re not out.

This is the best part, also known as the climax (or anticlimax). It’s where everything the protagonist has learned along the way (plus what they’ve had inside them all along) comes together in one big final battle. This showdown may be against a villain, or against their inner demons.

It all depends on the story you’re telling.

Either way, this is the climax. So tie things up and give the audience an ending that makes the first two acts feel worthwhile.

Everything’s over. It’s time to leave your audience with a lasting visual that encapsulates your story, maybe echoing your opening image.

For example, the iconic final shot of The Graduate:

Our protagonist has gotten what he wanted, but now faces an uncertain future. What happens next?

It’s the perfect ending for the film, completing the story while also emphasizing the theme of youthful aimlessness.

Snyder’s 15 beats are not for everyone, and they certainly aren’t required for a good script.

But following the Save the Cat guidelines doesn’t mean your screenplay will lack creativity or feel stale. It all depends on the story you want to tell.