Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT! Screenwriting Workshop

Yes folks, THIS is the last book on screenwriting you'll ever need, and Blake Snyder will be in Vancouver on February 17th and 18th to drive that point home in his 2-day seminar.

The workshop is based on the principles of Snyder's best-selling book SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need and will take place at the Palisades Hotel. You too can learn the secrets of successful screenwriting for a mere $340 - which may seem steep but is a bargain when you consider the $575 (US) fee for Robert McKee's wildly successful Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting seminar (also made popular by the film Adaptation).

It would seem that the 'screenplay guru' torch has been passed - while McKee makes his millions re-hashing a book he wrote a decade ago, Snyder's version of the necessary elements of a successful screenplay is current - first published in May 2005. And he's not without his impressive credits - 20 years in the industry, a record of sold and produced scripts, and "standing room only" seminars all over the world.

I would urge aspiring Vancouver writers to attend this seminar if you've got the cash to shell out. I read countless scripts at the film production company I worked for, and there were so many sad screenplay attempts chock full of basic errors, let alone problematic structure or story. It was kind of depressing when I thought about the time and energy that went into so many of those screenplays, yet hopeful authors would submit without running so much as a spell check. Trash.

There's a lot of great ideas floating around out there, and while I have some reservations about endorsing any seminar that sells a formula for success, I have also seen firsthand the flailing efforts of local screenplay writers. And these people need some direction.

If you're curious about what to expect, check out Snyder's website for some insight. The workshop promises to cover what makes a great logline, structure, a software demo (yes, there's a SAVE THE CAT! software program too...plus another book coming out this year...Snyder is building a little CAT army...), and advice on how to get an agent. Important stuff.

More details available at Biz Books. You can also buy the book there, unless this hot little item has sold out.
Register via email (info@bizbooks.net) or phone (604.669.6431).

Happy screenwriting, Vancouver.