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I had the opportunity to speak to an amazing group of creative professionals on Friday. They come from a tradition of real greatness. And this tradition continues with the same verve, excitement, and frontier spirit in the films these artists are making now. I was honored to be able to spend some time with them.
I have a lot of good friends among this group and felt very welcome, but this was different. Something special happened Friday, and I’ve been walking on Cloud 9 ever since.
In my one hour talk I focused on Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies and the 10 unique genres I feel break open the discussion of story in a new way. I was originally scheduled to give my talk this fall when the book first came out but the Writers Strike compelled us to postpone. I feel like I had even more information packed into my presentation thanks to the delay.
I keep finding new tidbits to add into my discussion about Cat! 2, and I am boosted even more by the flood of emails I’ve gotten from writers who’ve had a chance to read it more than once and get more from it every time. Just like the BS2 and its useful “handles” like “Fun and Games” and “All Is Lost,” having these 10 genres lets us reference story by type, so when you say “Oh, it’s mostly Golden Fleece with a little Buddy Love,” I know exactly what you mean.
But ultimately, what really hit home for me on Friday is there really is only one story: the story of something amazing!
The more I work at this, the more I see how no matter what genre we’re working in, every story is about being touched by the divine. The difference between just an entertaining movie and a great one is finding that place in it when the hero realizes he’s changed for the experience, that he gave up something he thought was true and found lacking, only to find faith in something beyond himself that he needed to take that last step to triumph. Love, friendship, gratitude, and yes, the death of old ideas, are divine and can change us, and change our lives.
I joked with the audience that I find these moments everywhere, even in unlikely places. While watching Galaxy Quest the other night, I was struck by Alan Rickman’s character. He plays a Shakespearean actor doomed to portray a Mr. Spock-ish icon on a Star Trek-like series and has a corny line he is known for — and hates saying. It isn’t until the end when an admiring alien dies in his arms that he says the line again, his performance suddenly not a perfomance, the line suddenly flooded with meaning. It catches us off guard, and fills us with emotion for a simple reason: It isn’t what this character expected when he woke up that morning; he didn’t know he’d find meaning in the mundane, but he did. And the experience transforms him, and us.
I need a miracle every day. As a human being I just want to know it’s worth going on. Tell me one story, again and again, I don’t care how many times I hear it, that lets me know it is.
As writers our mission is to tap into that deeper source and put it right into our stories, no matter how silly, or how epic, or how intellectual a story we think we’re telling.
This map to meaning is found in the 10 genres of Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies and we will be posting a new handy-dandy printout in the Tools section this week: a three-page breakout of the 10 genres, indicating the features and 500 reference movies of each that our good buddy J.D. Scruggs created and that I distributed for my talk.
Thanks again to all the good folks who made my appearance possible Friday.
And thank you for letting me have my own transforming experience!
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on March 17th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Great post, Blake. It gave me chills! I’ve been moved to tears sometimes by what some would call a “silly comedy” many times because there was a moment in it that really touched that humanness in me, and it just goes to show the power of film. Right now I’m working on a new screenplay, and I’ve been re-reading both your books over and over again to keep me on track. I feel like a born-again clutching my Bible! And maybe I am!
on March 17th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Thanks for the excellent ideas Blake. I’ve often watched great movies and wondered, what exactly about this makes this film better than others. Now I know it is that transformational experience, that touch of the divine as you call it.
It’s all so clear! Thanks again.
on March 17th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
And we were all touched by your lecture, too, Blake. Every time I see you speak I walk away with at least two things: Some new tidbit of knowledge (frequently much more than just a tidbit) and a renewed enthusiasm for writing. And a deeper love for wonderful stories. Ok, three things. Knowledge, enthusiasm, and love. And salad. Four things. But NO ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition. Wait…
Thanks again, Blake. I wish we could just give you an office here so we could get our daily “dose” of Blake!
jw
on March 17th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Once again Blake, you uncover the true meaning of life and allow us to jump in the back seat of your “Journey Mobile”!
on March 18th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Bravo Your writing “Save the Cat” is a conduit to that Truth, allowing others, including myself, better understanding of the form and content of a good story, a compelling film. As writers we can then match our truth, our experience, our Divine spirit, into a recognizable format that other humans will sit down, suspend their belief system, and EXPERIENCE an out of body event called a movie.. If we allow ourselves to be here now, in this moment, we will find seeds, signposts, leading us to our higher self, literally to our connection to the Universe and the realization that we all are, in fact, connected, one.
Julia Child once said “the only way to truly cook from scratch is to invent the universe.” Your work, the time and effort you took to write Save the Cat, allows myriad others to see what they’ve never seen before, feel what they’ve never dared feel, and try to do something — write and make a movie — that we’ve only dreamed of. Of course, like Julia Child, neither you nor I invented the universe. But thanks to your inspiration and guidance, we’ve seen a light grow brighter, a hope grow stronger, and a belief that we, too, can join the team of movie makers who transport us to another time, allow us to experience another reality, and as you’ve shown us, channel the Divine.
Thank you, Blake, and much peace.
on March 18th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Blake,
Wonderful column, and you’ve had an epiphany: the reason entertainment of any kind exists is to connect EMOTIONALLY to the audience. (I’ve been saying this for years to anyone who’d listen.) And if that emotion includes a bit of the magic of everyday human experience, so much the better! We all need to be reminded of the power of our emotions and our empathy. Call it Divine, call it God, call it Buddha, it doesn’t matter. What matters is touching hearts in a deeply emotional way so folks can feel the magic.
Way to go Blake!
on March 18th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Your post reminded me of what a screenwriting instructor told our class many moons ago — every story is a love story.
on March 20th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Incredible post, Blake! So intense I got shivers. I totally agree with you about the “One story” theory… I think we can even put a name to it: Every story is about Enlightenment. I think every story is about a character who acts in a harmful or incorrect way till the growing pains force him to see the error of his ways. That magical moment of clarity is… enlightenment! and we recognize it because we’ve all, in life changing moments, experienced it.
What about movies without a happy ending? These are movies where enlightenment comes too late, like Darth Vader killing the Emperor although he is going to die… or even where enlightenment doesn’t come at all, but we somehow know the main character will keep fighting all his life… “Raging Bull” comes to mind.
Once and once again, thank you for your inspiring thoughts!