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Save The Cat
''Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need'' is a 2005 non-fiction book on screenwriting by spec-screenwriter Blake Snyder, exploring plot structure in mainstream film. Snyder's approach has been widely adopted throughout the film industry and the book has remained a bestseller since publication, though it has received criticism for sexism and for offering what is perceived as an overly formulaic view of structure. Summary Chapter 1: What Is It? Snyder begins by arguing for the importance of developing a logline prior to writing the script. He defines a logline as a one- or two-sentence summary of a film that encapsulates its tone, potential, dilemma, characters, and audience. Snyder states that the ideal logline must satisfy four requirements: # Irony – The logline must be ironic and emotionally involving. # A compelling mental picture – The logline must imply the entire movie. # Audience and cost – The logline must demarcate the target audience an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blake Snyder
Blake Snyder (October 3, 1957 – August 4, 2009) was an American screenwriter, consultant, author and educator based in Los Angeles. His screenplays include the comedies '' Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot'' (1992) and '' Blank Check'' (1994). Through his '' Save the Cat!'' trilogy of books on screenwriting and story structures, Snyder became one of the most popular writing mentors in the film industry. Snyder led international seminars and workshops for writers in various disciplines, as well as consultation sessions for some of Hollywood's largest studios. Snyder died unexpectedly August 4, 2009, of what was characterized as either a pulmonary embolism or cardiac arrest. A public memorial was held at the Writers Guild of America, West on September 29, 2009. Early life Snyder's father, Kenneth C. T. Snyder, was an Emmy-winning TV producer of many children's shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Among them were ''The Funny Company'', ''Hot Wheels'', animated segments on ''Sesame Street'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schindler's List
''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the historical novel '' Schindler's Ark'' (1982) by Thomas Keneally. The film follows Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saved more than a thousand mostly Polish–Jewish refugees from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories during World War II. It stars Liam Neeson as Schindler, Ralph Fiennes as SS officer Amon Göth, and Ben Kingsley as Schindler's Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern. Ideas for a film about the '' Schindlerjuden'' (Schindler Jews) were proposed as early as 1963. Poldek Pfefferberg, one of the ''Schindlerjuden'', made it his life's mission to tell Schindler's story. Spielberg became interested when executive Sidney Sheinberg sent him a book review of ''Schindler's Ark''. Universal Pictures bought the rights to the novel, but Spielberg, unsure if he was ready to make a film about the Ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Pink Panther (1963 Film)
''The Pink Panther'' is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, who co-wrote the script with Maurice Richlin. Produced by The Mirisch Company and distributed by United Artists, it is the first installment in ''The Pink Panther'' franchise. A co-production between Italy and United States, it stars an ensemble cast led by David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale. Its story follows Inspector Clouseau, Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Sellers) as he travels from Paris to Cortina d'Ampezzo to catch a notorious jewel thief known as "The Phantom" (Niven) before he is able to steal a priceless diamond known as "The Pink Panther". ''The Pink Panther'' was initially released on December 18, 1963, in Italy followed by the United States release on March 18, 1964. It grossed $10.9 million in the United States and Canada, making it the 1964 in film#Top-grossing films (U.S.), ninth-highest grossing film of 1964. The film received mixed reviews from cri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forrest Gump
''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis. An adaptation of the Forrest Gump (novel), 1986 novel by Winston Groom, the screenplay of the film is written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks in the title role, alongside Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field in lead roles. The film follows the life of an Alabama man named Forrest Gump (Hanks) and his experiences in the 20th century in the United States, 20th-century United States. Principal photography took place between August and December 1993, mainly in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Extensive visual effects were used to incorporate Hanks into archived footage and to develop other scenes. The Forrest Gump (soundtrack), soundtrack features songs reflecting the different periods seen in the film. Various interpretations have been made of the protagonist and the film's political symbolism. ''Forrest Gump'' was released in the Unite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amadeus (film)
''Amadeus'' is a 1984 American historical drama, period Biographical film, biographical Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Miloš Forman, starring F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce. Peter Shaffer adapted it from his 1979 stage play Amadeus (play), ''Amadeus'', originally inspired by Alexander Pushkin's 1830 play ''Mozart and Salieri (play), Mozart and Salieri''. Shaffer described it as a "fantasia on [a real-life] theme", as it imagines a rivalry between two 18th century Vienna composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Hulce) and Antonio Salieri (Abraham). Salieri struggles to reconcile his professional admiration and jealous hatred for Mozart, and resolves to ruin Mozart's career as his vengeance against God. ''Amadeus'' received its world premiere in Los Angeles on September 6, 1984. It was released by Orion Pictures thirteen days later on September 19, 1984, to widespread acclaim as a box office hit, grossing over $90 million. It was nominated for 53 awards and receiv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
All The President's Men (film)
''All the President's Men'' is a 1976 American biographical political thriller film about the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon. Directed by Alan J. Pakula, with a screenplay by William Goldman, it is based on the 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two journalists investigating the scandal for ''The Washington Post''. The film stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward and Bernstein, respectively. It was produced by Walter Coblenz for Redford's Wildwood Enterprises. The film was nominated in multiple Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA categories; Jason Robards won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ben Bradlee. In 2010, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Plot On June 17, 1972, a security guard at the Watergate complex finds a door's bolt taped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinatown (1974 Film)
''Chinatown'' is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Towne. It stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, with supporting performances from John Huston, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, and Diane Ladd. The film's narrative, set in 1930s Los Angeles, is loosely inspired by the California water wars—early 20th-century conflicts over water rights that enabled Los Angeles to access resources from the Owens Valley. Produced by Robert Evans and distributed by Paramount Pictures, ''Chinatown'' was Polanski's final film made in the United States and is considered a landmark of the film noir genre, blending mystery and psychological drama.Wasson, Sam. ''The Big Goodbye. Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood'', Flatiron Books, 2020. Released on June 20, 1974, ''Chinatown'' received widespread critical acclaim for its direction, screenplay, cinematography, and performances—particularly those of Nicholson and Dunaway. ''C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. The film à clef, quasi-biographical film examines the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a composite character based on American Media proprietor, media barons William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, Chicago tycoons Samuel Insull and Harold Fowler McCormick, Harold McCormick, as well as aspects of the screenwriters' own lives. After the Broadway theatre, Broadway success of Welles's Mercury Theatre and the controversial 1938 radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama), The War of the Worlds" on ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'', Welles was courted by Hollywood. He signed a contract with RKO Pictures in 1939. Although it was unusual for an untried director, he was given freedom to develop his own ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dumb And Dumber
''Dumb and Dumber'' is a 1994 American buddy comedy film directed by Peter Farrelly, who cowrote the screenplay with Bobby Farrelly and Bennett Yellin. It is the first installment in the ''Dumb and Dumber'' franchise. Starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, it tells the story of Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels), two dumb but well-meaning friends from Providence, Rhode Island, who set out on a cross-country road trip to Aspen, Colorado, to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, thinking it was abandoned as a mistake, though it was actually left as a ransom. Lauren Holly, Karen Duffy, Mike Starr, Charles Rocket, and Teri Garr play supporting roles. The film was released on December 16, 1994, to mixed reviews from critics. It grossed $247 million at the box office and has since developed a cult following. The success of ''Dumb and Dumber'' launched the career of the Farrelly brothers, established the range of the heretofore dramatically acclaimed Dani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rain Man
''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road comedy-Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive and selfish wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who discovers that his estranged father has died and bequeathed his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an Autism, autistic Savant syndrome, savant whose existence Charlie was unaware of. Morrow created the character of Raymond after meeting real-life savant Kim Peek; his characterization was based on both Peek and Bill Sackter, a good friend of Morrow who was the subject of ''Bill (1981 film), Bill'', an earlier film that Morrow wrote.Barry Morrow's audio commentary for ''Rain Man'' from the DVD release. ''Rain Man'' competed at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the highest prize: the Golden Bear. The film was released theatrically by MGM/UA Commu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western (genre), Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, known as Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman), and his partner Harry Longabaugh, the "Sundance Kid" (Robert Redford), who are on the run from a crack US Posse comitatus, posse after a string of train robberies. The pair and Sundance's lover, Etta Place (Katharine Ross), flee to Bolivia to escape the posse. The film was released on September 24, 1969 and initially received lukewarm reviews from critics, but over the years it has since garnered some retrospective reappraisal. In 2003, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The American Film Institute ranked ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' as the 73rd-greatest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bringing Up Baby
''Bringing Up Baby'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a number of predicaments involving a scatterbrained heiress and a leopard named Baby. The screenplay was adapted by Dudley Nichols and Hagar Wilde from a short story by Wilde which originally appeared in ''Collier's Weekly'' magazine on April 10, 1937. The script was written specifically for Hepburn, and tailored to her personality. Filming began in September 1937 and wrapped in January 1938, over schedule and over budget. Production was frequently delayed by Hepburn and Grant's uncontrollable laughing fits. Hepburn struggled with her comedic performance and was coached by another cast member, vaudeville veteran Walter Catlett. A tame leopard named Nissa was used during the shooting and played two roles in the film; Nissa's trainer stood off-scr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
