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Save the Cat

Blake Snyder's 15-beat screenplay structure with precise timing.

Documenting sources for workshops? Drop your structure notes into CiteFast so references stay organized while you analyze each beat here.

Structure Diagram

Opening0%Theme5%Catalyst12%Break 225%B Story30%Midpoint50%Bad Guys62%All Is Lost75%Dark Night78%Break 385%Finale92%Final100%ACT 1ACT 2ACT 3

How It Works

Save the Cat provides specific percentage marks for when each beat should occur in your screenplay. Key beats include: Opening Image, Theme Stated, Catalyst (12%), Break Into Two (25%), Midpoint (50%), All Is Lost (75%), Break Into Three (85%), and Final Image.

Famous Examples

  • 📖Legally Blonde: Elle proves herself at Harvard Law
  • 📖Miss Congeniality: FBI agent goes undercover at beauty pageant
  • 📖The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Andy learns to connect with people and find love

See It In Action

Generate a 250-word flash fiction story using this structure.

💡 Tips for Using This Structure

  • •The Fun and Games section is why audiences bought tickets
  • •The Midpoint should be a false high or false low
  • •Final Image MUST contrast with Opening Image to show transformation