Blake Snyder passed away Tuesday morning from cardiac arrest. Many of you probably have no idea who Snyder was, which is all the more reason to remember him. Snyder is probably best known to the masses as the screenwriter of Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and Blank Check. But mcuh more importantly, Snyder was the author of a couple best selling books on screenwriting: “Save the Cat! The Last Book You’ll Ever Need On Screenwriting” and “Save The Cat! Goes To The Movies - The Screenwriter’s Guide To Every Story Ever Told.”

Before I began /Film, I was an aspiring filmmaker, but even more so — an aspiring screenwriter. Save the Cat was one of the better books I read on the art of screenwriting and storytelling. The title Save the Cat! was a term Snyder coined which refers to the scene in a movie (or story) where the audience meets the hero for the first time, and the hero does something nice, for instance saving a cat, which makes the viewers invest in the character and his story.

Snyder was not only an author, but a teacher. He taught his method in workshops around the world and in such universities as UCLA, Chapman University, Vanderbilt University and the Beijing Film Academy. Snyder also provided story and script analysis for Disney and Laika. Blake will live on through his teachings. To any aspiring screenwriters, I highly recommend you read his first book, at very least.