|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
Screenwriting and Screenwriters ? beyond Syd Field
Without denigrating the work and contribution of Syd Field to the art of screenwriting, it is about time many screenwriters moved on. Syd Field gave us the plot point - a clearer definition of what was previously known as the "twist" - as well as other concepts such as the "pinch" and midpoint. His work is still a valuable start point for screenwriters. Syd Field's midpoint analysis moved us towards four-act structure, which is well established in many cultures, whereas western culture still tends to dwell on three acts. It seems as though Syd Field had some issues with the mid-point, one of them being that the inclusion of the mid point and consequently four act structure does not fit well with all stories ? his attempt at preciseness resulted in a consequential lack of broadness and hence greater critical analysis as a template. Hollywood has implicitly accepted four act structure ? most movies now have a high point midway ? usually a catastrophic event for the protagonist. Resistance to four-act structure is probably a result of our theatrical heritage. But moving light years ahead in terms of structure is the Hero's Journey. Ironically, Campbell published Hero with a Thousand Faces before Syd Field published his work. Vogler wrote an easy to read update in 1992 (The Writer's Journey). The Hero's journey is a well established anthropological analysis of stories across cultures. Depending on the interpretation, there were 17, 18 or 19 stages to the Hero's Journey. But a modern, detailed analysis reveals at least 106. There is some rejection of the Hero's Journey as a universal template primarily because the archetypes (Mentor, Shape Shifter, Threshold Guardians etc) refer to the Quest, Fable, Fantastic et al genres. However, this is a misunderstanding as a metaphoric and symbolic interpretation leads to such classics as Midnight Cowboy and Get Carter, the original Michael Caine classic. Ultimately, the Hero's Journey is a much more sophisticated study of Story Structure than Syd Field's analysis ? and story structure is the most fundamental and critical of the skills that screenwriters need to possess. Other theorists, such as McKee in Story are not as structure orientated, but their input when debating structure, is also indicative to it's importance. For example, McKee rightly states that the screenwriting process should involve a step-outline, treatment and then a words-on-paper first draft. The thing that held us back was this idea that a template had to be broad, which made sense if that template had to explain many stories. But a conceptual leap is the understanding that detailed templates, which may not each explain large numbers of stories, when taken together, can be more useful tools. Further, whereas Syd Field's analysis left the screenwriter with yawning gaps - the need to fill 30 and 60 pages ? detailed templates overcome this problem. Whereas Syd Field had difficulty with four acts, we are now playing with story structures with potentially 150 acts. This is the natural result of analysing sequences as opposed to acts. It is like comparing today's scientific analyses to Middle Aged analyses using Fire, Water, Earth and Air. In conclusion, it is time screenwriters moved beyond Syd Field. A detailed Hero's Journey analysis and related story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/ You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site. Kal Bishop, MBA ********************************** You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained. Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Writer?s Web Resources The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide. Now you can work for publishers, corporations and a whole range of other clients on a truly global scale. Whether you are in the heart of a big city, or in a remote mountain village, all you need is an Internet connection to run your writing business. Are You Feeling Dash-ing? Using Punctuation for Effect and Influence The dash--that curious mark of punctuation people use in their email and letters. Not the hyphen (-), but the dash (--). It's made by hitting the hyphen twice. In most cases, when you type the hyphen twice it will turn into one long dash (-). Sometimes you see the dash inserted where a comma would fit; other times you see it where you would put parentheses. How is the dash supposed to be used-and when can you use it to get the effect you want? In Praise of Personal Pronouns Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock in the liveliness of the written word. Secrets Of Successful Authors When the writing bug hits you, get out your pencil, typewriter,a word processor or tape recorder and go to work. Freelance Feast or Famine? Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like "feast or famine". A Writers Personal Cheer Squad We all need a cheer squad. Writing is a Discipline If a writer considers writing to be a task, he/she is doomed to failure. Since it cannot be a task, then what is it? It is a discipline. What does that mean? Top Seven Essential Hot-Selling Points To Implement Before Writing Chapter One Every part of your book can be a sales tool. When you include the below tips, you will have a roadmap to follow to keep your writing organized and compelling, and you'll sell more books than you ever dreamed of! How To Write Thank You Letters With Class When I first started tracking the information preferencesof people visiting my Writing Help Central Web site I wassurprised to find how many folks were seeking informationon how to write thank you letters. In fact, "thank youletter" information and sample templates are the third ranked destinations at that Web site. To Outline Or Not To Outline Ah, the age-old writer's debate--to outline or not to outline? Getting To Know Your Characters Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important 'ingredients' in your novel. Publish Your Novel on the First Try Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side of John Grisham. It stops many writers in their tracks and often leads them to a new line of work. If your one of the millions of Americans who have a passion for writing and dream of seeing your novel on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and Borders Books, don't let fear of Rejection scare you off. Follow this simple formula, and you can publish your novel on the very first try. Review In 29 Steps Plus One I just finished to read a book. A story for kids (yes, I like them), interesting, told with participation and sometimes irony. Think Market! Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was too small: type face, layout and spacing. She weighed each word, counted each comma. She sent out 200 resumes and received no responses. The Self-indulgent Writier A writer can never be self indulgent whether writing fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. If one writes only to please one's self, the likelihood of publication becomes remote. Editors and agents will become aware of such an author quickly and dismiss such writing with a brief rejection slip. Although self-gratification is always a part of one's writing, it should not be the most significant motive for writing. The reader, and not the writer, is and should be the most important reason for publication. Get Rich Writing With Your Computer Word Processor Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a desktop publishing system that can make you rich and famous. The big seller on the internet is information products and you can get a flood of cash pouring into your home office from you writing. Your computer can be turned onto autopilot flying high off the ground into cyberspace. The computer desktop publishing system makes it all possible. An Introduction to Self Publishing Material Any article, report or book which is bought or sold with reproduction rights is generally referred to as self-publishing material. Most commonly, this material consists of reports or articles varying in length from 1 to 20 or more pages. This material usually has a self-cover. In a self-cover, the same weight of paper is used as in the text. Most books, on the other hand, have covers which are of a heavier weight than the text of the book. Six Tips for Creating More Lifelike Story Characters Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a single character. I followed suggestions in writers' reference books for developing story characters. Then, still dissatisfied with my results, I began to explore other ways to make my characters more lifelike and included those strategies below. Ten Quick Tips for Inexperienced Writers One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is simply knowing how to get started. If you've unsure of your writing skills, then here are some quick tips to help you get started. New York Code Orange Jaisini New Art Series The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching or too critical. Paul Jaisini reached his level of mastership to know exactly that life is worth living to look in the future having no regrets about the past.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
