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
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
Or do you?Writers write. You shouldn't wait around for inspiration... Read More
Do you know what a query letter is? If so,... Read More
Last week I was having a quick browse on eBay... Read More
If you want to be a writer, then you must... Read More
How to Start Your Story with a BangThe purpose of... Read More
You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More
When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More
If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel... Read More
~~~Old age, to the unlearned, is winter; to the learned,... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
You've decided to write your very own Newsletter to promote... Read More
As a freelance writer, it is important to present yourself... Read More
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More
As you set out to create your first niche non-fiction... Read More
You wrote a tips booklet. Maybe more than one. Oh... Read More
Dr. Phil's Life Strategies, #1 New York Times Bestseller catches... Read More
Are you ready to abandon your short stories? Before you... Read More
Once you've plotted out your book, developed the characters and... Read More
I do on occasion run out of ideas for my... Read More
You may wonder why I have chosen this title of... Read More
The journey to having my first novel for children published... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many... Read More
The freelance writing market is a growing market to be... Read More
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved ?... Read More
Originality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea,... Read More
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're... Read More
Each author has special editing needs. To save yourself time... Read More
Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the... Read More
Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job... Read More
A QUERY LETTER is written to an editor or agent... Read More
Many experts recommend reading as a way to get ideas,... Read More
First, let's tackle the question that is uppermost in many... Read More
As you set out to create your first niche non-fiction... Read More
Long ago, movie directors mastered the technique of creating a... Read More
May I tell you about a writing technique shared by... Read More
Self-examination sheds light on a writers motives, goals, and aspirations,... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick... Read More
Mix a martini, don't forget the olives, or pour yourself... Read More
If you want happy customers to use your service or... Read More
For any great novelist, defining your cast of intriguing characters... Read More
Remember the days when we wrote with pen and paper?... Read More
Set your journal or diary where you will see it... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
How to avoid mistakes that undermine your credibilityYou're probably already... Read More
Writing |