Syd Fields Three Act Structure Paradigm

source: @gerryhannan

#screenwriting #film #story

“…..Syd Field’s ‘three-act-structure’ model is a perfectly natural device; not one that can be avoided by screenwriters. It is no more than a variation on the ‘start, middle and end’ model of all narratives. Using two films, Network (Lumet, 1976) and Magnolia (Anderson, 1999)it can be demonstrated that Field’s three-act structure; set-up, confrontation and resolution, is unavoidable and inevitable regardless of screenwriting and filmmaking techniques.

Network and the vast majority of Hollywood output are films with a classic linear story structure; send hero to battle, fire missiles at him, get him home dead or alive; it is a simple model, logical, chronological and embraced by the majority of film makers. The beginning, middle and end is the trusted template which defines American cinema. However, “a distinctly nonlinear structure has crept into Hollywood’s cinematic repertoire.” (Smith, 1999/2000) The emergence of films such as Pulp Fiction, Lone Star, English Patient and Magnolia do not use linear structure. But the question remains can the three-act formula be avoided?

Screenwriting expert Professor Robert McKee once described a story as a human being living a life that is more or less in balance; then comes the “inciting incident. The protagonist reacts, his life falls out of balance, and he now has had aroused in him a conscious or unconscious desire for whatever it is that will restore balance; “launching him on a quest for his object of desire against the forces of antagonism.” (Parker, 2003) McKee nailed the concept of the three-act structure that was the basis of debate initiated by Syd Field, an American writer and popular screenwriting guru.

Syd Field argues “The nature of the screenplay is as it has always been; a story told with pictures, dialogue and description, and placed within the context of dramatic structure” (Field, 2005). Field’s popular paradigm of three-act structure consists of set up…..”

Rewriting Your Script, Part 1: Set It Aside source: @GoIntoTheStory #screenwriting #film #story “Since dozens of writers used Go On Your Own Quest to pound out a first draft of their original screenplay, I decided to start off the New Year with a week-long series on rewriting, to honor their commitment and effort, and to encourage them [and everyone else] on their creative journey. We’ve all heard the adage, “Writing is rewriting,” right? Perhaps nowhere is that more true than screenwriting. Aspiring screenwriters know this because of the number of drafts they go through to whip their script into readable shape. Professional screenwriters understand this because of the multiple drafts they do on any project, whether on spec or assignment. Rewriting is just the nature of the screenwriting beast. But that begs the question: How? What are some keys to the rewriting process? Instead of wandering around in the dark not knowing if you’re improving the story or not, is there a coherent approach to rewriting your scripts? First off, the same thing applies to rewriting as to writing: There is no right way to write. There is no right way to rewrite. Every writer is different. Every story is different. And every rewrite is different. That said, this week I will lay out some keys to the process. If they help you, great. Use them with my blessing. If they don’t help you, feel free to chuck them. Part 1: Set It Aside So you just typed FADE OUT / THE END. First draft done. Huzzah! What a bear that was. Days, weeks, months of work. You feel good about getting through the first draft, but you know the script needs work. First step: Set aside your script for two weeks. That’s right: Two. Whole. Weeks. Why? Several reasons. #1: You need to celebrate. For most writers, there is nothing harder than completing that first draft. Every single scene represented an opportunity for you to turn back, give up and stop writing. Yet you prevailed. That is a victory, my friend, an achievement that deserves acclimation. So call up some of your friends and go out on the town. Or locate your significant other… you know that person who’s been looming at the edge of your consciousness for months now… and take them out for a really nice dinner. Best advice: Go to Costco and pick up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for about $45. A great champagne and if there’s one time to drink some bubbly, it’s when you finish that damn first draft! #2: You need to recharge your batteries. Writing a first draft is like……”
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Rewriting Your Script, Part 1: Set It Aside

source: @GoIntoTheStory

#screenwriting #film #story

“Since dozens of writers used Go On Your Own Quest to pound out a first draft of their original screenplay, I decided to start off the New Year with a week-long series on rewriting, to honor their commitment and effort, and to encourage them [and everyone else] on their creative journey.

We’ve all heard the adage, “Writing is rewriting,” right? Perhaps nowhere is that more true than screenwriting. Aspiring screenwriters know this because of the number of drafts they go through to whip their script into readable shape. Professional screenwriters understand this because of the multiple drafts they do on any project, whether on spec or assignment.

Rewriting is just the nature of the screenwriting beast.

But that begs the question: How? What are some keys to the rewriting process? Instead of wandering around in the dark not knowing if you’re improving the story or not, is there a coherent approach to rewriting your scripts?

First off, the same thing applies to rewriting as to writing: There is no right way to write. There is no right way to rewrite. Every writer is different. Every story is different. And every rewrite is different.

That said, this week I will lay out some keys to the process. If they help you, great. Use them with my blessing. If they don’t help you, feel free to chuck them.

Part 1: Set It Aside

So you just typed FADE OUT / THE END. First draft done. Huzzah! What a bear that was. Days, weeks, months of work.

You feel good about getting through the first draft, but you know the script needs work.

First step: Set aside your script for two weeks.

That’s right: Two. Whole. Weeks.

Why? Several reasons.

#1: You need to celebrate. For most writers, there is nothing harder than completing that first draft. Every single scene represented an opportunity for you to turn back, give up and stop writing. Yet you prevailed. That is a victory, my friend, an achievement that deserves acclimation.

So call up some of your friends and go out on the town. Or locate your significant other… you know that person who’s been looming at the edge of your consciousness for months now… and take them out for a really nice dinner.

Best advice: Go to Costco and pick up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for about $45. A great champagne and if there’s one time to drink some bubbly, it’s when you finish that damn first draft!

#2: You need to recharge your batteries. Writing a first draft is like……”

Get a “God’s-Eye View” of Your Story source: Jeffrey Scott & @ozzywood #screenwriting #film #story “…….The reason I use Excel is based on a writing principle I discovered years ago. I call it getting a God’s-Eye View of the story. I realized that by typing out my outline beats in a normal word processing program it took screen after screen to go through my scenes. So while I was looking at one portion of my story the rest of the story was totally out of sight. And as they say, “Out of sight, out of mind”. But when I write I want all of my story in my mind, or at least as much as possible. This concept is used in the military as well. If you only have a narrow view of the battlefield (such as through binoculars) you can’t get a good picture of what’s going on, nor make as effective of a decision. But if you can see it all (with, say, a satellite) you can make much more effective decisions because you have more of a “God’s-Eye View”. I initially solved this problem in Word by typing out my scenes on a single line in small type. But then I discovered how much easier and customizable it is in Excel. Let me describe what you’re seeing in the above screenshot. This is a scene breakdown of the film Independence Day. I’m using this just as an example to show you how a familiar film might be broken down. Each narrow row is a scene. And I keep the rows as narrow as I can so that as many as possible appear on one screen. This is generally done by reducing the font size, which automatically resizes the row height. But you can also right-click on any row number (on the left side of the window) and then click on “Row Height” to adjust it. Column A is just a simple act number breakdown. In a three-act structure I like to number my acts 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3A and 3B. This gives me smaller and easier units to work with. I color code the left column black and gray only to visually separate the…..”
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Get a “God’s-Eye View” of Your Story

source: Jeffrey Scott & @ozzywood

#screenwriting #film #story

“…….The reason I use Excel is based on a writing principle I discovered years ago. I call it getting a God’s-Eye View of the story. I realized that by typing out my outline beats in a normal word processing program it took screen after screen to go through my scenes. So while I was looking at one portion of my story the rest of the story was totally out of sight. And as they say, “Out of sight, out of mind”. But when I write I want all of my story in my mind, or at least as much as possible.

This concept is used in the military as well. If you only have a narrow view of the battlefield (such as through binoculars) you can’t get a good picture of what’s going on, nor make as effective of a decision. But if you can see it all (with, say, a satellite) you can make much more effective decisions because you have more of a “God’s-Eye View”.

I initially solved this problem in Word by typing out my scenes on a single line in small type. But then I discovered how much easier and customizable it is in Excel.

Let me describe what you’re seeing in the above screenshot. This is a scene breakdown of the film Independence Day. I’m using this just as an example to show you how a familiar film might be broken down.

Each narrow row is a scene. And I keep the rows as narrow as I can so that as many as possible appear on one screen. This is generally done by reducing the font size, which automatically resizes the row height. But you can also right-click on any row number (on the left side of the window) and then click on “Row Height” to adjust it.

Column A is just a simple act number breakdown. In a three-act structure I like to number my acts 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3A and 3B. This gives me smaller and easier units to work with. I color code the left column black and gray only to visually separate the…..”

Hat Trick’s Short & Funnies  source: @ScriptwritingUK #screenwriting #film #short “Comedy production power-house Hat Trick Productions are looking for short films for their new competition, Short & Funnies. Films can be between 2-5mins long, but the hook is that they have to a rabbit in the film in some way (as a nod to Hat Trick’s logo, and to show that the film is specially made for the competition, but don’t use a live rabbit!). The prize is £3,000 and a pitching session with the Hat Trick comedy team. Closing date for entries is midnight, 14th February 2013. Full details and how to enter HERE. Also, a final quick reminder to vote for the UK Scriptwriters podcast in this year’s European Podcast Awards. It takes 4 clicks, and no registration is required. Easy! Click HERE to vote.”
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Hat Trick’s Short & Funnies 

source: @ScriptwritingUK

#screenwriting #film #short

“Comedy production power-house Hat Trick Productions are looking for short films for their new competition, Short & Funnies. Films can be between 2-5mins long, but the hook is that they have to a rabbit in the film in some way (as a nod to Hat Trick’s logo, and to show that the film is specially made for the competition, but don’t use a live rabbit!).

The prize is £3,000 and a pitching session with the Hat Trick comedy team.

Closing date for entries is midnight, 14th February 2013.

Full details and how to enter HERE.

Also, a final quick reminder to vote for the UK Scriptwriters podcast in this year’s European Podcast Awards. It takes 4 clicks, and no registration is required. Easy! Click HERE to vote.”

Sweden’s “Bloody Boys” win brussels script award source: @CannesorBust #screenwriting #film #story “The Best Screenplay Award went to Sweden’s “Bloody Boys/JÄVLA POJKAR), written and directed by Shaker K. Tahrer. The films traces three families going through rupture and turmoil. More here. The full list of awards is as follows: GOLDEN IRIS AWARD for best film + Cineuropa Award DEATH FOR SALE by Faouzi Bensaïdi (France/Belgique/Maroc) WHITE IRIS AWARD for best first film CLIP (KLIP) by Maja Miloš (Serbia) AUDIENCE AWARD ITALY LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT by Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi (Italy/Germany)  FEDEX CINEPHILE AWARD KAUWBOY by Boudewijn Koole (Netherlands) RTBF TV AWARD QUAND JE SERAI PETIT by Jean-Paul Rouve (France)  Be TV AWARD NO REST FOR THE WICKED (NO HABRÁ PAZ PARA LOS MALVADOS) by Enrique Urbizu (Spain) PRIME TV AWARD THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Terence Davies (USA/UK)  BEST SHORT FILM AWARDS: A NEW OLD STORY by Antoine Cuypers (Belgium) LE CRI DU HOMARD de Nicolas Guyot (Belgium) and ROBYN O. by Cecilia Verheyden (Belgium). For more informtion, visit the Brussels Film festival.”
View Separately

Sweden’s “Bloody Boys” win brussels script award

source: @CannesorBust

#screenwriting #film #story

“The Best Screenplay Award went to Sweden’s “Bloody Boys/JÄVLA POJKAR), written and directed by Shaker K. Tahrer. The films traces three families going through rupture and turmoil. More here.

The full list of awards is as follows:

  • GOLDEN IRIS AWARD for best film + Cineuropa Award DEATH FOR SALE by Faouzi Bensaïdi (France/Belgique/Maroc)
  • WHITE IRIS AWARD for best first film CLIP (KLIP) by Maja Miloš (Serbia)
  • AUDIENCE AWARD ITALY LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT by Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi (Italy/Germany) 
  • FEDEX CINEPHILE AWARD KAUWBOY by Boudewijn Koole (Netherlands)
  • RTBF TV AWARD QUAND JE SERAI PETIT by Jean-Paul Rouve (France) 
  • Be TV AWARD NO REST FOR THE WICKED (NO HABRÁ PAZ PARA LOS MALVADOS) by Enrique Urbizu (Spain)
  • PRIME TV AWARD THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Terence Davies (USA/UK) 
  • BEST SHORT FILM AWARDS: A NEW OLD STORY by Antoine Cuypers (Belgium) LE CRI DU HOMARD de Nicolas Guyot (Belgium) and ROBYN O. by Cecilia Verheyden (Belgium).

For more informtion, visit the Brussels Film festival.”