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| Screenplay by Syd Field |
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (2005) by Syd Field is a valuable book in the field of film making. As the cover says it is a 'Step-by-step guide from concept to finished script.' The PDF is available on the Internet Archive (click the title above). Originally published in 1979 by Delta, the book continues to inspire.
'A screenplay is a story told in pictures, with dialogue and description, and placed within the context of dramatic structure. That's what it is; that's its nature. It is the art of visual storytelling.' (2-3)
A screenplay has a beginning, a middle, and an end. These can correspond to Act I, Act II, and Act III. Act I is the first 30 pages, also called 'The Set-up.' Just befor Act II is plot point 1. Act II is made up of pages 30-90 and is called 'The Confrontation.' Just before Act III is plot point 2. Act III is the Resolution with pages 91-120. This may also be represented graphically. (21)
The book has an array of films which Syd Field dips in to illustrate his point. The opening scene in Citizen Kane (1941) by Orson Welles; the bookend technique in Pulp Fiction (1994) by Quentin Tarantino (139); the non-linear movie in Courage Under Fire (1996) by Edward Zwick (140); plot points in Collateral (2004) by Michael Mann (147); character in Casablanca (1942) by Michael Curtiz (161); sequence in Sea Biscuit (2003) by Gary Ross (185).
'Knowledge and mastery of the Plot Point is an essential requirement of writing a screenplay. As you approach the 120 blank sheets of paper, the Plot Points at the end of each act are the anchoring pins of dramatic action; they hold everything together. They are the signposts, the goals, the objectives, the destination points of each act—forged links in the chain of dramatic action.' (159)
Selected parts of screenplays are provided from Jurassic Park (1993) by Steven Spielberg (193-95) and others.
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