"Write That Screenplay, Ga Damnn it!", Syd Field yells!
So Epi read the book that tell him how write that screen play. The book is called "The Screenwriter's Workbook". TSW looks into how structure plays a significant role in the successful creation of all well-done screenplays- using examples of green-lit films from the past to prove its point it simultaneously gives the reader the information one might find in an advanced screenwriting class at a top tier university.
Syd Field, who has written... absolutely nothing - directs this book in one direction; he points out time and time again that all screenplays must have a "Beginning, Middle and End" - but as he'll state over and over again not necessarily in that order! The concepts he presents in this book seem legitimate and rationale enough and while I'd like to believe he is leading me in the right direction I of course always have my doubts (self-help writing books from writers who've never written? Eh', Huh... Who's this dude?)
The underlying concept of the book falls with the theory that a screenplays begins in "Act 1" which is when you get to know where the central character(s), at the end of "Act 1" we reach "Plot Point 1" which presents an event of any manner that turns the subject of "Act 1" on its heels which leads us to "Act 2" the Confrontation - this is where all the action comes in. When the character reacts to the action or causes the action, ultimately leading up to "Plot Point II" otherwise known as the climax (of the action). "Plot Point II" leads us into Act III which gives us the Resolution and ultimately wraps up the story.
Example: The Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring ::
Act 1:
Prologue (explaining the history of the ring)
Life in the Shire (Setting up the characters) - Bilbo Baggins throws a going away party which queues his old friend Gandolf the Wizard to come to the Shire, during the party Bilbo uses the ring to disappear which in turn gives Gandolf the information he needs to research the ring; while Gandolf is researching the ring the dark horsemen of Sauron are already searching for the ring at the Shire. Hurriedly Gandolf convinces Frodo and Sam to take the ring and begin their journey.
Plot Point 1: Frodo & Sam leave the shire after being convinced to do so by Gandolf-- there mission to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, where it was forged. Frodo & Sam leaving the Shire brings us to Act 2 where they encounter obstacle after obstacle (as a side note: The Two Towers (part 2 of movies) is all about confrontation and the overcoming of obstacles.) In Plot Point II the fellowship is then forced to leave Lothlorien and begin there journey.
(first movie) we learn what the movie is about, we learn about all the characters and we discover who the villians are (Sauron, rallying the forces of evil to destroy Middle Earth). End of Act III (Resolution) ends with Frodo & Sam beginning there journey and seperating from the Fellowship to protect the others from being corrupted by the ring.
Finally the book explains the concepts of screenplays and film time. An average screen play is 120 pages long (which equates to 1 minute per page). Studio's consider a movie theater watch time to be 2 hours and 8 minutes so a script can be a maximum of 128 pages under that guideline.
A script generally should be cut into three parts:
Act I: 20 to 30 pages.
Act II: 50-60 pages.
Act II: 20-30 pages.
Give or take a few from each Act; Lord of the Rings was a small exception but the time constraints were still the same as far as portioning.
That wraps up the Learnings of Epi for the day; tune in next time for some most likely useless and terribly written first draft information!
P.S :: I need to stop drinking soda!... NOW!
 Epistemologist · Sun Sep 28, 2008 @ 07:56am · 0 Comments |
