WRITING A SCREENPLAY (The Syd Field Paradigm)

by Jim Soto

It is almost impossible to envision a good film with a bad screenplay. Syd Field, the Father of Structure and
author of Screenplay once said, You can never make a good movie out of a bad screenplay. Indeed, it is
possible to have a good script with poor production values and eventually a poor film, but try to see it the other
way around. A screenplay is the foundation of a movie. This idea seems the strongest support for the idea that it
is the most pertinent piece of an entire film.

A screenplay is different from a novel or a stage play. Film is a visual medium that dramatizes a basic story line.
The nature of the screenplay deals in pictures, and if we wanted to define it, we could say that a screenplay is a
story told with pictures, in dialogue and description, and placed within the context of dramatic structure.

Screenplays have a basic linear structure that creates the form of the screenplay because it holds all the
individual elements, or pieces, of the story line in place.

A story is the whole and the elements that make up the storythe action, characters, conflicts, scenes,
sequences, dialogue, action, Acts I, II, and III, incidents, episodes, events, music, locations, etc.are the parts,
and this relationship between the parts and the whole make up the story.

Structure is the glue that holds the story in place; it is the base, the foundation, the spine, the skeleton of the
story. And it is this relationship between the parts and the whole that holds the screenplay together. It is the
paradigm of dramatic structure. A paradigm is a model, example, or conceptual scheme.

If we took a screenplay and hung it on a wall like a painting, it would look like this:
THE PARADIGM
According to Field, screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be divided
into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution.
Act I comprises the first quarter of the screenplay. (For a two hour movie, Act I would last approximately 30
minutes.)
Act II comprises the next two quarters of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act II would last approximately 60
minutes.)
Act III comprises the final quarter of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act III would be the final 30 minutes.)

The "Plot Point"--According to Field, the 3 acts are separated by 2 plot points. A plot point, often called a
reversal, is an event that thrusts the plot in a new direction, leading into a new act of the screenplay. Later
screenplay gurus have built on Field's theory by stating that Plot Point #1, which leads into Act II, is the moment
when the hero takes on the problem.

WHAT HAPPENS IN ACT I?

Act I Important Elements
Exposition
Main character--the person in the story who has a need/objective to fulfill and whose actions drive the
story
Dramatic premise--what the story's about
Dramatic situation--the circumstances surrounding the action
Inciting Incident
What happens in Act I (Setup)?

ACT I
Opening Image: The first image in the script should summarize the entire film, especially its tone.
Exposition: Provides some background information to the audience about the plot, characters' histories, setting,
and theme.
Inciting Incident: Also called the catalyst, this is the point in the story when the Protagonist encounters the
problem that will change their life. This is when the detective is assigned the case, where Boy meets Girl, and
where the Comic Hero gets fired from his cushy job, forcing him into comic circumstances.
Plot Point 1: The last scene in Act One, Plot Point 1 is a surprising event that radically changes the Protagonist's
life, and forces him to confront the Opponent. In Star Wars, Luke finds his family killed by the Empire. He has no
home to go back to, so he joins the Rebels against Darth Vader.

WHAT HAPPENS IN ACT II?

Act II comprises the next two quarters of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act II would last
approximately 60 minutes.)
Obstacles--In the second act, the main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that prevent him
from achieving his dramatic need.
First Culmination--a point just before the halfway point of the film where the main character seems
close to achieving his or her goal/objective. Then, everything falls apart, leading to the midpoint.
Midpoint--a point approximately halfway through the film where the main character reaches his/her
lowest point and seems farthest from fulfilling the dramatic need or objective.
What happens in Act II (Confrontation)?

ACT II
Pinch 1: A reminder scene at about 3/8 the way through the script (halfway through Act 2a) that brings up the
central conflict of the drama, reminding us of the overall conflict. For example, in Star Wars, Pinch 1 is the
Stormtroopers attacking the Millennium Falcon in Mos Eisley, reminding us the Empire is after the stolen plans
to the Death Star R2-D2 is carrying and Luke and Ben Kenobi are trying to get to the Rebels (the main conflict).
Midpoint: An important scene in the middle of the script, often a reversal of fortune or revelation that changes
the direction of the story. Field suggests that driving the story towards the Midpoint keeps the second act from
sagging.
Pinch 2: Another reminder scene about 5/8 through the script (halfway through Act 2b) that is somehow li nked
to Pinch 1 in reminding the audience about the central conflict. In Star Wars, Pinch 2 is the Stormtroopers
attacking them as they rescue the Princess in the Death Star. Both scenes remind us of the Empire's opposition,
and using the Stormtrooper attack motif unifies both Pinches.
Plot Point 2: A dramatic reversal that ends Act 2 and begins Act 3, which is about confrontation and resolution.
Sometimes Plot Point 2 is the moment when the Hero has had enough and is finally going to face the Opponent.
Sometimes, like in Toy Story, it's the low-point for the Hero, and he must bounce back to overcome the odds in
Act 3.

WHAT HAPPENS IN ACT III?

Act III comprises the final quarter of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act III would be the final 30
minutes.)
What happens in Act III (Resolution)?
Climax (Second Culmination)--The point at which the plot reaches its maximum tension and the forces
in opposition confront each other at a peak of physical or emotional action.
Denouement--The brief period of calm at the end of a film where a state of equilibrium returns.

ACT III
Showdown: About midway through Act 3, the Protagonist will confront the Main Problem of the story and
either overcomes it, or come to a tragic end.
Resolution: The issues of the story are resolved.
Tag: An epilogue, tying up the loose ends of the story, giving the audience closure. This is also known as
denouement. In general, films in recent decades have had longer denouements than films made in the 1970s or
earlier.

RECAP PAGES PURPOSE

Setup
All main characters and their surrounding situation should be introduced here. What is the heros
goal - externally and internally? Who are the supporting characters.
Act 1 first 25% The first act ends with plot point 1 - an incident that turns the plot in a new direction.
 Conflict
The protagonist fights for his goal encountering one obstacle after the other. It ends with plot
point 2 which puts him into a situation where it is almost impossible to succeed.
Because the second act is very long, Syd Field suggests three orientation points for the writer. One
is the midpoint - its in the middle of the movie. You knew that, right? Often this is the point where
the hero and his enemy clash directly for the first time. Kind of a point of no return, the last
chance for reconciliation has passed.
Act 2 next 50% Its not easy to fill 30 pages with meaningful action that drives the plot towards its goal. So Field
introduced two more orientation points: pinch 1 and pinch 2. Pinch 1 occurs half way between
plot point 1 and the midpoint. Pinch 2 occurs half way between midpoint and plot point 2.
The second act ends with plot point 2 - also called the crisis. Here the hero faces a situation that
seems impossible to solve. We certainly dont want to be in his shoes here, but would really like to
know what he does now.

Resolution
At the beginning the hero is in the pits, approaching the crisis. Except in tragedies he wins over all
Act 3 final 25%
adversities and gets back on top, using everything she learnt and accomplished in act 1 and 2.