According to the paradigm (a dime-store word for model) for screenplay structure advocated by Mr. Field, the plot points of an effective script should fall roughly into specific locations. To implement this model (paradigm) of story composition you are advised to use a deck of 3x5 index cards to map out the structure of your screenplay, jotting down a brief page-by-page description of each scene, one card per page.
There are several advantages to this method:
(1) By carefully detailing each page of the script you can construct a clearly defined course of action for your characters to follow.
(2) You can create an comprehensive overview of the structure of your story and easily locate, and re-locate the plot elements within it.
(3) By limiting the number of cards (and therefore, pages) of your script you will be forced to adhere to a lean, coherent story line.
(4) You can dramatically reduce your writing and re-writing time by creating a concise "guide" to your screenplay, one that you can easily follow when you draft your actual narrative.
MacScreenStack gives you more flexibility in constructing a Syd Field version of your paraplay. I mean modeldigm. It allows you to have up to 160 cards so that you can set aside a number of cards for things like characterization and inventory, or you can use all 160 cards and write Dances With Wolves.
You can easily shift cards around, you can define and instantly go to any intersection point in your script, and you can print out the complete text of any range of cards or a 1-line synopsis of every card in the stack (try THAT with your 3x5's!) You can also spool your text out to a disk file and import it into your favorite word processor.
To use MacScreenStack, first make a copy so you will always have a blank version. Then re-name it to whatever name you choose. This name will become the pathname of the disk file MacScreenStack will use to construct text files for exporting.
Then double-click on the stack icon and off you go, spinning tales of fascination and merriment, embarked upon a wild roller-coaster of non-stop action and breathtaking adventure, finding fame, fortune, and the arms of a thousand beautiful (wo)men as you go and not ending up like me; a hysterically funny and talented guy stuck as the president of a multi-million dollar retail company (while making the world safe for democracy).
T'tonka!
Hal J. Greene
749 New York Avenue
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
(201) 939-5225
GEnie: HAL.J.GREENE
Compuserve: 72531,625
Books by Syd Field:
Screenplay
Dell Publishing Co. Inc.
ISBN 0-440-57647-4 Pbk.
The Screenwriter's Workbook
Dell Publishing Co. Inc.
ISBN 0-440-58225-3 Pbk.
Selling A Screenplay - The Screenwriter's Guide to Hollywood
