Key Developments by Blake Snyder Over Syd Field
1. Beat Sheet (Detailed Plot Points)
- Syd Field: Advocates a three-act structure (Setup, Confrontation, Resolution) with two major plot points dividing the acts. His approach focuses on broad strokes, emphasizing the importance of the inciting incident, midpoint, and climax.
- Blake Snyder: Introduces the "Save the Cat!" Beat Sheet, which breaks the screenplay into 15 specific beats. These beats guide the writer through every stage of the story, ensuring a tight, engaging narrative. Snyder's beats include moments like the "Opening Image," "Theme Stated," "Fun and Games," and "All Is Lost," which are more granular than Field's plot points.
2. Commercial Focus
- Syd Field: Primarily emphasizes structure and storytelling fundamentals, leaving room for artistic interpretation. His model suits both artistic and commercial projects.
- Blake Snyder: Prioritizes marketability and audience appeal. Snyder emphasizes writing scripts that sell, catering to the preferences of studios and audiences. His approach is particularly popular in Hollywood for its focus on mainstream genres.
3. Character Development
- Syd Field: Discusses character arcs and the relationship between character and structure but does not provide a rigid formula for character creation.
- Blake Snyder: Highlights the importance of creating relatable and likable characters. His "Save the Cat!" moment (where the protagonist performs a small, redeeming act early in the story) ensures audience sympathy.
4. Genre Specificity
- Syd Field: Focuses on universal principles of storytelling without delving deeply into genre conventions.
- Blake Snyder: Identifies 10 "genres" that describe the emotional and structural core of stories (e.g., "Monster in the House," "Buddy Love," "Golden Fleece"). This classification helps writers understand and fulfill audience expectations for specific types of stories.
5. Practicality and Accessibility
- Syd Field: Offers a more theoretical framework, which can be open to interpretation.
- Blake Snyder: Provides highly actionable advice, with checklists and exercises to make screenwriting more accessible to beginners.
Examples of Snyder's Influence
- Movies like The Incredibles and Legally Blonde closely align with Snyder's beat sheet, showcasing his model's effectiveness in crafting commercially successful films.
- Snyder’s emphasis on pacing and "Fun and Games" sections is evident in many blockbuster films that balance action and character development.
Criticisms
- Syd Field: Sometimes criticized for being too broad, requiring writers to intuitively fill in gaps.
- Blake Snyder: Criticized for being overly formulaic, potentially stifling creativity by focusing too much on marketability.
Conclusion
While both Syd Field and Blake Snyder provide valuable tools for screenwriters, Snyder's Save the Cat! methodology is more prescriptive and commercially oriented, offering a step-by-step guide to creating marketable screenplays. Field's approach remains foundational, providing the flexibility for more nuanced and experimental storytelling. Together, they form complementary resources for writers at different stages of their craft.
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