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Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

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Hollywood's script guru teaches you how to write a screenplay in "the 'bible' of screenwriting" (The New York Times)—now celebrating forty years of screenwriting success! Syd Field's books on the essential structure of emotionally satisfying screenplays have ignited lucrative careers in film and television since 1979. In this revised edition of his premiere guide, the underpinnings of successful onscreen narratives are revealed in clear and encouraging language that will remain wise and practical as long as audiences watch stories unfold visually—from hand-held devices to IMAX to virtual reality . . . and whatever comes next. As the first person to articulate common structural elements unique to successful movies, celebrated producer, lecturer, teacher and bestselling author Syd Field has gifted us a classic text. From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script, here are fundamental guidelines to help all screenwriters—novices and Oscar- winners—hone their craft and sell their work. In Screenplay, Syd Field can help you discover:Why the first ten pages of every script are crucial to keeping professional readers' interestHow to visually "grab" these influential readers from page one, word oneWhy structure and character are the basic components of all narrative screenplaysHow to adapt a novel, a play, or an article into a saleable scriptTips on protecting your work—three ways to establish legal ownership of screenplaysVital insights on writing authentic dialogue, crafting memorable characters, building strong yet flexible storylines (form, not formula), overcoming writer's block, and much moreSyd Field is revered as the original master of screenplay story structure, and this guide continues to be the industry's gold standard for learning the foundations of screenwriting. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Delta


Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 29, 2005


Edition ‏ : ‎ Revised


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 2


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 32


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.27 x 5.12 x 0.7 inches


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Very Helpful
Purchased as a gift. It was well received and he said it was very helpful.
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2025 by TGyr
    • University Silicon Valley use this
This book is one of my favorite is a must for student writers
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2025 by Kenneth Velazquez
    • Every novelist should consider reading this book
I just finished reading Screenplay and it was eye opening. Most of the book is about crafting stories. Creative techniques recommended for screenwriters. But I find most of those techniques can be applied to crafting novels. A few months ago, I finished a first draft of a novel that was much too short. The second act was sparse, and I hadn't adequately shown why a very unlikely pair fell in love. I clearly didn't fully understand the story I was trying to tell. What I learned from Screenplay in one reading has already given me a growth spurt as a writer. I have a vision and thematic understanding I didn't have before, thanks to this book. Field is a teacher of screenwriting, and his teaching chops show in this book. It is an easy and comfortable read. The writing style is conversational and encouraging and the book is well organized to introduce you to creating stories for the screen in a logical progression, promoting well-accepted methods. So, not only is Screenplay a valuable book for screenwriters, it is a worthwhile read for other storytellers, including novelists. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023 by Karen Morrissey
    • Amazing Book (at least the first two thirds of it)
"Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting" by industry giant Syd Field is considered to be the bible of modern screenwriting texts, and has been for many years. It's a well-deserved badge of honor. Field approaches the art of screenwriting logically, positively, explaining step by step the hows, whats, and whys of the biz. He addresses the technical points of length, description, planning, all in a way that makes absolute sense to any reader... regardless of their knowledge of the film industry, educational level, or age. He uses popular film examples to underscore his methods, which help enormously. This book gives any reader the right foundation to begin a screenplay with absolute confidence. As an aside..... let's also not forget that the way Syd Field writes--his prose--is so reader friendly, and so understandable... he could be writing completely random crap and it would still be an absolute pleasure to read it. I've found that most writing "how-to" texts are extremely boring, procedural... very INSTITUTIONAL... this book is not at all institutional, and it's very easy on the eyes and brain when you're reading it. My only criticism with this book is a big one... though it doesn't necessarily diminish the importance of the work itself. This book is 18 chapters long, but for all intents and purposes, it basically ends after Chapter 13 ("Screenplay Form"). Chapters 14-18 discuss extreme subjects unrelated to the "foundations of screenwriting." They discuss adaptation and collaboration... matters FAR ABOVE (and not particularly applicable) the neophyte, aspiring screenwriters that would be reading a book such as this one. Yet, Chapters 14-18 also discuss very simplistic matters that are likely FAR BENEATH those that would be reading this... things such as getting into the mood to write, devoting time to your writing, dealing with family who may be opposed to you spending so much time writing, et cetera. These same chapters are also filled with personal, broad philosophical observations about writing in general, the process... observations that any B-average Freshman English student could spit out without thinking too hard. There are also boring, stereotypical observations about the film industry and Hollywood society... things that any resident of Los Angeles can tell you even if they've never in their life been involved in the entertainment industry. I recently discussed this book with my best friend, a USC grad who had read this book as part of a film course in college. I was shocked, but very soothed, to hear him exactly echo my sentiments about the last third of this book. I hope Field spices this text up a bit if he does another revision. Yet, despite my disappointment with the latter third of the book, the first two-thirds are absolutely brilliant. This book is a must-read... dare I say a REQUIRED READ... for anyone interested in the whole screenwriting process. Kudos to Field. I really learned a lot from this book. I most certainly recommend it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2010 by Aerosynth929
    • Good, disgestible overview
As a someone who is just a novice in screenwriting, I can't speak to the process with any great enlightenment. Still, I found Syd Field's book an outstanding tool in beginning my journey. Field lays out the work process from soup to nuts in a manner that is to understand and apply to your beginning work. Coming away from the book, I picked up a tremendous amount of information and simple techniques I am currently applying to my work. Whether or not I end up producing anything of import is absolutely up to me -- not to mention, a good sprinkle of luck -- but I feel a lot more comfortable having read Fields' book. In fact, I can say fairly convincingly that I probably would not have been able to get off the ground had I not followed Fields' advice in picking up a cork board and using notecards to plot out acts and scenes one at a time. Assuredly, this is not something that Fields patented, but it's pieces of guidance like this that make the book a valuable pick-up for aspiring screenwriters like me. In fact, I would recommend that any others aspiring to write a great script, or writers in general who are interested in sharpened the tools in the toolbox read this in concert with Robert McKee's "Story." McKee's book is more advanced and more complex than Field's by a good stretch -- it took me a couple of weeks to fully digest McKee's book, versus a few days for Field's -- but the works are parallel tracks, and reading them back-to-back provided me with a wealth of perspectives and ideas that work quite well together. Forgive me if it sounds elitist, but I think McKee's book is more of a cerebral, thinking-man's tome; though it is itself an incredible book that really helped me out. I would just read them both -- "Story," followed by "Screenplay" -- and you'll be on your way. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2010 by Mark Greenbaum

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