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Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

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Description

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 ‏ : ‎ 8.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 0.71 x 8.23 inches


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • How valuable this book is for any writer
Format: Paperback
This is an outstanding book for any writer I bought it several years ago and now I’ve just started reviewing it. I should have read it a long time ago. The solid principles he includes can be applied at any level.
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2026 by T Stro
    • Every novelist should consider reading this book
Format: Paperback
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
    • Great Advice and Methods
Format: Paperback
I have never written a screenplay. I really hadn't even thought about it. I was looking for books on different writing methods to improve my skills and abilities when I picked up this little jewel. This book shed new light on the world of film for me. I look at films in a whole new way and I'm thankful to Mr. Field for bringing that in to my life. It also showed me that writing a screenplay is something that is absolutely possible. As I said I was looking for books on different approaches to writing. This book provided me with more than just a little direction on how to write a screenplay, but gave me a whole new perspective on writing in general. "Screenplay" is worth reading for anyone who is looking to write in a structured way improving their skills in the realm of creative writing. Thank you Mr. Field for sharing your vast knowledge and techniques. The world of writing is better place due to your investment in creating this wonderful little book. I highly recommend it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2011 by Michael
    • (Revised to 4 Stars. See Why.) Truly Foundational. Mostly Quite Basic but then Bursts of Brilliance.
Format: Paperback
Having now read and reviewed a few more books on Screenwriting, I need to take this one down to 4 stars. It's quite dated. The bar is noticeably higher in the theater today than even 20 years ago, but certainly much higher than when Citizen Kane came out. Also, while there are genuine bits of solid gold in this book, it's far less specific or insightful than my new favorite story writing books: The Anatomy of Story by John Truby and How to Write Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hague. Having read those two books, and seeing the level of specifics and insights therein, puts this book down to 4 stars. I still think every screen writer should read it, but it is not "the" book for screenwriting today. When you go reading screenwriting book reviews, you'll notice that seemingly everybody thinks seemingly every book is the greatest screenwriting book ever. And I see now that that's definitely not true in this case. Just start with Michael Hague and John Truby. Those are densely packed with extremely useful insights. Read this one for historical context, in your spare time. Original Review Below: ___________________________________________ First, it truly is about the foundations of screenwriting. If you’re brand new as a writer in general, start here. You’ll get a very good foundation indeed. Like more novelists and screenwriters than I previously realized, I come from about 6 years of professional writing in advertising. Writing advertising is actually what got me into learning story telling, and now hooked on screenwriting. You’d be surprised how much the two styles of writing have in common. Anyway, with that as a back drop, having written well over 2,000,000 words and read over 700 books in the last 7 years… …this book is foundational. Did I mention that yet? For me, I made the effort to read these foundations simply to know the history of this new hobby of mine, also knowing I’d gather plenty of golden insights along the way. I often judge books by insight density, and for this, personally, I can’t give it 5 starts. But that’s just where I am as a writer. Your mileage will vary. I’ve found Michael Hague’s writing to be much more specific, concise, and higher density. That’s more my speed. But for insight impact, this book is off the charts. And hey, I didn’t even know Syd Fields before Michael Mentioned him… And he taught an endless list of writers including James Cameron, so you can’t go discounting this much! Study the masters. Then study the masters teachers. And here you have that: Syd Fields. As for delivering on a promise of foundations, I give it 5 stars. And I don’t think any serious screenwriter could be taken seriously without having read it. Plus the golden nuggets along the way, those bursts of brilliance, are priceless. Priceless I say. Get it now. You’ll be so glad you did! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2025 by Van Gogh Sterling Gogh
    • Good, disgestible overview
Format: Paperback
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
    • A must have for writers
This book is one of the best books about screenwriting and for me not only screenwriting is the reference book to start writing and developing your ideas into stories.
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2025 by MadelynCobain
    • It is indeed foundational.
Format: Paperback
Having read dozens of screenwriting manuals over the years, this one by Mr. Field is still the most helpful and practical work on the subject. This doesn't mean it's the only book a student will ever need to read, but it's certainly foundational (no pun intended). If you're an aspiring screenwriter, of if you simply want to learn how to analyze Hollywood films, read this first and come back to it often. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2025 by Philo
    • Essential
Format: Paperback
I have worn this book ragged. The section on the two different types of research is so important: “Too many people start writing their material with only a vague, half-formed idea in their heads. This works for about thirty pages, then falls apart.” Field teaches the value of spending the majority of time on research. The library will become your best friend if you really want to flesh out a script that doesn’t fall apart. His pointers on live research are so helpful, such as Don’t be afraid to ask people questions. Most likely they will be willing to help. “Remember: the more you know, the more you can communicate.” So many important nuggets of wisdom can be found in this book. It is an absolute must-read, must-own, must-mark-up-like-a-serial-killer type of book. It’s probably not a good idea to begin writing a script without reading this book first. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020 by Corrie

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