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Screenplay The Foundations of Screenwriting Syd Field 8580001070230 Books

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Screenplay The Foundations of Screenwriting Syd Field 8580001070230 Books

I realize how well thought of Syd Field is, and his contributions, so I bought this book to help me with my screenwriting. I wanted to like it, I really did, but after a few chapters I just couldn't stand it anymore. Way too dry and inaccessible for me. It's ironic that a guy writing about screenwriting could write a book that is such a difficult and mind-numbing read.


Tags : Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting [Syd Field] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <strong>Hollywood's script guru teaches you how to write a screenplay in the 'bible' of screenwriting (<em>The New York Times</em>)—now celebrating forty years of screenwriting success!</strong><br /><br />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,Syd Field,Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting,Delta,0385339038,Film & Video - Screenwriting,Motion picture authorship,Motion picture authorship.,Cinema-Film,CinemaFilm: Book,GENERAL,General Adult,LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES Style Manuals,Non-Fiction,PERFORMING ARTS Film Screenwriting,Performing Arts,REFERENCE Personal & Practical Guides,Reference Encyclopedias,SCREENWRITING,Screenwriting techniques,Techniques,United States,screenplay books;screenplay writing;script writing;screenwriter;reference;entertainment industry;entertainment;Hollywood;screenplay structure;script structure;adapting for film;writing an opening scene;marketing a script;film adaptation;how to write a script;writing a script;script;writing for film;screenwriting guide;screenwriting;writing guide;writing skills;writing a screenplay;screenwriting books;film;how to write a screenplay;how to write a movie;movies;screenplays;screenplay;writing movies,screenwriting; film; movies; writing skills; writing guide; how to write a screenplay; how to write a movie; screenplays; screenplay; writing movies; screenwriting books; screenplay books; screenplay writing; script writing; screenwriter; reference; entertainment industry; entertainment; Hollywood; screenplay structure; script structure; adapting for film; writing an opening scene; marketing a script; film adaptation; how to write a script; writing a script; script; writing for film; screenwriting guide; writing a screenplay

Screenplay The Foundations of Screenwriting Syd Field 8580001070230 Books Reviews

Field applies both his knowledge and experience to inform the reader. He provides many examples from himself and other's works to futher delve into the subject, providing a greater understanding for screenwriting. He focuses not solely on successful screenwriting and useful techniques, but also advises how to proceed in the movie-making industry.
This book has a reputation as the best you can get if you want to learn how to write a screenplay. Having read it, I don't doubt that's true. It's packed from cover to cover with succinct, useful information and advice on all aspects of the craft. It's not the -only- text on the subject, or the -only- one you should read, but it should be the -first- one you read.

You don't have to be interested in screenplays to find it worthwhile, either. Anyone involved in any kind of storytelling should find something of value here.
This book is one of the classics, so I recommend it to anyone interested in screenwriting - just don't miss Robert McKee's deeper "Story" and David Trottier's practical "Screenwriter's Bible". Syd Field is famous for his 'paradigm' and emphasis on structure as the skeleton that holds the script together. This might be something that every writer intrinsically knows, but it doesn't hurt to see it analyzed and drawn as a picture. Stories have their own symmetry and being organized just makes writing more manageable. It's a bit like baking a cake you can be more creative when you know the ground rules, and that's what we all want delicious cakes and enjoyable movies.
Being a screenwriter is about attaining a certain set of writing skills. Like any profession, there are standards that the industry requires. It's not enough to come up with a story. A good chuck of being a screenwriter is figuring out how to present that story in the proper format. My colleague, USC screenwriting instructor, Syd Field's book "Screenplay" is the quintessential guide to format. What script readers in Hollywood expect to happen by what page is information writers must know. Even if you decide to violate the rules, you must know them first before you do. So many problems in scripts is the result of poor structure. Field helps you shortcut that and figure out how to do it right.
Syd Field has seen it all and will share his experience with you. I write the Carlos McCrary, Private Investigator, Mystery/Thrillers. Mr. Field gives good advice about how the action should move,how the setting contributes to the plot, and how the characters should arc through the story.
I don't think this book is nearly as good as it's cracked up to be. It's just way too verbose and doesn't actually deliver information and ideas in a way that's useful. I only got half way through because it was so tedious. The chapters lack focus, for one thing. Discussions about character, plot points, theme, context, etc. are presented in a really jumbled up way. And when you get down to the specifics, there isn't very much meat. He says, for example, that plot points move the story forward, without specifying (at least in the parts I read) what "moving the story forward" actually means. As for the examples, they are just way TMI. It isn't necessary to tell and retell the plots of movies over and over again to get a point across. He could have referred to examples in a much more concise way, leaving it to readers to view the films that interest them. K.M. Weiland's books are much better in this regard. She summarizes relevant parts of a movie (or novel) in a real concise way, quickly getting to what matters. As a result, the how, what, and why of a good screenplay really pops. Reading Screenplay (even though I just read half) was a claustrophic experience for me because it's just so dense and verbose.
This book explains the foundations of screenwriting including the structure of a film, the structure of a script, and strategies for writing a screenplay. Strategies include "all character is revealed through action" (not inner dialog) and "all drama comes from conflict." As a newcomer to this form of writing, this book gave me a comprehensive understanding of screenwriting. It gave me a much greater appreciation for screenwriting as an art form and showed me how different it is from other forms of writing. Although I don't plan to write a screenplay any time soon, I picked up a bunch of great ideas for my everyday writing.

One of the best parts of the book is it illustrates the concepts through numerous examples of films that employ these concepts. This not only helped with my understanding, but turned me on to some great films I had not yet seen. Since reading this book, I've watched Chinatown and American Beauty. The knowledge I gained from Screenplay heightened my enjoyment of watching these films because I now have a better appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into the creation.

Highly recommended!
I realize how well thought of Syd Field is, and his contributions, so I bought this book to help me with my screenwriting. I wanted to like it, I really did, but after a few chapters I just couldn't stand it anymore. Way too dry and inaccessible for me. It's ironic that a guy writing about screenwriting could write a book that is such a difficult and mind-numbing read.