I found I could read two scripts without a problem, but when I got to the third one, the words, characters and actions all seemed to congeal into some kind of amorphous goo of plot lines concerning the FBI and CIA, punctuated with bank heists, murders, car chases, along with a lot of wet kisses and naked flesh thrown in for local color. At two or three in the afternoon, after a heavy lunch and maybe a little too much wine, it was difficult keeping my attention focused on the action and nuances of character and story.
So, after a few months on the job, I usually closed my office door, propped my feet up on the desk, turned off the phones, leaned back in the chair with a script on my chest, and took a cat nap.
What was I looking for? What made a screenplay good or bad? I could tell whether I liked it or not, yes, but what were the elements that made it a good screenplay? It had to be more than a string of clever bits and smart dialogue laced together in a series of beautiful pictures. Was it the plot, the characters, or the visual arena where the action takes place that made it a good screenplay? Was it the visual style of writing or the cleverness of the dialogue?
I knew how to write a screenplay, and I certainly knew what I liked or disliked when I went to the movies, but how did I apply that to the reading of a screenplay? The more I thought about it, the clearer I became. What I was looking for, I soon realized, was a style that exploded off the page, exhibiting a kind of raw energy. At the end of the book, Nick, the narrator, recalls how Gatsby used to stand looking out over the water at the image of the green light, beckoning him to past memories of unrequited love.
Gatsby was a man who believed in the past, a man who believed that if he had enough wealth and power, he could turn back time and recreate it. It was that particular dream that spurred him as a young man to cross over the tracks searching for love and wealth, searching for the expectations and desires of the past that he hoped would become the future.
What is a good screenplay? I kept asking myself. And, pretty soon, I started getting some answers. These elements are expressed dramatically within a structure that has a definite beginning, middle, and end, though not necessarily in that order. I realized they all contained these basic concepts, regardless of how they were cinematically executed.
They are in every screenplay. At this writing, Screenplay has been reprinted some 38 times, gone through several editions, and been translated into some 22 languages, along with several black market editions; first in Iran , then in China , then Russia. David Kirkpatrick , Producer. I learned so much about the craft of screenwriting, and working with writers, [I now have] more confidence and understanding about the process of screenwriting than ever before.
And I did the thing everybody does. I read Syd Field and I used my index cards. I think one of us must have done something right! I thank him all the time for inspiring me. Before, I always felt structure imprisoned me, but what I learned was structure really freed me to focus on the story. David Michael Wharton , Creative Screenwriting. Throughout cinematic history, screenplays and screenwriting have become integral parts of our culture. Used for instruction, education, and entertainment, movies are revered as an art form.
The great screenwriting master…. Screenplay — The Foundations of Screenwriting. In , when I first wrote Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, there were only a few books on the market that dealt with the art and craft of screenwriting. Your rating has been recorded. Write a review Rate this item: 1 2 3 4 5. Preview this item Preview this item. From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script, here are easily understood guidelines to help aspiring screenwriters--from novices to practiced writers--hone their craft.
Filled with updated material--including all-new anecdotes and insights, guidelines on marketing and collaboration, plus analyses of recent films--Screenplay presents a step-by-step, comprehensive technique for writing the screenplay that will succeed in Hollywood. Read more Allow this favorite library to be seen by others Keep this favorite library private. Save Cancel.
Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field's bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Reviews User-contributed reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers.
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View 1 comment. Sep 17, Cory rated it it was amazing. I thought this book was going to be a technical guide to formatting a screenplay. I finished this book having no idea how to do that. Field spends half a chapter on formatting. Thank God for software like CeltX. But I finished this book with a greater appreciation of the writing process.
I now have a better idea of how movies are written, and thus a much more technical appreciation of the writer's creative decisions when I watch movies. All movies are structured identically: 3 acts -- first, a kick I thought this book was going to be a technical guide to formatting a screenplay. All movies are structured identically: 3 acts -- first, a kick-off incident which leads to a major turning point to set up the conflict; then problem after problem ratchets the tension to a serious turning point; then the movie plays out and all life happily ever after most of the time.
That frees your creativity: hang your screenplays on that structure and you can't go wrong. I got more than I bargained for with this one, and it was worth every penny. View all 3 comments. Dec 03, T. Elliott rated it liked it. This book was just what I needed to further clarify the screenplay structure. The more one searches about writing screenplays the more it seems everyone has their own "formula" for how a screenplay MUST be written.
All the "experts" want to sell their course, book, or "rules" on the ultimate, "guaranteed" way to write a screenplay that Hollywood will buy. This book was refreshing because it was light on rules and only laid out the basic structure while reassuring that the "rules" can be bent and This book was just what I needed to further clarify the screenplay structure.
This book was refreshing because it was light on rules and only laid out the basic structure while reassuring that the "rules" can be bent and even broken. Interestingly, this book is written in a Three Act Structure. It starts off slow and too basic then gets into the meat of the material in the middle. The last chapters are mostly about professional situations and not about screenplay structure at all. I particularly found the part of the book about screenplay structure along with example screenplay inserts helpful as reading successfully-made Hollywood critically-acclaimed screenplays best illustrates a masterful execution of the subject material.
After reading this book I feel better equipped to write a screenplay, which was my whole purpose for reading it.
I can see why this book is considered the "gold standard" for screenplay writers. This is not a book that is best read in one sitting from cover to cover as parts of it need to be digested and internalized over a period of time. Jan 18, K. Weiland rated it really liked it. But I enjoyed and gleaned from this book on so many levels, not least in quenching my curiosity about some of the behind-the-scenes crafting of movies.
It allows you to see the basics of structure at a glance, break it down to manageable chunks, and realize the big picture. Or even just a film buff. Sep 10, Mojo Shivers rated it really liked it. I remember reading this in a previous form a few decades ago. This is a must have for anyone with an interest in completing their first work. Nov 13, Louis Kirby rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: all fiction writers. Shelves: about-writing. I first wrote shadow of Eden as a Screenplay and this book is on the must read list for screenwriters.
Well, I must say, it is extremely useful for novelists as well. I learned several key things from this book: first: get in late, get out early.
Second: make the scenes visual Third: every story had bones, structure. Know your structure and build on it. Otherwise you'll have no direction, no form and the reader will sense it in three pages and bolt - or give you a bad review. Bonus: every movie I first wrote shadow of Eden as a Screenplay and this book is on the must read list for screenwriters.
Bonus: every movie worth its sale focuses the build up on one or two scenes. Create this buildup and have it payoff during the key scene s.
Second bonus: create contrast. It make a photograph, incorporate it into your novels. Your hero must have ups and down, like life. Make your reader feel it. Even in Thrillers. Especially in Thrillers. Oct 17, Bahareh Mahooti rated it liked it Shelves: screenwriting. Well I wasn't goin to read the book cause I'd heard rumors about how simple the book is. But I decided to give it a try and there we go Apr 07, Ricardo Azevedo rated it really liked it. No book can help you churn out another Chinatown, but this was worth the time.
I really hate books that preach "how to [insert action] " and was happily surprised this was not one of them. So, you think you have what it takes to be a screenwriter? Read this book. It details the process in a concise, engaging way, unlike this review. This book is considered a bible in the industry -- ALL Hollywood screenwriters now conform rigidly to Field's notions of screenplay structure -- and that's why I consider this book to be the Root of All Evil.
Still stands as the "foundation. It feels good. It feels necessary. May 23, Shanmugam Udhayan rated it liked it. Screenplay- Syd field All drama is about conflict, without conflict there is no action, without action there is no character, without character there is no story, without story there is no screenplay - Syd Field Cinema is one of the exhilarating experience of all forms of entertainment, which also has the potential of an art.
Understanding the process of filmmaking helps to know the movie better. Screenplay is one of the renowned book about screen writing. This is one such book which helps to un Screenplay- Syd field All drama is about conflict, without conflict there is no action, without action there is no character, without character there is no story, without story there is no screenplay - Syd Field Cinema is one of the exhilarating experience of all forms of entertainment, which also has the potential of an art.
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