At last! The classic screenwriting workbook--now completely revised and updated--from the celebrated lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author, Syd Field: "the most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world"* No one knows more about screenwriting than Syd Field--and now the ultimate Hollywood insider shares his secrets and expertise, completely updating his bestselling workbook for a new generation of screenwriters. Filled with new material--including fresh insights and anecdotes from the author and analyses of films from Pulp Fiction to Brokeback Mountain--The Screenwriter's Workbook is your very own hands-on workshop, the book that allows you to participate in the processes that have made Syd Field's workshops invaluable to beginners and working professionals alike. Follow this workbook through to the finish, and you'll end up with a complete and salable script! Learn how to: · Define the idea on which your script will be built · Create the model--the paradigm--that professionals use · Bring your characters to life · Write dialogue like a pro · Structure your screenplay for success from the crucial first pages to the final act Here are systematic instructions, easy-to-follow exercises, a clear explanation of screenwriting basics, and expert advice at every turn--all the moment-to-moment, line-by-line help you need to transform your initial idea into a professional screenplay that's earmarked for success. The Perfect Companion Volume to Syd Field's Revised and Updated Edition of Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting *Hollywood Reporter
Screenplays, according to Field, are not so much written as they are built, and in this book he provides a clear explanation of what raw materials are needed to assemble the modern Hollywood movie script.In this cogently constructed workbook--one of the standards in the industry--Field elucidates the strict three-act structure of screenplays, talks about the nature of character, describes what plot points are and where they must fall, and provides exercises to help the screenwriter take an idea from the first germ of a concept, to outline, to rewritten script.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Field's Failure:
Once upon a time...... .... Syd Field would have been laughed at. But not today. In a time when 'time' takes too long and man is only interested in the skeleton of things, the appearance of things, Field's approach is quite popular. Field is not helping man fix his story handicap (Hollywood) but only making it easier for more ignorant and uncreative 'work' (not art) to filter through and flood our pathetic 'art' industry. What Field is selling here is a step-by-step process for those who don't have the... more info
A Great Mother Daughter adventure:
My daughter has decided she wants to be a writer. Her first attempt at a novel had way to many minor details. She's a very visual person. I had taken a screenwriting course in college and thought of how she was automatically doing all the things I struggled to do "right". This book is a great tool to help me help her develop her gift.
Great tool for the novice screenwriter:
I've written my share of short stories, and even had some of them published. I couldn't tell you how many times I've started a story and after a strong opening scene and some character development, got completely flummoxed and didn't know what to do or where to take it. After reading this book, I may dig them back out... This book, I found to be a great distillation of storytelling. Some may be put off by the "formula" or what has been called a "paint by numbers" approach that this book takes, which is... more info
Write a Screenplay Step by Step:
I've tried writing a coherent and complete first draft of plays and screenplays without success. This book, coupled with Field's "Foundations of Screenwriting", guided me through using a systematic approach, and I completed a screenplay. I was actually amazed at myself. The writing is clear, and Syd Field anticipates many problems a screenwriter will face along the way. I do credit this book with getting me to the finish line of writing a screenplay (this and MovieMagic Screenwriter). So, four stars... more info
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