Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting Review
"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.
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting Feature
- ISBN13: 9780385339032
- Condition: New
- Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting Overview
A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field’s bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Now the celebrated producer, lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author has updated his classic guide for a new generation of filmmakers, offering a fresh insider’s perspective on the film industry today. 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 personal anecdotes and insights, guidelines on marketing and collaboration, plus analyses of recent films, from American Beauty to Lord of the Rings—Screenplay presents a step-by-step, comprehensive technique for writing the screenplay that will succeed in Hollywood. Discover:
•Why the first ten pages of your script are crucially important
•How to visually “grab” the reader from page one, word one
•Why structure and character are the essential foundation of your screenplay
•How to adapt a novel, a play, or an article into a screenplay
•Tips on protecting your work—three legal ways to claim ownership of your screenplay
•The essentials of writing great dialogue, creating character, building a story line, overcoming writer’s block, getting an agent, and much more.
With this newly updated edition of his bestselling classic, Syd Field proves yet again why he is revered as the master of the screenplay—and why his celebrated guide has become the industry’s gold standard for successful screenwriting.
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Customer Reviews
Inspiring - Warren Redlich - Albany, NY USA
Love this book. As I read it, it kept inspiring new ideas for the script I'm writing.
Get the Basics - Elizabeth Todis - san francisco
In turning my recent book into a screenplay, I had no idea how to begin, I took this basic "How To" guide and ran with it, and banged out my first draft of a screenplay in less than a month. The text is clear and complete, and when I showed my document to experienced screenwriters, they were impressed by my breath of knowledge about effective scripts.
A must have for the library of screenwriters, or writers in general.
petra
So Good - Ingrid Torrance - Vancouver, B.C.
This book is basically the first testament of screen writing. It walks you through the entire process of writing a screen play. There are more in-depth books on screenwriting but none so straightforward. This book explains the simple basic format for successful screenplays. It is a great book for beginner screenwriters. I also think this book is great for anyone in the industry not just the writer; it's always important to understand why and how something is written.
Don't be fooled... - J. J. Hiltz-Graham -
Yes, this book can be helpful for the basics such as: sluglines, scene descriptions, action, dialogue etc.... BUT, do you really want to take lessons from a guy who's never had a career in writing screenwriting? If you want my advice... learn the basics, read as many GOOD screenplays as you can (not crap like Twilight) and be original. Do things that haven't been done before. Hollywood is looking for originality and new material.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 27, 2010 04:30:05
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