Syd Field - “the guru of all screenwriters” (CNN)

SYD FIELD’S PASSION AND MISSION

syd field - HomepageSyd was deeply enthusiastic about storytelling, movies and teaching.  While a writer’s inspiration may come from the heart, Syd wanted the world to know that the craft of screenwriting could be learned. Writer/Director Judd Apatow said, “Syd Field wrote screenwriting books which did exactly what they were supposed to do – they made screenwriting seem possible.”

Syd’s love of film, his masterful understanding of storytelling, and his skillful expression of his ground-breaking paradigm for screenplay structure, has benefited writers, directors, studio executives, independent filmmakers, and ultimately the global audience. Mentoring writers delighted and excited Syd, who recorded and filmed a number of webinars and classes, many of which are yet to be released.

Aviva Field, Syd’s wife, as well as his long-time protégés and contributors to this website, are devoted to honoring his mission. This site is imbued with Syd’s heart and spirit, embodied here as an internet resource for screenwriters and storytellers. We are committed to bringing projects to fruition that were started by Syd.  A documentary about the impact of his teachings around the world will be produced by Aviva.

It is our fervent desire to sustain Syd’s legacy; to ensure that his method stays true in its intention, continuing to motivate and empower the creation of compelling screenplays by new and seasoned writers for generations to come.

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Syd Field’s books on the essential structure of emotionally satisfying screenplays
have ignited lucrative careers in film and television since 1979.

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The Essential Screenplay E-BOOK BUNDLE

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…

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Screenplay – The Foundations of Screenwriting

In 1979, 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. The most popular was…

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Screenwriter’s Workbook – “What is film?” Is it Art? Literature?

The Screenwriter’s Workbook explores the process of writing a screenplay, which is visual story telling. I call it a ”what-to book,” meaning, if you have an idea for a screenplay, but don’t exactly know what you have to do to write it, this book will guide you through the screenwriting process.

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Screenwriter’s Problem Solver

To solve any kind of a problem means you have to be able to recognize it, identify it, and then define it; only in that way can any problem really be solved. All screenplays have problems…

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Four Screenplays

Technology is transforming the art and craft of screenwriting. How does the writer find new ways to tell a story with pictures, to create a truly outstanding film? Syd Field shows what works, why…

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Selling a Screenplay

“When you try to second-guess Hollywood, you only end up in heartbreak.” That’s what one executive told me when I interviewed her, and it’s true. Everybody tries to second-guess Hollywood.

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Going to the Movies

The sun was high and it was very late in the morning when I finally got into my car and headed north on Highway 101 to Berkeley, California. It was a big step for me. For several years after my parents’ death…

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The Definitive Guide to ScreenWriting

In the book The Definitive Guide to Screenwriting, published in the UK, Syd Field, acclaimed writer and director, tells you step-by-step how to identify and fix common screenwriting problems…

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Utilizing Syd Field’s Screenwriting Paradigm to Understand Script Timeline Structure
By Natalia Lazarus

Field’s Paradigm allows the organization of stories into structured timelines. Act One: story set up; Act Two: confrontation; Act Three: resolution. In 1979, for the…

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SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF WRITING DIALOGUE
BY VALERIE WOODS

Recently, I was invited to speak at the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters in Crime, an international organization of authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and…

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STRUCTURING THE SCARE: HOW THE SYD FIELD PARADIGM HELPED ME WRITE A HORROR SCREENPLAY
By SAMUEL WOODS-CORR

It’s October. Spider webs, creepy decor, and elaborate costumes are rising from the dead. Halloween, one of my least favorite holidays, looms just beyond the…

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Screenplay Interview Series

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