Essays by Syd

In all my screenwriting courses and workshops around the world, I’ve read thousands and thousands of screenplays. Exactly how many, I really don’t know. I…

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Continuing the interview with James Cameron, on the origins of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. (Read Part I) “Basically, what I wanted to say in Terminator…

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  When I first saw Terminator 2: Judgment Day, I knew it was an extraordinary film. Not only were the special effects extraordinary, but the…

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A few weeks ago, during one of my screenwriting workshops, a student turned in pages from her screenplay with a worried and concerned expression on…

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Make no mistake; pitching is an art. Every screenplay begins with an idea and if you want to write a screenplay based on your idea,…

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At the dawn of the 90’s, I happened to attend a Writer’s Guild screening of a newly released film called Dances with Wolves, written by…

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The Silence of the Lambs As you know, the art of adaptation is a very special craft, some even call it a “gift,” and there…

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I’ve always been a big fan of Callie Khouri’s ever since I saw Thelma & Louise for the first time. The film really knocked me…

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