The Screenplay Workbook

An instructional manual combined with proprietary worksheets, charts and fill-in lists designed to give screenwriters a better way to focus on the task of writing a screenplay.

Providing examples from well-known movies, Field explains the structural and stylistic elements as well as writing techniques basic to the creation of a successful film script.

Yes, you can write a great screenplay. Let Syd Field show you how. “I based Like Water for Chocolate on what I learned in Syd's books. Before, I always felt structure imprisoned me, but what I learned was structure really freed me to focus on the story.”—Laura Esquivel 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, and how in four extraordinary films: Thelma & Louise, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Silence of the Lambs, and Dances with Wolves. Learn how: Callie Khouri, in her first movie script, Thelma & Louise, rewrote the rules for good road movies and played against type to create a new American classic. James Cameron, writer/director of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, created a sequel integrating spectacular special effects and a story line that transformed the Terminator, the quintessential killing machine, into a sympathetic character. This is how an action film is written. Ted Tally adapted Thomas Harris's chilling 350-page novel, The Silence of the Lambs, into a riveting 120-page script—a lesson in the art and craft of adapting novels into film. Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves, achieved every writer's dream as he translated his novel into an uncompromising film. Learn how he used transformation as a spiritual dynamic in this work of mythic sweep. Informative and utterly engrossing, Four Screenplays belongs in every writer's library, next to Syn Field's highly acclaimed companion volumes, Screenplay, The Screenwriter's Workbook, and Selling a Screenplay. “If I were writing screenplays . . . I would carry Syd Field around in my back pocket wherever I went.”—Steven Bochco, writer/producer/director, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues

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 actHere 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

This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

Flex your screenwriting skills and stretch your creativity with The Screenwriter's Workout! The Screenwriter's Workout is a complete training program for your mind - with over 75 exercises and hundreds of activities specifically designed for both new and experienced screenwriters to train the neural pathways that generate story. Have Fun While You: Design Dynamic Characters - New character creation tools make it easy to create characters designed to fit seamlessly with your script. Explore Structure - Delve inside structure to learn what it does, what it really is, and why you need it. Create Stories - Explore the art, science and craft of cinematic narrative with story-building tools, lessons and theories specifically designed to enhance your storytelling skills. Redefine Conflict - Learn what conflict actually is and what it does to an audience. Analyze Your Work - Save time and effort with rewriting tools to analyze the design of your screenplay. Craft Compelling Loglines - Learn how to write powerful loglines designed to help your screenplay sell. Discover Interactive Screenwriting - Learn the techniques and theories behind writing screenplays that engage and interact with audiences. Written in a conversational style, The Screenwriter's Workout is a fun and interactive way to strengthen your craft, hone your writing skills and refine your storytelling.

Why is TV writing different from any other kind of writing? How will writing a spec script open doors? What do I have to do to get a job writing for TV? Writing for television is a business. And, like any business, there are proven strategies for success. In this unique hands-on guide, television writer and producer Ellen Sandler shares the trade secrets she learned while writing for hit shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Coach. She offers concrete advice on everything from finding a story to getting hired on a current series. Filled with easy-to-implement exercises and practical wisdom, this ingenious how-to handbook outlines the steps for becoming a professional TV writer, starting with a winning script. Sandler explains the difference between “selling” and “telling,” form and formula, theme and plot. Discover: • A technique for breaking down a show style so you’re as close to being in the writing room as you can get without actually having a job there • The 3 elements for that essential Concept Line that you must have in order to create a story with passion and consequence • Mining the 7 Deadly Sins for fresh and original story lines • Sample scripts from hit shows • In-depth graphs, script breakdown charts, vital checkpoints along the way, and much, much more!

Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips, The Hollywood Standard provides what even the best script software can't: clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of formatting questions that perplex even seasoned screenwriters.Contents include:* When a new scene heading is appropriate and when it isn't* How to format shot headings, dialogue, direction and transitions* How to control pace with formatting* How to make a script page visually inviting to the reader* What to capitalize and why* How to get into and out of a POV shot* How to handle text messages and Zoom meetings* How Hollywood's most innovative screenwriters are pushing the boundaries of format* How format for animation differs from live action formatsSimply put, Riley knows more about script format than anyone in Hollywood and shares it all in this indispensable guide.