Syd Field’s book is a veritable institution in the screenwriting world these days. Since the first edition was published in the late-70s, hundreds of thousands of budding screenwriters have thumbed this book, hoping to unlock the secret to writing a killer screenplay.
Did they find it? Maybe, and maybe not. Screenplay is undoubtably a worthy read for any aspiring screenwriter, but as with all things, the content must be taken with a pitch of salt and should not be followed blindly to the letter. Field’s strutural ideas are very specific to the Hollywood style of filmmaking and the advice is really targeted towards those who are looking to swim in that pond. This is not to say the book isn’t valuable for other screenwriters – it is. Just don’t assume that everything Field says is Gospel.