Syd Field 1935-2013

News has spread wildly today that Syd Field, perhaps the original screenwriting guru, has passed away at age 77. Field is, along with Robert McKee, the first name that comes to mind when talking about screenplay strategists, and his treatise Screenplay has influenced writers, executives and filmmakers for decades. It will continue to remain part of the cultural conversation long after his passing. It was the first screenwriting how-to I ever read, and if you look online you'll find similar testimonials from high-profile writers like Frank Darabont, Judd Apatow and Tina Fey.

Field was a leading pioneer in mapping three-act structure for the modern cinematic landscape and worked as a script consultant for 20th Century Fox, Universal, Disney and TriStar. He will be missed.

If you're a screenwriter and haven't read Screenplay or any of his other complementary volumes, you owe it to yourself to do so as soon as possible.