I met Syd Field several times during my travels to Los Angeles  and other places over the years when I was doing screenwriting panels. I also interviewed Syd a couple times for SU (do a search on this site and you'll find him in the archives). His passing late last year was sudden and a shock. When I met Syd for the first time in Las Vegas in 1999 (I think!) at a screenwriting conference I was a first timer at one of those things and felt a little intimidated. There were professional writers like Shane Black and Mike Rich, along with professional script gurus like Syd Field and others. The first panel I was on included Syd and he was such a warm and friendly guy. He was just starting to get involved in marketing his products and services on the Internet and treated me like an expert and professional. We spoke for an hour or so about how writers can use the Web to market themselves and even improve their craft. Today the World Wide Web is essential for any writer no matter where that writer lives. So it was with great sadness that I learned of Syd'™s passing and never got a chance until now to post my reflection of the man (due to SU's admin panel deing destroyed). He was a leader in the screenwriting field for so long and was always willing to debate and discuss anything and that included challenging his theory (and rules) about screenwriting. Anyway, Syd Field is already missed and will continue to be missed for some time whether you loved him or hated him he meant something.