Act Two Podcast

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk 2026 Screenwriting goals and how to achieve them realistically. They discuss breaking screenwriting goals down into actionable steps, scheduling yourself, and other useful tips to stay on track this year.   TWIW: Tasha visited the Academy Museum over break / Tasha loved The Anaconda / Watching The Housemaid in a full theater made a big difference / A Spielberg...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how many of their 2025 Goals they achieved (spoiler alert: Josh beat Tasha), and what they can learn from their successes and failures going into 2026.    Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Final Draft blog by Ken Miyamoto,  How to Plan Your Entire Screenwriting Year: A Month-by-Month Guide . They break down tasks for each month, discuss practical solutions to achieving those tasks, and why thinking about your year in these terms sets you up for success (and they maybe fangirl over Ken a little bit).    TWIW: Tasha got very different notes on...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat about Tasha's newest season of Tomb Raider: the Legend of Lara Croft now on Netflix, how the idea for the season came together, and behind-the-scenes writing stories.    TWIW: The Blacklist 2025: Who's Who and trends Josh is seeing / Tasha went to a BAFTA Games Mixer and sweated profusely / If you can spot the reference to Tasha & Josh's favorite movies in...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk through Final Draft's 5 Pieces of Advice to Tell a Compelling Tale and offer their own specifics on why and how these pieces of advice work in your writing.   TWIW: This month's Running Man Q&A Patreon Zoom / Netflix buying WB? / Tasha's show The Mighty Nein is #1 in the US, Canada & Europe! / Vince Gilligan is so damn good at creating character-driven...

This week, Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about living outside LA, where Tasha’s pitch stands, and an overdue double-dose of “Are You Excited?” - covering both November and December.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman field a listener question and discuss the tips & tricks they use to get unstuck in their writing.   TWIW: Is The Hunger Games a perfect movie? / Returning to "the big paper" for a video game adaptation pitch.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Showrunner and co-host Tasha Huo's show premieres November 19 on Amazon Prime Video, and Josh makes her talk about it! Tasha reveals how she got the job adapting the Critical Role live D&D campaign, what the writing process was like to adapt something so massive and beloved, and what it was like working with the "nerdy ass voice actors" of Critical Role.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@g...

We have a repost this week: Holidays are here, and it’s time to panic about what to get your reps. Freak out no more! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman give some great gift ideas, and share some insider info from reps themselves on what gifts they are actually looking for this year.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hollywood moves fast, and even the best careers can fade. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman share ways to stay relevant as a screenwriter and keep your career thriving. Plus... TWIW!   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat with horror writer and Friend of the Podcast, David Levinson (Welcome Home), about their favorite movie villains and how they were written to make a lasting impression.   TWIW: How do you manage the financial realities of being a spec writer? / What are Tasha, Josh and Dave dressing up as for Halloween??   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited b...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss a listener question -- When do you know your script is ready?    TWIW: Good Boy, the horror movie from the POV of a dog and how Tasha hated it and finally learned to feel / Tasha & Josh are donating a 30-minute notes session for charity at Cause for Entertainment , a charity to support Breast Cancer Research and those affected by breast cancer.    Quest...

It’s Austin Film Festival time! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman tackle the art of networking - a word that makes most writers shiver. They share how to approach it authentically, spark conversations, and avoid the common pitfalls that kill a good impression. Plus, a new round of Are You Excited? - where they dig into the month’s releases.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Tasha's dialogue hack to quickly improve your dialogue and trim pages.    TWIW: What does it mean when a manager or agent "hip-pockets" you? / Tasha had a MIGHTY NEIN screening at SCAD and now she wants to go to there / The difference in approach between being a fan of an IP and just taking an IP job. / Storytelling lessons learned from our September Patreo...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Francisco Angones, the creator of DUCK TALES (2017) and Co-EP on THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (S4, S5) to discuss what a Screenwriting career in animation can look like, share stories on its challenges and how to manage them, and share his day-to-day as an animation writer/creator.    Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about all the different types of careers for a Screenwriter and which may be right for you, depending on your personality.    TWIW: How to navigate the Austin Film Festival successfully, even if you're shy / Tasha's newest "big page" / Josh finds writing in the dark is a new hack / the Anaconda trailer is whack / Tasha & Josh's spec is moving on to the nex...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the movies coming to your eyeballs in September, and about the things on their mind this week in the world of Screenwriting.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Derek Kolstad, writer and creator of the JOHN WICK and NOBODY franchises, to discuss everything from crafting character-driven action movies to the reality of the grind behind being a successful working Screenwriter.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Josh's agent, David Boxerbaum, a partner at Verve, to discuss how successful writers work with their agents, the recent boom in short story sales and what that means for Screenwriters, and why some specs sale and others don't.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Life gets crazy and overwhelming. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down how screenwriters multitask - balancing multiple projects, writing more than one script at a time, and staying productive along the way. Plus... TWIW!   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Screenwriter and Tennis Pro, Michael Basha, to discuss how the psychology of professional athletes can be a useful road map for professional screenwriters, and other ways pro sports mirrors the screenwriting industry.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Host Tasha Huo talks candidly about her writing journey on her first produced film, RED SONJA, from her first pitch to getting rewritten to final credits determination. RED SONJA releases in theaters on August 13th, and streaming on August 29th.   TWIW: Josh's old script idea is now a Brendan Fraser movie, but not how Josh expected / Tasha used a placeholder for a scene when she got stuck, but how...

Host Tasha Huo went to San Diego Comic-Con this year and has thoughts on why it's a great con for Screenwriters. Plus, Are You Excited about what's coming out in theaters in August?    TWIW: How to get unstuck in your writing / Jurassic World: Rebirth / Happy Gilmore 2 made Tasha cry   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about which July Summer movies they're excited about, and give some interesting behind-the-scenes Screenwriting tidbits about how some of these movies got made. TWIW: Tasha is having an IP crisis / Do you need a feature sample to meet at feature companies? / Josh's run-in with a Hollywood icon   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT...

This week, we chat with screenwriters Nic Curcio and Kristin Tepper about branding, social media, and what it means to create content as a writer in today’s industry. We dive into how writers can approach their digital footprint, whether you need to be on social media, how to build an authentic brand, the blacklist, and a ton more...   Nic Curcio: @Nicolascurcio Kristen Tepper: @KristenTepper The...