Scriptnotes Podcast

John and Craig discuss suspense and its function in all genres, from thrillers to romcoms. They examine suspense of the known and of the unknown and the techniques available to construct it. We also answer listeners questions about registering scripts with the WGA, how to overcome creative paralysis and unconventional sluglines. Links: The WGA’s page regarding sexual harassment The Wedding P...

John and Craig attempt to answer the question that many aspiring screenwriters dare not ask aloud: when — if ever — is the right time to give up on the dream of becoming a working screenwriter? Relatedly, is it okay to omit “aspiring” when describing oneself as a screenwriter? How do you ask friends for career help without burning bridges? Is that criminal record a problem? We also add...

John and Craig sit down with Marielle Heller, the writer and director of the acclaimed feature The Diary of a Teenage Girl, to talk about the journey of getting her movie made, from optioning the novel to the Sundance Labs through production. We discuss sex scenes and ’70s wallpaper, anamorphic lenses and leaving subplots on the cutting room floor. Plus there’s a lot of MacGruber. This episode ori...

John and Craig speculate about why the film industry fared better in the transition to digital while the music industry struggled. We also follow up on the WGA elections, hearing John’s priorities as a new board member. Lured back into the intrigue of MoviePass, we discuss new information on this business model. Then it’s another installment of the Three Page Challenge, in which we discuss listene...

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna to talk about writing projects outside the familiar constraints of screenwriting. We discuss the surprises and adjustments involved in the creative processes of different media: Aline’s graphic novel Jane, Craig’s HBO miniseries Chernobyl, and John’s original song, “Rise.” We also dig into why screenwriters sometimes need to be amateurs again. Then w...

Craig and John debut a new segment: This Kind of Scene, looking at how different movies handle similar situations. The Hudsucker Proxy, The Devil Wears Prada, Hidden Figures and Training Day all need to introduce their heroes to their new workplaces. We examine how those scenes work, both on the page and on screen. We then discuss what it means to write for an international market, and determine w...

John and Craig dive into another round of How Would This Be a Movie, looking at stories (and memes!) from around the world to figure out which ones might lend themselves to big-screen treatment. Will it be the forgotten French spy from World War II? The repentant racist in Arkansas? The fake male founder exposing startup sexism? Or should it be the monthlong meth trip in the Alabama woods? Help us...

John and Craig offer a 101 on how movies make money at theaters, and why a 1948 Supreme Court case changed everything. Then we look at two recent disruptions to the standard model: Movie Pass and Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky. We also answer listener questions on waiting periods and creative rights. Links: The WGF 2nd Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament is on Friday, October 20th Tuff Turf and...

Craig and John take a deep dive into 1992’s Unforgiven, looking at how the David Webb Peoples script works on the page and on the screen. In the links below, you’ll find the PDF of the script we’re using. It’s also available in Weekend Read. Links: Where to watch Unforgiven , and on IMDb and Wikipedia The Unforgiven script Weekend Read Past deep dives on The Addams Family , Ghost , Groundhog Day ,...

John and Craig look at four films from the past and discuss how we could make them today. Then we have more listener questions on internships and alternate jokes. Next week is a deep dive on Unforgiven, so get to watching if you haven’t seen it recently. Links: Triskaidekaphobia on Wikipedia Where to watch Unforgiven before next week’s deep dive You Get Me on Netflix Romancing the Ston...

Craig and John tackle a bunch of listener questions, along with follow-up on previous discussions. Are road trip movies just a series of coincidences? How do you start the second draft? Should you mention screenwriting awards in a query? Plus: a Redditor insists there is a secret password you have to write within a script for it to be purchased. After 311 episodes, the time has come. We reveal tha...