Scriptnotes Podcast

How do you answer the question, "What is your project about?" Recorded live at the Austin Film Festival, John is joined by Scriptnotes all-stars Pamela Ribon and Phil Hay to talk about loglines, framing, and communicating the deeper message behind your project. They also discuss working outside of the traditional studio system, including ways to find money for your film. Plus, we play a game with...

What are storytellers' responsibilities when it comes to real-life figures? How much fiction can you blend with fact? You Can See Everything is the latest film exploring Elizabeth Holmes, the fascinating and singular Theranos founder. In light of its cultural moment, this week we revisit episode 546, where John is joined by Liz Meriwether and Liz Hannah to discuss their own Liz Holmes series, The...

John and Craig welcome a long-awaited guest: Andrew Stanton, writer-director behind many beloved Pixar films including Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., WALL-E, and the Toy Story franchise. They talk about making sequels, Andrew's approach to storytelling, and the ways that Pixar shook up the typical Disney formula. (For example, Pixar's take on villains.) In our bonus segment for premium subscribers,...

Since the dawn of storytelling, there have been archetypes. What aspects of archetypes are actually useful for writers? And how do we move beyond tropes to create complex characters? Pick a card, any card! John and Craig play around with the upcoming Creator Character Kit. They draw archetype cards and imagine multifaceted characters that embody those qualities. In our bonus segment for premium me...

What changes when you take off your writer hat and put on your director hat? In this compendium episode, John, Craig, and Scriptnotes coordinator Lauren Loesberg review directing advice previously given on the podcast. John and Craig offer Lauren pointers on directing her next project. They also answer a listener question about directing actors "on the page." In our bonus segment for premium subsc...

John welcomes writer and actress Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks, The Big Sick, She Said) to talk about her sweeping and thorough reimagining of East of Eden, releasing on Netflix on October 1st. They discuss her approach to period piece dialogue, the process of adapting such an expansive novel, and the family history behind this particular project. Rich with biblical parallels, East of Eden is a perfect s...

Today, we welcome longtime fantasy guest, Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, The Social Network) to talk through his writing process and tease his upcoming film, The Social Reckoning. Does Aaron Sorkin use outlines? Where does he begin? And does he have any more ideas? All these questions and more will be answered. John also presents a couple of Sorkin's own scenes as a case study on wri...

Think of this as a crash course in general meetings. In this compendium, John, Craig and Scriptnotes intern, Lauren, mine previous episodes for advice on the bewildering "general." They aim to answer every question you've had about general meetings, over the years: What are they? What's discussed? And how do you get one? In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig swap stories abo...

What if you zigged when you thought you should have zagged? As an actress, a writer, a showrunner, and a host, Erin Gibson's career has been unpredictable. But look closer and you see it's driven by consistent values, smart timing, and the universal currency of comedy. John seeks her insight on going with the flow. John and Erin answer listener questions about connecting with reps, sorting through...

The year was 2011. We had Occupy Wall Street, Hangover II, 50 Shades of Grey… and a podcast named Scriptnotes. On this episode, John and Craig celebrate their podcast Quinceañera, marking fifteen years together on mic. They reflect on their very first episode, the content and cultural moments that marked 2011, and everything that's changed since. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John...

John and Taffy sit down for a candid conversation surrounding fame, interacting with famous people, and the depiction of fame on screen. They also answer a listener question about cold email etiquette and the delicate art of asking for favors. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, Taffy discusses the subject of her most recent "celebrity" profile: the controversial AI actress, Tilly Norwoo...

John and Craig lock in on one-room movies. How does confinement change character behavior? What opportunities can a single location give you? Plus, they consider how much dithering a character should indulge. They also answer listener questions about "hyperlink cinema" and writing phone calls. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig discuss outgrowing their own tastes. Links:...

John welcomes Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs to talk about the emotional and logistical process of closing out their five-season series, Hacks. Paul and Lucia also step up as guest readers for the Three Page Challenge, a segment where we look at the first three pages of a listener-submitted script and give honest feedback. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John, Lucia and Paul talk ab...

In today's edition of "How Would This Be a Movie?" John and Craig convert felonies into films. Together, they take a few crime-related news stories and decide how they might be adapted for the screen. They also discuss paracosms and the importance of daydreaming for budding screenwriters. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig discuss prediction markets. Bet you can guess how...

Buckle up! John and Craig discuss the elements that make up a classic road movie. They cover the quintessential scenes, common pitfalls, and the economic quandaries you'll find in the genre. They also answer listener questions about editing novels (versus screenplays) and the aesthetics of outlines and breakdowns. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig talk about their own me...

John and Craig invite over Rashida Jones and Will McCormack to chat about their new film The Invite, out in theaters now. Rashida and Will divulge the origin story and dynamics of their own writing partnership, as well as discuss the process of adapting an adaptation and writing to the truth of relationships. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, the four swap stories about saying goodbye...

How do you keep doing creative work when the world is falling apart around you? To sift through the despair and doubt, John welcomes back legendary Scriptnotes guest, writer-turned-psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo. They discuss the many feelings that catastrophic events can bring up in artists, the personal narratives that often inform those feelings, and how to keep moving forward when you feel lik...

John and Craig sit down with Ryan Condal, showrunner of  House of the Dragon , just as its third season airs. They dive into Ryan's late start in Hollywood, spec scripts, the anatomy of a writers room, and thinking as a product of movement. They also answer a listener question about the mechanics of writing a sequel. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John, Craig and Ryan discuss perhap...

John and Craig welcome Curry Barker, the writer-director behind this summer's surprise blockbuster, Obsession. It's a rom-com, a horror film and a great example of trusting your audience. We discuss Curry's roots, his writing process, learning from YouTube, as well as the pressure to follow up a hit. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig pose the #1 most important question f...

This week, Craig answers listener questions about rewriting on set, AI coverage, when and how to kill off characters, sizing up producers, and more. There's also an extra-special guest appearance for this week's One Cool Thing. In the bonus segment for premium subscribers, Craig discusses how to be wrong—something he feels he knows all too well. Links: "Widow's Bay" Games:  Daddy's Home & Teeth "L...

Why is it so satisfying to watch a highly-skilled character complete their goals? And why can it be equally hilarious to watch an incompetent character bumble through a slew of screw-ups? In this episode, John and Craig discuss how to play with competence in your characters. We also say goodbye to our producer Drew Marquardt with a thoroughly embarrassing exit interview, and reveal our new produce...

John and Craig welcome writer and showrunner David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal) to look at his process for adapting books to TV, particularly with his latest series Margo's Got Money Troubles. They explore where to find your act breaks, crafting complicated tones, and when to trust the writer of the book. We also look at how TV has changed over David's storied career, how he runs a wri...

John welcomes writer and showrunner Courtney Kemp (Power, Nemesis) to ask, how do you find an audience and build momentum on television? They look at how writers can match their voice to an underserved audience, the pitfalls of being boxed in by a niche, and what new writers can do to get people excited about their work. We also chart how Courtney built her career from magazine writer to creating...

John welcomes back Phil Hay (Destroyer, The Invitation) to ask, how do you get a movie made with independent financing? They look at how indie movies get made, where you get the money, deciding when to go indie, and whether streamers complicate the picture. We also follow up on testing movies with focus groups and answer listener questions on how to navigate the editing room, daily routines, and w...

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to explore the timely questions about art and human labor posed by her long-awaited sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2. We'll warn you now: Spoilers ahead! We also look at what AI knitting podcasts can tell us about the future of industrially-produced slop, and answer a listener question on how to approach th...