Scriptnotes Podcast

Editor and critic Julia Turner puts John and Craig in the hot seat to review the past ten years of Scriptnotes. They cover the original mission, behind scenes fights, notable guests, and their biggest regrets. We also predict what we think the next ten years will bring and share a Scriptnotes love story. In our bonus segment for premium members, Julia has John and Craig play “How Would This Be A M...

John welcomes back writer/performer Ashley Nicole Black (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Ted Lasso, The Amber Ruffin Show) to prove good things come in twos. They dive into her two Emmy nominations, joining a show in its second season, and the opportunities of both writing and acting in a series. We follow up on the WGA East elections and ghosting producers. We also answer listener questions on problema...

John and Craig take a look at the WGA East elections, specifically the debate over who the WGA should represent and how to prepare for new trends in digital media. We revisit predictions we made about superhero movies and break down logical fallacies in a follow up to our conspiracy discussion. We also answer listener questions about ethical writing assignments, reading lists, and bored executives...

John welcomes back writer/producer Kelly Marcel (Venom, Cruella) for an action-packed episode. They break down a scene on the page, and then Kelly walks John through how she adapts and rewrites scenes in real time on set. We also discuss writing scripts with a star and why you should always cast your movies before writing them (at least in your mind). We follow up on day-and-date releases, taking...

John and Craig host another round of the Three Page Challenge, analyzing a range of listener submissions from scripts set in rural Japan to Manhattan strip clubs. They discuss establishing setting, grounding big characters, and introducing narration. We also take a look at the lecture scene: how it can fall flat and tips for making it work. Then we answer a listener question on whether writers hav...

John and Craig examine why and how writers need to make bad things happen to their characters, and the ways in which hero suffering differs between features and television. We also answer listener questions about WGA jurisdiction, becoming a signatory, timing a script for television, and why all scripts aren’t available online. Then in our bonus segment for premium members, John and Megana discuss...

John and Craig zoom out to analyze how the cultural context affects the perception of a movie, and the choices writers have to make. We look at vaccine mandates for productions and answer listener questions about cheesy writing, zombie references, and diversity fellowships. Finally in our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss the Black Widow lawsuit and what it means for writers financiall...

John and Craig curate a collection of craft topics: character wants and needs, point of view, and letting your heroes drive scenes. From internal struggles to the external obstacles, they share how to design a story that best serves a character’s journey. We wrap up our clip show with a discussion on what we are still learning about craft. Defensive writing, the demons of perfectionism–John...

John and Craig hint at the best ways to tease expectations in their discussion of foreshadowing. They take a look at popular examples, the difference between foreshadow and symbolism, and techniques for executing it well. We answer listener questions on bad premieres, bad bosses, and good home theatre set-ups. We also double-down on on our pro-spoiler platform, using scientific research to explain...

John welcomes writer/producer/creator Jen Statsky to discuss getting started writing comedy, from late night to The Onion to The Good Place. Then it’s a deep dive on the Hacks pilot, looking at how jokes change from the page to the edit. We follow up on the best way to get fired, the WGA pilot guide, and answer listener questions on working in comedy. Finally in our bonus segment for premium membe...

John welcomes back Liz Hannah (The Post, The Long Shot, All the Bright Places) to explore the bad side of good news. They discuss the challenges of celebrating accomplishments in a mercurial industry, and follow up with a discussion on how to handle being fired. We also answer listener questions on becoming successful before your friends, multiple timelines, spoilers, and weigh in on the IATSE neg...

John and Craig welcome back writing partners Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (The Invitation, Ride Along, The Mysterious Benedict Society) to discuss their transition from film to television. They chat about structuring a full season, adapting a novel, and the hierarchy of power in TV. We follow up on MoviePass, take a look at a monster showrunner, and enlist Phil and Matt to answer our backlog of ques...

John and Craig discuss what comes after you land a movie deal–writing the script by a certain date. They offer tips, strategies, and calculations for budgeting time to deliver a draft. We also consider the statute of limitations on spoiler warnings and follow up on child prodigies, movie theaters and free will. Our listener questions this week include POV in a two hander and how to get out o...

John welcomes writer/showrunner Dana Fox (Cruella, Home Before Dark, Isn’t it Romantic), writer/director Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision, Black Widow, Timer), and filmmaker/producer Lance Oppenheim (Some Kind of Heaven) to discuss characters you don’t control. From classic villains, comic book heroes, to real life subjects, we take a look at creating narratives around established characters. We introdu...

John and Craig discuss the concept of free will, specifically how it relates to fictional characters. They outline the tightrope screenwriters walk balancing characters with agency against obstacles that feel true. We also talk about decisions screenwriters face in their careers and why it’s okay (and difficult) to change paths. We answer listener questions about optioned scripts and child screenw...

John and Craig reflect on the traits they’ve noticed in successful writing careers. Should you write everyday? Do you have to be good in a room? Is it more important to be original or flexible? We also follow up on genres, typos and address a listener question on harassment. In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss our preferences in books from paper to bindings to jackets. No shock: w...

John and Craig celebrate the 500th episode of Scriptnotes by welcoming back former Scriptnotes producers Stuart Friedel (Clifford the Big Red Dog, Vampirina), Godwin Jabangwe (Tunga), Megan McDonnell (WandaVision), and longtime editor Matthew Chilelli (Escape the Dark). The guys ask the producers questions about development, feedback, and writers rooms, uncovering Scriptnotes secrets along the way...

John welcomes Craig back into the studio to chat face to face for the latest How Would This Be A Movie, looking at trapped Russian pop stars, relationship saboteurs and an abandoned Cinderella city. We also answer listener questions on writing schedules and supporting characters, including a deep dive on Sebastian the crab’s personal life. In our bonus segment for premium members, Craig shares how...

John and Craig offer a tasting menu this week starting with comedy/rejection, followed by a meaty discussion on copyright and topped with a sampling of listener questions. We get an update from Oops — our conversation on workplace crushes evolves into a broader discussion on the patriarchy and how to savor first experiences. Finally in our bonus segment for premium members, we compare remake...

John and Craig welcome back writer-producer Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Devil Wears Prada), who brings a basket of topics for the guys to unpack. They discuss the best way to give notes as a producer/boss and why Hollywood only takes serious genres seriously. We follow up on female figures in ethical conflicts, bad bosses, and specifying race in character descriptions. We also ge...

John and Craig discuss the projects they’re not currently working on. From sunk cost fallacies to grudge writing, they offer advice for when you should rescue an idea from the Maybe-write list. We follow up on bad bosses, Ponzi schemes and answer listener questions about what to do when you have a crush on your producer. Finally in our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig discuss whic...

The original post for the episode is available here . John August: Hello and welcome. My name is John August. Craig Mazin: My name is Craig Mazin. John: And this is Episode 495 of Scriptnotes, a podcast about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters. Today on the show we’re talking titles. A rose by any other name might spell a sweet, but a script with a bad title is at a sig...

John and Craig tackle the tricky territory of movie titles: what makes them great, why they’re important, and how a bad one can tank a good movie. We answer listener questions on writing diverse characters, surprising movie expenses, and residuals. Finally, in our bonus segment for premium members Craig outlines how to behave in a restaurant. Links: 12 Great Movies with Terrible Titles by Margaret...

John and Craig discuss the use of color in film by highlighting iconic scenes and sharing how they think about color palettes in their own writing. We then host another Three Page Challenge, this time focusing on how well these opening scenes set up expectations for the script. We now ask for loglines, which are kept secret from John and Craig! Finally in our bonus segment for premium members, Joh...

John and Craig discuss the craft of constructing beginnings: what they consider when writing the first line of a script and how opening scenes have evolved with audience expectations. We also investigate a question from former producer Stuart Friedel and dive into the history of foreign levies. We then make predictions on the future of movie-going by analyzing the history of megaplexes. Finally, i...