Act Two Podcast

Hosts Tasha Huo & Josh Hallman discuss the 4 most common big-picture notes they receive (and are currently addressing in their own scripts), and how to approach revisions effectively.   TWIW: How to choose what IP to adapt.    Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com   Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Host Tasha Huo (Red Sonja, Tomb Raider: The Animated Series) talks about how she starts her adaptation projects, from the moment she picks up the IP to pitching it to execs; and host Josh Hallman tries to poke holes in her process.   TWIW: (SPOILER ALERT!) The Batman, and how to look at consulting producing as a "side hustle for writers".   Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com   Edited by t...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the BAFTA lecture series from Tony Gilroy (ROGUE ONE, BOURNE Trilogy, MICHAEL CLAYTON), where he discusses his 7 Steps on how he writes an original screenplay. They break down each step, what it means, and how to use it practically in your own writing.  TWIW: Actors who don't want to be vulnerable, Josh's life-changing encounter with a waiter/screenwriter,...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman take on Screenwriting Twitter's topics of the week -- Being Rewritten by Your Showrunner and Can Animation be Elevated? -- and discuss their Top 5 Pixar movies, with a breakdown of why those five earn such distinction.   Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com   Edited by Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

In this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss in detail how they start creating characters for their stories, as well as a This Week in Writing about a new way Tasha has learned to write action description, and Josh's thoughts on the structure of the action classic, SPEED.   Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com   Edited by Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss some things... like nepotism, your voice, and certain frustrations...   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

... from your spec. Your manager. Your scene. Your agent. Your producer. If you're writing long enough, you will come up against this question -- "When should I move on from this?" Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss different kinds of moments in their own Screenwriting careers when they wanted to give up or move on,  and discuss how to spot the signs to keep going, and the signs to put the p...

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the different scenarios where etiquette comes into play...   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Steve Jobs was possibly one of the greatest presenters of our time. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss his 6-step pitch-prepping method and how it applies to writers.    Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman bring the Act Two Script Club to the podcast for the first time, breaking down what we can learn from Kevin Sullivan's writing in his action rom-com, ENDING THINGS. Join us for a discussion about writing mechanics, what works in original specs and why.    Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Host Josh Hallman finally gets to put his own manager, John Zaozirny, on the hot seat and gets to ask him all the pressing questions about why managers reject their writer's ideas, what makes for a bad manager and what to do about it, what does a manager do in their daily life anyway, top questions from Screenwriting Twitter, and more!   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the...

When we get our first opportunities and jobs as Screenwriters, we are so grateful to finally be doing this for a living that many of us naturally slip into a "people-pleasing" role. We want to please our reps and our producers, and this can often shift the power dynamic in our business relationships in a way that starts to work against us as creators and career-builders. It is easy, as a Screenwri...

So, you finished a draft of your script. Congratufreakinglations! First, go celebrate! Then, come back and listen to this episode before you start revising, as hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman are here to take you through different ways to approach your revisions. From outlines to "Game Plans", they talk about all the ways you can dive into revisions and what's worked best for them over the years....

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman each choose one favorite movie hero and one villain then discuss how they are setup and developed across the movie, and why they are effective. There is much to learn from the genius of others.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Pitching is terrible. Pitching for a rewrite job is particularly tricky and terrible. In this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the Do's and Don'ts of pitching rewrites, and also the red flags to be aware of before you spend your precious time engaging on a rewrite opportunity.   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss all things MacGuffins! One of Josh's absolute favorite things, but they're sometimes looked at as a cheat in Screenplays -- What are they? When should you use them? Are they cheating? When don't they work? Did we mention that Josh loves MacGuffins?   Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk with Screenwriter Mickey Fisher - creator of TV series EXTANT (CBS), REVERIE (NBC). He also worked on MARS (NatGeo), THE STRAIN (FX), and JACK RYAN (Amazon). We discuss how Mickey broke in, process, and creativity. He's a great person, and it's a great conversation...     Subscribe to Mickey's newsletter: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/mickeyfisher73   Questi...

Season 3 is here! Welcome to 2022. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about setting writing goals and how to manage them. The beginning of the year is a great time to map out how you want things to go, it's easy (and good) to get overly ambitious with your goals. We talk about the practical ways you can approach everything.    Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul...

It's the final episode of 2021! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman wonder if writers should take a break from writing over the holidays. Should we recharge or power through? Sit back, relax, and enjoy the end of season 2...   Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Home Alone has a perfect setup, and Home Sweet Home Alone is probably a lot better than you think. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman dive into the beginnings of both movies to discuss character, plot, and how small moments turn to big things.    Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Which DIE HARD movie is your favorite? Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman will go to their graves believing DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is the best in the series, but here they go up against Special Guest David Levinson who goes to the mat for The OG DIE HARD. Who’s right, who’s wrong? Watch the movie then follow along as they break down the three acts of DIE HARD 3 to find out what its secrets are, h...

One of the most difficult things for a Screenwriter is figuring out how to work with your Execs. They pay you, so are they your boss? They can veto your choices (because they're paying you), so should you just do what they say? What should the dynamic between a Writer and a Producer look like? Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman speak with a Producer about real-life Writer/Producer scenarios that hav...

This Week in Writing wherein host Josh Hallman has a breakthrough in how to break story, reveals part of his process that makes him look like a crazy man, and takes notes from a lawyer about the “art of persuasion”; and wherein host Tasha Huo has to pitch someone who doesn’t react and handles it by over-compensating, and learns about a very hidden “note behind the note” in her latest studio notes...

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 Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Action is its own unique writing skill and different masters craft their action differently. That's why, in this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman dive into the specific writing techniques used by some of the best action writers in the business, including Derek Kolstad, James Cameron and Shane Black.    Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com   Edited by Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg