Scriptnotes Podcast (.mp3)

John and Craig take an extended look at how sound works in movies, and how screenwriters can take advantage of it on the page. Also this week, advice on naming characters, and what to do when the first cut of your movie is not at all what you had in mind. Links: Order your Scriptnotes shirts from The John August Store before Friday Get your tickets now for the Big Fish talkback on November 23rd an...

Craig and John love women and jeopardy, but folks, we gotta stop kidnapping girlfriends as plot devices. We discuss ways to avoid this trope. In other news, T-Bone Burnett has a great name and strong words about copyright and making a living. Readers have questions about pseudonyms, second acts and breaking the back of a new project. Plus, more terrible managers. T-shirts are back, starting today!...

Craig and John head to the Austin Film Festival for another live edition of Scriptnotes. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the crowd for this packed show featuring Looper writer/director Rian Johnson and Saving Mr. Banks screenwriter Kelly Marcel. We talk about following up on success, the importance of trusted readers and the merits of specs for established writers. Then it’s the fir...

This week, John and Craig go big to look all things blockbuster. First, Anita Elberse’s new book Blockbusters argues that giant movies are a comparatively safe bet for Hollywood. Meanwhile, Gravity is the movie on everyone’s lips, but will we learn the right lessons, or just try to put more movie stars in space? Speaking of big name actors, wow, some of them don’t seem to like be...

Explicit language warning! Even the titles of this week’s Three Page Challenge entries are filthy, so John and Craig let the f-bombs fly. We also look at Diablo Cody’s useful list of things no one ever tells you about being a successful screenwriter. Links: Diablo Cody’s 7 Things No One Tells You About Being a Top Screenwriter , from Vulture Join us for Scriptnotes Live at the 20...

Craig and John go back to basics with an all advice episode, looking at the Dear J.J. recommendations for Star Wars, Tony Gilroy’s advice to screenwriters and whatever’s up with Max Landis. From there, they open the listener mailbag to answer questions ranging from mastering characters’ voices to indie financing. Links: 4 Rules to Make Star Wars Great Again Clerks on Death Star p...

John and Craig discuss what it feels like to finish a project — the combination of excitement and relief, joy and sadness — as Craig advises John which project he should write next now that Big Fish is set to open. In film news, a new fund aims to back films directed by women, while Los Angeles appoints a new film czar with considerable studio experience. All this, plus Craig recounts...

In this bonus episode, Craig and John and special guest Andrew Lippa answer audience questions after the New York live show, addressing topics ranging from sustaining your passion for a project to dealing with difficult gatekeepers. We had a great crowd with great questions, and Craig especially rose to the challenge. Outro by Scriptnotes listener Daniel Johnson You can download the episode here:...

John and Craig welcome their largest live audience yet for a conversation about Kickstarter, movie pilots and musicals. Joined by special guest Andrew Lippa, they talk about the special challenges and opportunities that arise when characters break into song. It’s the biggest, gayest, most musical episode yet. Everyone sings. Links: See Big Fish on Broadway If you don’t have your Script...

John and Craig debate the perils and possibilities of bringing iPads into movie theaters. Is Disney’s Little Mermaid iPad app a way to breathe new life into a classic, or a slippery slope towards cinematic ruin? It’s a conversation with plenty of umbrage — but from an unexpected source. It’s then time for another round of Three Page Challenges. This week: hospital gowns, SA...

John and Craig discuss the difference between character intention and motivation, before segueing to conversations about working with actors and on-set writing. We’ve released a new (and final) batch of seats for the live New York show on September 23rd, so grab your tickets now for a chance to see Craig and John sing on stage with special guest Andrew Lippa. In other live-show news: we&#821...

John and Craig reveal their Myers-Briggs secrets as they discuss Kevin Spacey’s comments on the state of television, Eric Garcetti’s plans to address runaway production, and the WGA election. There are still a (very) few tickets left for Scriptnotes Live in NYC on September 23rd, with Craig, John and special guest Andrew Lippa. Links: Listen to John and Andrew on SiriusXM On Broadway w...

John and Craig tackle three new entries in the Three Page Challenge, ranging from space drama to killer hookers to brassy defense attorneys. Along the way, they find some awkward scene description and a few misused semi-colons. The live NYC Scriptnotes show, the one Craig and John said might happen? It will happen: September 23rd at 8pm at New World Stages on 50th. They’ll be joined by John&...

John and Craig discuss the impact of author Orson Scott Card’s personal toxicity on Ender’s Game, and what it means for that movie and how it will affect studio decisions moving forward. That, plus alternate jokes, One Cool Things, and a Golden Ticket-inspired discussion on one hour spec pilots. LINKS: The Ender’s Game movie AV Club on Orson Scott Card’s recent comments Big...

John and Craig discuss Damon Lindelof’s interview about how plot stakes have escalated lockstep with budget, perhaps to the point of absurdity. Then it’s a look at why screenwriters get the note to “spell things out,” and the situations in which it’s okay or troubling to have characters speak story points. Finally, we tackle the media’s obsession with Hollywood&...

Craig and John take a look at one investor’s campaign against Sony Pictures, and George Clooney’s strong reaction. From there, we examine why studios have multiple labels — TriStar is back! — and how that affects writers. It’s also time for another round of Three Page Challenges. We tackle at three entries, ranging from desert dystopias to urban wastelands to magical...

In this special bonus edition, John and Craig answer listener questions from the 100th episode with help from guests Rawson Thurber and Aline Brosh McKenna. LINKS: Scriptnotes, the 100th episode Aline Brosh McKenna on IMDb, and her first and second appearances on Scriptnotes Rawson Thurber on IMDb Go see We’re the Millers on August 7th! Fair use on Wikipedia The Slate Political Gabfest John...

John and Craig are joined by Aline Brosh McKenna and Rawson Thurber for the 100th episode of Scriptnotes, recorded live at the Academy Lab in Hollywood. It was a great night with an amazing audience. We discuss the origins of the show, the rise of the Screenwriter Plus, and that Slate article about Save The Cat! which so many listeners had mentioned. It’s such a big show that we’re spl...

John and Craig sit down with screenwriter-turned-psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo to discuss writer’s block, procrastination, partnerships and more. It’s a can’t-miss episode for aspiring writers and professionals alike. The live 100th episode of Scriptnotes is this Thursday, July 25th, at the Academy Lab in Hollywood. The event is sold out, but there will probably be a stand-by li...

John and Craig discuss the Apple ebook price-fixing lawsuit and its lessons for Hollywood, before segueing to the new credits system for producers. Then: Have movies gotten too long, and would making them shorter really save money? T-shirts. If you ordered one, you should probably have it by now. So if it’s not in your hands, email Stuart at orders@johnaugust.com to investigate. There was co...

Have first acts gotten shorter, or does it just feel that way? John and Craig discuss the pressure on screenwriters to “get to it” faster, and why that’s often the wrong goal. From there, we talk about the WGA’s annual numbers, which paint an improving picture for TV writers — but more bad news for the feature folk. Finally, we discuss the fight over THE BUTLER, and t...

Live from WGF Craft Day, Craig and John tackle three new Three Page Challenge entries...with the writers on hand!

John and Craig discuss the death of the film industry as foretold by four prominent filmmakers. Is the way we make movies unsustainable? Is the system fundamentally broken, or just changing into something new? And why don’t we make romantic comedies anymore? A big thanks to everyone who bought Scriptnotes t-shirts. They ship starting July 1st, which is coincidentally the date tickets for the...

John and Craig tackle the bursting mailbag, answering listener questions on topics ranging from the variable length of the TV season to underachieving agents to embarrassing IMDb credits. This Friday, June 21, is the last day to order Scriptnotes t-shirts, so click over to store.johnaugust.com if you want to express your love for the show in screen-printed form. We’ll be mailing out shirts s...

John and Craig discuss the polarizing potentate of Deadline Hollywood Daily, then segue into what a healthy entertainment journalism ecosystem might look like. From there, it’s a discussion of Amazon Studios’ new storyboarding software, which demos well but isn’t likely to change much. It’s a good jumping-off spot for talking about storyboarding in general. Also this week:...