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Scriptnotes Podcast

Film

Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and related topics in the film and television industry, everything from getting stuff written to the vagaries of copyright and work-for-hire law.

Location:

Los Angeles, CA

Description:

Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and related topics in the film and television industry, everything from getting stuff written to the vagaries of copyright and work-for-hire law.

Twitter:

@johnaugust

Language:

English


Episodes

636 - Whispering Loudly

3/26/2024
John welcomes back Pamela Ribon (Nimona, My Year of Dicks) to quietly ask: what’s with all the whispering in movies these days? They discuss trends and techniques in voice and volume, picking the right moment to whisper, and the value of voices across decibel levels. We also revisit Pamela’s work on Moana to look at what you can learn from reading early drafts, ponder the threat of TikTok and YouTube, follow-up on vetting potential co-workers, and answer a listener question on writing animation. In our bonus segment for premium members, Pam shares all her star-studded stories from sitting in the 5th row at this year’s Oscars. Links: Pamela RibonInstagramListen to SassyMy Year of DicksNimonaHire Survivors HollywoodDune: Part Two Clip ‘Fundie Baby Voice’ Seems To Be Everywhere Now. Here’s What You Should KnowIn a World – SmoothieNatural Born Killers 1990 Draft Natural Born Killers 1993 DraftLin-Manuel Miranda on ‘I Want’ Songs, Going Method for ‘Moana’ and Fearing David BowieMore (Outtake)How Far I’ll Go How Bad Can It Get for Hollywood?This Sitcom Got WEIRD When Nobody Watched ItResearching An Old Sitcom With AICoucou French classesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:08:16

635 - Is This Person Going to Ruin Everything?

3/19/2024
John and Craig wring their hands and ask, how do you make sure the person you’re hiring isn’t a monster? They look at best practices for vetting colleagues, sussing out problematic people, and managing your own emotions when you’re the person with power. We also discuss writing for non-native English speakers, using three examples to illustrate the importance of syntax, musicality and authenticity. But first, we answer listener questions on giving notes and kids playing D&D. In our bonus segment for premium members, we spill the kool-aid on our fears and fascinations with cults. Links: StrandsAnatomy of a Fall – Clip Past Lives by Celine SongIrma Vep – Clip Is This Hollywood’s #MeanToo Moment? How to play Dungeons and Dragons for kids RuPaul Doesn’t See How That’s Any of Your BusinessRecursion – Glitch GamesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:09:27

634 - What If? Hollywood Edition

3/12/2024
John and Craig explore the counterfactuals of Hollywood history — the relatively small moments that, if the coin toss had gone the other way, would have massive ramifications on the world as we know it. What if Edison was allowed to keep his monopoly on motion pictures? What does our industry look like without the Paramount Consent Decree? What if George Lucas died in his car accident? Would superhero movies have dominated our culture if Iron Man had bombed? What studios would have gone down if Titanic had sunk? And what if Netflix had stayed with its DVD-only model? In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk capitalism and solve its problems once and for all. Links: What If? Thomas Edison: The Unintentional Founder of Hollywood United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. George Lucas: The Car Wreck That Changed His Life and Led Him to ‘Star Wars’ When ‘Titanic’ Was Expected to Be a Huge Flop ‘John Carter’ Changed Hollywood, but Not in the Way Disney Hoped Financial Interest and Syndication RulesPost-Quantum Cryptography S’more! S’more! His artisanal marshmallows were the greatest. Then he tried to scale them.Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:07:12

633 - Reviving a Dormant Project

3/5/2024
John welcomes back John Gatins (Flight, Coach Carter) to talk about reviving a dormant project and actually getting it made – like he just did with his new film Little Wing. They look at how films die, what brings them back to life, and go deep into the mechanics of sports movies. We also follow up on flu tests, the Tiffany problem and pet names before answering listener questions on professionalism, mid-credit scenes, and work ethic. In our bonus segment for premium members, John Gatins talks abut transitioning into a writing team and reveals his process of negotiating credits. Links: Little Wing – On Paramount+ March 13thWikipediaIMDbLittle Wing by Susan OrleanLUCIRA by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Home TestMerlin Bird ID The Facts of Life – Attempted Spin-offsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:51:50

632 - Mystery and Suspense

2/27/2024
John has the flu (or does he?) and Craig is missing, so we’re going back through the vaults to look at the mechanics of mystery and suspense. How do writers exploit the audience’s curiosity? What builds and breaks their trust? How do you use suspense across genres? And what do these techniques look like on the page? But first, we look at the current agency shakeups and share our thoughts on OpenAI’s new engine, Sora. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Drew talk about their experience with the Apple Vision Pro. Links: Scriptnotes 269 – Mystery vs. ConfusionScriptnotes 332 – Wait for It A3 Artists Agency Shuts Down Verve CEO and Co-Founder Bill Weinstein Leaves Agency After 14 YearsA few thoughts on SoraGOODY-2 Meet the Pranksters Behind Goody-2, the World’s ‘Most Responsible’ AI ChatbotClaire Keegan Contextual computing with Vision Pro: My Writing CabinGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:13:26

631 - Adapting for Television

2/20/2024
John welcomes writer and showrunner Francesca Sloane (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Atlanta) to talk about her process of bringing a big-screen property to television. She shares how she and Donald Glover found their way into the story, how it evolved in development, building a room that was all women of color, re-writing on set, and the many lessons she learned as a first time showrunner. We also follow up on writing partners and phonetic alphabets before answering listener questions on writing samples, casting on the page and why some screenplays are free to read. In our bonus segment for premium members, we dig into the benefits (and drawbacks) of film schools and fellowships. Links: Francesca SloaneInstagram Mr. & Mrs. SmithISPA: Inter-Species Phonetic Alphabet for Transcribing Animal SoundsBluets by Maggie NelsonA Unified Theory of F-cks by Mandy BrownGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:53:23

630 - The One with Celine Song

2/13/2024
John welcomes Celine Song (Past Lives) to chart her journey from playwright to Oscar-nominated screenwriter. We discuss the intricacies of writing bilingually, the similarities between theater and a writers room, finding the right collaborators and how writing prepared Celine for for the rigors of directing. We also follow up on foreign courts, the Tiffany problem, and answer listener questions on American grad schools and table reads. In our bonus segment for premium members, Celine looks back on her production of The Seagull in The Sims 4 and reflects on the importance of experimenting with form. Links: IMDbInstagramPast LivesThe Seagull on The Sims 4The Wheel of TimeA real bald eagle callred-tailed hawkDeadwoodThe American PresidentShottrBaldur’s Gate 3Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:53:37

629 - Cork Grease

2/6/2024
John and Craig host another round of the Three Page Challenge, where they give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. They offer insights into using sound realistically, writing action that can be easily directed, finding subtext in dialogue, and navigating complex points of view. But first, we dig into several tricky listener questions: How does a writing team discuss their individual work with their reps? When is it ok to say no to inclusive casting? And how do you break up with a producer? In our bonus segment for premium members, we delve into tough questions and offer advice to our younger selves. Links: Weekend Read 2 ROUTESMEGHA GENESISTHOUGHTS AND PRAYERSDelve DeckZarak by Afghan Kitchen – VancouverGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:05:45

628 - The Fandom Menace

1/30/2024
John and Craig discuss the dynamics of fandom, attempting to chart how things get cool, then hot, then terrible. But how are fandoms organized? Where do subcultures start? And how should you engage with the community that forms around your work? We also look at an alternative screenplay format from one of last year’s best screenplays, and follow up on bake-offs, distracting accuracies in fiction, and UK writing credits. We then answer questions on original songs, packaging your script, and what you can do when you suspect you’ve been ripped off. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig look at the many various fandoms and do their best to enrage them. Links: The Tiffany Problem ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Zeroes In On Premise As Selected Writers Pitch Their Ideas To Max WGGB Screenwriting Credits AgreementIg Nobel Prize – “Please stop, I’m Bored” Anatomy of a Fall – Screenplay Podcasters Took Up Her Sister’s Murder Investigation. Then They Turned on HerGeeks, MOPs, and sociopaths in subculture evolution Going Zero by Anthony McCarten The Devil by Jessica MazinGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:15:56

SC38 - Sidecast: The DGA Deal, part 2

1/26/2024
The DGA surprised the town yesterday, announcing an update to their already-signed agreement with the AMPTP. The new deal includes select pay bumps and the streaming bonus gained by WGA and SAG-AFTRA after their lengthy strikes. John and Drew are back to look at what we know about this off-cycle development and ask questions like huh? And how? And why? Links: DGA Announces Revisions To Film & TV Contract, Including Addition Of Streaming Bonus To Match WGA’sTwitterInstagramMastodon Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:09:04

627 - Unbelievably Agentic

1/23/2024
John welcomes back Aline Brosh McKenna to look at how both you and your characters can become more “agentic.” What are the traps and pitfalls of going after what you want? How do you get people to engage with your protagonist, especially when the protagonist is yourself? Then it’s another round of How Would This be a Movie? We look at stories about a harm-reduction hotline, countertop cancer, loyalty testers and a mathematician who exploited the lottery. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Aline talk about their strange new reality of being empty nesters. Links: How to be More AgenticWhat’s Stopping You? Seven ways to become unstoppably agentic “Agency” needs nuance The Woman on the Line California workers who cut countertops are dying of an incurable disease Would Your Partner Cheat? These ‘Testers’ Will Give You an AnswerThe man who won the lottery 14 timesMusely So you wanna de-bog yourselfAline Brosh McKennaGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:04:53

626 - Realistic but Distracting

1/16/2024
John and Craig investigate those details that are accurate and authentic, but can pull viewers out of the story. They look for ways to balance what is realistic with what is believable, and how to get rid of distractions and keep your audience focused on what matters. We also discuss popular names, follow up on Icelandic pronunciations and the Mazinga toy, and answer listener questions on period details, defining biopics, writing during production, and whether or not to read the script before watching the movie. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig swallow their pride and ask, how can you tell when someone is just being nice? Links: First baby of the new year arrives at Dublin’s Rotunda HospitalMazinger ZRegicideThe Last of Us Comes in First at Saturday Creative Arts EmmysGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:56:27

625 - Back in the FYC

1/9/2024
John and Craig take a look at the many For Your Consideration scripts suddenly available to read to see what lessons can be learned from movies that were actually made. They find best practices for establishing setting, using “we see” and “we hear,” complicated setups, directing on the page, and how to get right into your story. We also look at the possible sale of Paramount, the International Phonetic Alphabet and setting 2024 goals, before answering listener questions on UK credits and our writing routines. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig chew on a difficult question — would we eat lab-grown human meat? Links: The Vultures Are Circling: Who Will Walk Away With Paramount? The Holdovers by David Hemingson All of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh May December by Samy Burch Saltburn by Emerald Fennell Killers of the Flower Moon by Eric Roth & Martin Scorsese Barbie by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach Across the Spider-Verse by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller & Dave Callaham Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan American Fiction by Cord JeffersonWeekend Read 2Gartic Phone Dungeons & Dragons – Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad MageGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:04:11

624 - Creating Empathy for Your Characters

1/2/2024
In this compendium episode, John and Craig look at how we can best articulate our characters’ inner lives and get the audience invested in them. They discuss the intricacies of point of view, finding truthful emotional states, and why it’s so important for your characters to be liars. How do you engage an audience’s empathy? What makes an audience cry? What emotional response breaks their trust? Why is point of view important, and how can it be manipulated? How can lies be used to drive a character to emotional authenticity? And what is the best way to reveal your character’s secrets? In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk single-use characters and crown the greatest day-player of all time. Links: Scriptnotes Episode 358 – Point of ViewScriptnotes Episode 472 – Emotional StatesScriptnotes Episode 151 – Secrets and LiesScriptnotes Episode 467 – Another Word for Euphemism Gödel’s incompleteness theoremsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:09:03

623 - A Very Special Christmas Episode

12/26/2023
John and Craig are joined by the ghosts of Scriptnotes past and present (Megana and Drew) for a festive competition: discussing the perils of studio bake-offs — pitting writer against writer for one coveted job — while simultaneously judging three of LA’s finest holiday cookies. We also look at Netflix’s recently released viewership data, follow up on homonyms, AI coverage and voting, and answer a listener question on the definition of a drafts. But first, we investigate the origin of a very useful word that’s new to John and Craig. In our bonus segment for premium members, we travel to holidays past to discuss the best presents we ever received — and the gifts that got away. Links: Netflix Viewership Data The absolutely legitimate, incredibly useful Indian English word you’re not usingHomographsThe Very Best Cookie In The Whole Wide WorldDeLuscious CookiesLevain BakeryClue ConspiracyDessert Person Upright SteamerThe Kelly Clarkson ConnectionGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:06:42

622 - The One with Christopher Nolan

12/19/2023
John welcomes writer and director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) to discuss experimentation, subjectivity and adaptation as they take an in-depth look at his screenplay, Oppenheimer. They explore Chris’ writing process, how to make non-linear structures work, finding the story in real-life events, being kinetic on the page, the importance of embracing editing, and why theme can be a tricky thing. In our bonus segment for premium members, Chris and John muse about the difficulties of dream sequences — and what makes them work. Links: Oppenheimer – The First Three PagesChristopher NolanIMDb American PrometheusThe Open MindThe Shepard Tone When We Cease to Understand the WorldInfinite MacGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:52:19

621 - How Would This Be a Biopic?

12/12/2023
John and Craig look at several notable figures in the news and ask, How Would This Be a Biopic? They examine the lives of Henry Kissinger, Sandra Day O’Connor, George Santos, Rosalynn Carter, and Sam Altman to see which are best suited for the big screen, and declare once-and-for-all the proper way to pronounce “biopic.” We also follow up on VFX and AI, the two-column format, inner monologues, and Melissa Mazin sets the record straight on her role at Thanksgiving. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig speculate about which event in history had the biggest negative impact on human civilization. Links: Sandra Day O’ConnorHenry KissingerRosalynn CarterGeorge SantosSam Altman What happened at OpenAI? The Sam Altman saga, explained International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)Fallout – TrailerGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:51:57

412 - Writing About Mental Health and Addiction (Encore)

12/5/2023
John moderates Breaking the Stigma, a panel on addiction and mental health with guests Gemma Baker (creator of CBS’s Mom), Dr. Corey Waller (specialist in pain, addiction and emergency medicine), Dr. Holly Daniels (specialist in eating disorders and mental health issues), and journalist Zachary Siegel. We discuss how addiction and mental health issues are portrayed in film and TV, more authentic ways of telling these stories, and how writers and creators can take care of their own mental health. In our bonus segment for premium members, Drew joins John to talk about the etiquette of thank you notes and follow-up emails. Links: Episode 412 – TranscriptHollywood, Health & Society – USC Annenberg Norman Lear CenterEighth Grade6 Balloons Motivational InterviewingNarcanGemma BakerDr. Holly DanielsTwitterZachary SiegelSubstackTwitterGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Megana RaoMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:01:25:16

620 - This Uncertain Age

11/28/2023
John and Craig investigate their anxiety and ask, why is the future so hard to predict right now? They discuss everything from what’s going at OpenAi, the upcoming elections, a new service that uses AI to generate script coverage, and muse about how to move forward in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. We also follow up with two listeners who wrote in for advice, and answer new questions on composite characters, being inspired by reddit, and how to maintain a long running D&D group. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig freestyle the introduction to the upcoming Scriptnotes Book. Links: The Strange $55 Million Saga of a Netflix Series You’ll Never SeeDigital background actors in Disney’s Prom Pact Sacking, revolt, return: how crisis at OpenAI over Sam Altman unfoldedAlex Edelman: Just for Us Weber Connect Smart Grilling HubGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:57:47

619 - Comedy Episode

11/21/2023
John welcomes Jesse David Fox (Comedy Book, Good One) and Greg Iwinski (Last Week Tonight, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) to “explain the joke” and discuss how comedy works. They explore everything from harnessing your comedic voice, building a career in comedy, the importance of diversity in late night, to fundamental questions about the art form: How do jokes work? Is laughter always the primary goal of a comedy? Do you need to put your work online? How has the algorithm changed our consumption of comedy? And where does comedy go from here? In our bonus segment for premium members, Greg, Jesse and John talk about their shared love for The Simpsons. What makes it so funny, and how has it shaped a generation of comedy nerds? Links: Greg IwinskiTwitterInstagramJesse David FoxInstagramTwitterComedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It WorkGood One: Podcast About Jokes Julia The Great Stewardess RebellionEverything You Want (ft. MUNA)Have You Heard of Christmas?Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterJohn on MastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Duration:00:57:54