Library
This page contains .pdf versions of various projects I’ve written over the years. The best way to learn screenwriting is read a bunch of scripts, so these are intended for educational purposes only. Obviously, don’t try to sell/stage/pilfer any of the material you find here, or the studios involved will send scary lawyer types after you. It’s not pleasant for anyone.
Important: If you want to link to any of the scripts here, please link to this page. Everything else you see here will inevitably move, and broken links suck.
- - - Shorts - - -
God
This is the short film I made in 1998, a prequel to The Nines. It’s included on the DVD.
- - - Features - - -
The Nines
- Final shooting script. The original draft isn’t vastly different, save for two scenes added in reshoots.
- Shooting schedule. Pretty close to our final shooting schedule. New
- Visual FX breakdown. Boards and descriptions for two of the more complicated sections. New
- The audience questionnaire we used for our second test screening.
How to Eat Fried Worms
Note that this is not the script for the 2006 movie. It predates it by almost a decade. You can read more about the backstory here.
Go
Big Fish
- Original one-page outline
- Revised full outline after first draft
- Final shooting script
- Introduction to paperback version
- - - TV - - -
D.C.
- Pilot script
- Episode 2: Truth
- Episode 3: Justice
- the initial pitch I made to the WB
- the outline for the pilot
- a template for a “normal” episode
- and an exercise in which I look at God from each character’s perspective
- the pilot presentation script
In order to save money, the WB asked all its drama pilots to shoot a 30-minute “pilot presentation” of the show, rather than the whole hour. To do this, I had to omit a bunch of scenes, and rewrite some others so that it would all make sense.
Yes, if I had written Episode 4, it was supposed to titled, “The American Way.”
The Circle (a.k.a. Alaska)
More information about The Circle is here
Ops
There are three versions of the pilot. The first is set in Afghanistan and Venezuela. The second, in Afghanistan and Iraq. The third, in Brazil and Uzbekistan. Since the first two pilots were both called “Blood and Oil,” they’ve been labeled here as “Venezuela,” “Iraq,” and “Uzbekistan.”
- Venezuela beat sheet
- Venezuela outline
- Venezuela pilot
- Venezuela pilot, revised
- Iraq outline
- Iraq pilot
- Iraq pilot, revised
- Uzbekistan outline
- McGinty casting sides
- Vanowen casting sides
113 Responses to “Library”
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October 24th, 2004 at 12:14 am
Thanks John (can I call you John?) for creating this site, I…wait, maybe not, let me start over…
Thanks Mr. August…no wait, still too casual…
Thank you sir…hmmm, nah, let me try another take on it…
Dear Mr John August, I…no, now I sound like a chain letter from Allstate Insurance…
Okay, here we go…
Greetings and Salutations, I wanted to offer my thanks for your continued efforts at reaching out to prospective screenwriters (here, IMDB.com, etc) and giving the feeling that Hollywood connections and nepotistic fancy are not necessarily needed to eek out an existence as a working screenscribe (although I’m sure being the third cousin to Harvey Weinstein , or Joan River’s dog groomer’s roommate doesn’t hurt) Your ability to give matter of fact commentary on your work and journey breaks down the perception that there’s a barrier between TV/Movie Land writers and common, ordinary yokels such as myself. Thanks for giving those of us who actually “write” something to shoot for, and for promoting the fact that in the end it’s the “writing” itself that is its own reward. Quaero Veritas, RTA
October 31st, 2004 at 2:18 pm
This site is awesome. I find it very helpful. I teach a film class and I write screenplays the outlines and pitches are extremely helpful. Thank you so much.
November 20th, 2004 at 4:33 pm
Thank you for sharing. As a novice playwright, it is important for me to read other people´s work for inspiration and knowledge. Thank you.
November 26th, 2004 at 9:24 am
I think it is great what you have done…only if you could put my idea into a script…Thanks.
November 27th, 2004 at 4:35 pm
Thank you, Mr. August for being generous enough to put out such a wonderfully educational web site. It’s nice to know that there a writers out there who have succeed and aren’t too prideful to not share thier wisdom. I hope I’m half as gratious if that success ever comes my way. Thanks again. I look forward to your next projects.
November 30th, 2004 at 9:43 pm
very helpful
December 1st, 2004 at 10:10 pm
Great site…Wierd thing happened. I usually have story ideas and have had a dozen or so building up, but never took them serious. Then last night I was sick and woke up at three in the morning. I sat at the computer and this story poppe din my head. It was the first time I actually wrote something down and this story sticks…the rest are good, but this one I just keeps growing in one day. So I bought Final Draft 7 of Ebay today and starting some research and found this site. I’ll be back….I just nee dto figur eout what way is best to write my story..in story format or screen play format. Screen play seems like it is harder to get the story across..Please advise if possible. I will write until FD7 comes in
December 5th, 2004 at 3:21 pm
Sure I could lavish praise on you and tell you what a great website this is, but that’s what you pay personal assistants for.
December 14th, 2004 at 3:05 pm
your generous passing on of your process is astonishing. Thanks. I am a lecturer in screenwriting and I will be recommending your website to my students.
January 20th, 2005 at 1:52 pm
hey, good job on the website. I went to drake as well. heard about u on the drake website and decided to check this out since I am trying to put my screenplay together. thanks for the help, will keep u posted on how its going.
January 24th, 2005 at 8:44 pm
John, thanks for this great website - very helpful!
For the last six months, I have been working on a 1/2 episodic. I have completed the pilot and two additional episodes. Three other episodes I have outlined. Do you think that is enough material for presentation to agents or producers, etc? Did I do over do it?
January 28th, 2005 at 7:42 pm
All these scripts are graet. when will you have Corpse Bride up?
Tiff Orlando, FL
January 31st, 2005 at 2:53 pm
Hi,
I am looking for a Reality TV Game show script, or a pitch. I am putting together a reality show and need to format it properly to present to the networks. Can you point me in the right direction?
February 12th, 2005 at 2:20 am
Hello John August! This is kind of out of date (its been about a year since you I saw you speak, as well as a year since I have graduated) but I just wanted to thank you again for coming back to Fairview to share so much of your life’s experiences. This site is so helpful and I really appreciate all you do help us aspiring screenwriters. Thanks again, Habib.
February 28th, 2005 at 3:30 am
Dear Mr August
The day before yesterday I rented “Big Fish” on dvd, and it’s been a long time since I saw such a moving, beautiful film. I recognise not only the genius of Tim Burton but also of you as the screenwriter. The ending drove me to tears, becoming a father myself in a few days. It arose a lot of emotions, and the next day I had a long and hearthy talk with my father. I can’t remember when we did that.
Thank you so much for this wonderful experience.
Greetings, Johan Depaepe
March 30th, 2005 at 4:16 am
Thanks, John. It’s great of you to help people in this way. I hope and trust it comes back to you.
April 1st, 2005 at 6:44 pm
i am trying to put together a script/format for a new dateline type of show I am creating….it will have different elements to make it more interesting and a consistent theme with substories each show.. but I dont know how to put it in writing to submit it .. any help or directionthank you
April 2nd, 2005 at 7:36 pm
I’m following an impulse to write a note of thanks for the poignant and evocative screenplay for The Big Fish. Just finished watching the film and couldn’t help thinking throughout just how well it had been written and particularly brilliantly structured and thought out. If screenplays had bones, these would be especially beautiful ones.
And how nice to be able to have the opportunity online to thank a screenwriter for their work. Many congratulations and I very much look forward to your upcoming work.
April 5th, 2005 at 6:12 pm
Mr. August
Great sight. In been on the friges and finally in the business for 30 years and I still read scripts day and night. We can’t compete with each other and grow as writers without touching base with the best. Good work! Leland Garton
April 30th, 2005 at 3:43 pm
hello, John. Great site btw. I have one error to point out and one question. In MY THREE SONS you mention that the vas deferens and the “glands” have been removed-I imagine you meant “glans”. that would surely be in keeping with a complete castration, since all of the tissues form an integral whole.
And my question: What’s a PRELAP?
May 23rd, 2005 at 8:24 pm
Thanks for posting some of your work. I have no idea what I’m doing here, but I’ve been fascinated for the last hour or so. I really like GO when it first came out. Who knew I’d ever be sitting here reading the original script?
May 23rd, 2005 at 8:26 pm
Ugh. I meant liked. Sorry to make you cringe.
May 30th, 2005 at 8:05 am
Hi John,
Great to see an A-list writer dispensing wisdom so freely. Wish more in the film industry would do it, but someone’s got to set the example, don’t they? To add to all of your accolades and praise, you have been added to my “Important” bookmarks folder. Right next to theonion.com and jumptheshark.com. You should feel honoured.
Good luck with Charlie!
June 1st, 2005 at 8:03 pm
I always wondered since I’ve watched “Big Fish” a few months ago here in Manila why the Ventriloquist and his puppet were speaking in Filipino. I was amused when I realized while watching that the dialogue was in our language. When i browsed through the “Big Fish” script, I found out that he was supposed to be Chinese. Well, whoever was responsible for that, my appreciation. It is very very seldom that a reference on the Philippines, its culture and language, etc., is found in international movies.
June 2nd, 2005 at 11:24 am
Thank you Mr. August for putting together an informative site for inspiring screenwriters. I have just graduated high school, and I plan on going to Indiana University this fall and study business and film. I’m having second thoughts though. I live in Indiana so IU is close to me and costs alot cheaper than if I were to go to USC. My question is, should I try IU out for a year, or should I go ahead and cancel IU and apply to USC or another high-profile film school? Does it really matter where I get taught screenwriting?
June 2nd, 2005 at 1:51 pm
Mr. August,
I would just like to say thank you for sharing your work. I found the pilot scripts to be a big help. I haven’t as of yet gone to school for writing but plan to in the future but untill then most of my knowledge has been self taught and most of that has been reading about movie scripts. Now that I’ve read some of your work I can see that I’m on the right track.
So again thank you.
Gord Pitt
June 4th, 2005 at 1:56 pm
Are half the people writing to you here illiterate or what?
June 6th, 2005 at 10:49 am
I know it’s been 6 years, but “Go” is an awesome, wildly underrated film.
One casting question, though: where did they ever find a cat that can hear human thoughts? ‘Cuz I thought the little grey-and-white bastard that lives with me was the only one.
June 19th, 2005 at 11:51 am
To post #27, it’s more likely that screenwriting is so widely seen as a potential shortcut to fame and fortune that even people who can’t spell are attracted to it.
June 20th, 2005 at 1:14 pm
Thank You Mr. August. This is the most helpful site I have come across. I have yet to learn how to write a professional script, but am able to formulate and outline ideas extensively. Big Fish is one of my favorite films and I thank you for bringing this work of art to the big screen. This summer I am attending the summer seminars at USC for screenwriting and hope to learn everything I possibly can. Again thank you for everything.
-Steven Levy
June 24th, 2005 at 3:33 am
Thank you very much John August
You have made my day - this sharing of your work is a fantastic way of giving service to people like us who are still in our early stages of writing screenplays
I will always appreciate you andyour work after this.
Milan’ ( East Africa )
July 5th, 2005 at 10:58 am
Will you be posting the script for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory online?
July 23rd, 2005 at 3:26 pm
you are an amazing craftsman. thank you for this site. p
“clear the ground that [you] may.” - james fenimore cooper: “the pioneers”
July 24th, 2005 at 8:06 am
John, I want to thank you for coming to my class at USC this past semester. For all of you fans of John August, I can tell you that he provided my students and me with a great deal of insight into the screenwriting and production process. I also wanted to congratulate you on the birth of your daughter. Best regards, Mark
July 30th, 2005 at 6:27 pm
Your work on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was brilliant. It’s so refreshing to see a true-to-the-book movie in this day and age. Thank you, Mr. August!
August 5th, 2005 at 2:45 pm
Wow, this is fantastic stuff for those looking to get started (like me!) — I have to say I would truly love to see the Charlie script to see how book adaptations work, and figure out where the scriptwriting ends and the directing starts…
August 6th, 2005 at 8:33 am
I’d just like to back up what everybody else here has said and say that this site is really useful to, well everyone! I’d also like to agree with the last few repliers and say that I’d really love to see a charlie script!
August 14th, 2005 at 4:25 am
Thank you
August 21st, 2005 at 4:25 pm
I just used print(fu) to print a hard copy of the big fish final script… I thought I would tell others about the service because it was pretty nice. for 8 dollars I have a bound version in a couple days… Here’s a link to print the script
john, thanks for all of your great tips!
e
August 25th, 2005 at 7:29 pm
How nice to find such a generous and talented guy giving useful knowledge and inspiration to complete strangers. It warms my heart. Much more of this and Hollywood will get a good name.
September 1st, 2005 at 10:49 am
i think yo are the best compositor of the world, the main titles song of “charlie and the chocolate factory” is the only song that i’m hearing now, it’s the best! and all the song of the film are fantastic thank you so much & good luck
September 15th, 2005 at 2:48 am
I can’t find the words to explain you how much I love your work (maybe because my english is not as godd as what I thought lol), but thank you so much to be such an amazing writer and to inspire me so much. And thank you for helping young writers through your website, it means a lot to us…
Merci beaucoup… Vincent
September 18th, 2005 at 1:20 pm
Hello
I just wondred if you could give me a presise description of a synopsys? Everyone tells me different everytime I ask…
Stian
September 19th, 2005 at 11:11 am
An excellent site with excellent resources.
Thank you for your time and effort into it - I send many friends here when they ask me for advice.
~Steve
September 23rd, 2005 at 2:18 pm
hi, I was just wondering if u put your other screenplays on the site, too?
September 24th, 2005 at 6:57 pm
like the others.
thank you for your generous site.
:cheers:
September 28th, 2005 at 6:10 am
Hey john, congratulations for your works, you’re great. I’m doing a work for college about your movie “charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, and I wonder if you could help me. My especific topic is: “aesthetic and color in screenplay adaptation: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and I try to discover how did you do to adapt this book, to recreate the characters, to develope the past of Willy Wonka and to create this wonderfull movie. I wonder if you could send me the script of this movie, that would be so useful. Thank you, and congratulations again to you and to Tim Burton, he’s great too.
October 30th, 2005 at 6:42 pm
[...] I’ve gotten a few questions from readers who’ve gone through the scripts in the Downloads section, many of them asking about my use of “we,” as in… [...]
November 5th, 2005 at 3:23 am
excellent site
November 8th, 2005 at 1:15 pm
Thanks a TON for the samples. I had absolutely no idea how the format or layout of a script worked once I wanted to start mine, and your site has been the springboard for me for the past year.
I’ll be sure to mention your name on the red carpet in a few years. Right. :\
December 3rd, 2005 at 8:06 am
thank you so much John August for making these scripts available as a resource. this website is really the best thing on the internet. why even bother going to film school.
thanks so much again, all the best.
January 11th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
i like theat you can dawlowd script becuss it can be difficult to find
Thancs!!!
Ida From sweden
January 17th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Hello,
I’m just interested in obtaining sample scripts pertaining to realities shows.
January 24th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
[...] See for yourself To the degree there’s a silver lining, I can now offer a bunch of new stuff in the Downloads section. In the Ops category, you’ll find stuff from all three versions of the pilot, along with the sides we used for casting. [...]
January 26th, 2006 at 6:12 pm
[...] Resulta que hoy me doy una vuelta por el blog del guionista John August, una fuente que citamos recientemente, y me topo con la siguiente perla: Para aquellos que nos hayan sintonizado tarde, Ops es un drama de aventuras sobre dos tipos que manejan una corporación privada. Ellos son sub-sub-contratistas —amable eufemismo para ‘mercenarios’ (nota del editor)— de un gigante corporativo como Halliburton, al que brindan operaciones de campo en lugares del mundo realmente peligrosos, como Irak, Afghanistan o Venezuela. Ops era una serie de televisión que John August estaba desarrollando para Fox, un poco a la manera del filme Three Kings. Variety, en su momento, publicó una nota sobre la serie: Semana a semana, los personajes deberán rescatar un rehén en Venezuela, entregar un paquete en Irak, o escoltar a un multimillonario en Bosnia, explicó August. En la sección de descargas del weblog de August podrán encontrar los guiones originales de los dos capÃtulos pilotos del capÃtulo piloto de Ops cuya trama, en parte, transcurre en Venezuela. [...]
February 4th, 2006 at 9:59 am
[...] I’ve added five examples of this from D.C. in the Downloads section. Included you’ll find: [...]
February 6th, 2006 at 8:39 pm
Thanks for having all this info available, I’m from Costa Rica and this is the only way that I have to look for Burton’s info. I would like to know if you have any idea of a document that analize Big Fish or that talks about the relation between fantasy and reality and the hability that this director has to fusion this two worlds. Thank you for this site!!!
February 17th, 2006 at 8:32 am
Any chance of publishing “Zombie Western” in download section?
March 23rd, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Very helpful , thank you , I watched three of your Films in Egypt I loved them all , wish you all the best
April 8th, 2006 at 1:26 am
Hi John,
I am an aspiring screen writer in India. With no connections or contacts with the film world in India, often called Bollywood, I was..no I still am–groping in the dark, trying to clothe my concept/story in language, package it properly and so on. And during this journey, I came upon your site. I must say it give people like us a becon of hope and courage to finally get down to do what you have been dreaming about all your life. Thanks again. Amit Mitra, India
April 18th, 2006 at 8:05 am
TV shows… and the bible.. I know what it is, but what does it look like, how long is it? Is it simply a few pages bound together, with all the characters and their pasts.. is there a sepreate bible for each character?
April 18th, 2006 at 8:07 am
Hi,
Thanks for write one of my favorites movies like is “GO!”
April 22nd, 2006 at 7:55 pm
Because you give back to us nobody’s with your time, knowledge, and of course time, we definitely appreciate what you are doing. And instead of some big hollywood celeb headlining a movie, I simply look at who wrote the screenplay, and that will be the determining factor on whether or not I’ll see the movie. And of course, I’ll be looking out for any of your projects you got coming up. :-D. Is it me or is “The Unit” on CBS strangely similar to your “Ops?” You shoulda got the greenlight on that. Damn those suits. Damn them all.
April 23rd, 2006 at 5:09 pm
Mr. August,
Being a man, machoism has been drilled into my inner being ever since I was born. Society tells us that “men aren’t supposed to cry.” My grandfather even commented once, during a movie where the lead character cries over the loss of his love interest, “I can’t stand to see a grown man cry.” This might give you a small idea of how I was raised.
With that said, I will admit to only two occasions where I shed tears during a movie. The first was during the movie MY LIFE with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman. The second was during the movie BIG FISH, as you might have already guessed.
My mother introduced me to a film director, claiming I was a writer. He asked if I had a few minutes to talk, so we sat aside and chatted for a few minutes. He asked me to name my three favorite movies of all time; quickly. One of those movies was BIG FISH. He then said something I’ll never forget as he pointed his finger at me, “Those are the types of movies you want to write.”
Daniel Wallace’s book made for a very complicated movie, and I’m glad you took to it. I tend to be very impatient. I can’t imagine the four years it took of weaving in and out of the various drafts. I only hope that in four years something I write today will make it to the silver screen.
Thank you for your wonderful site.
April 25th, 2006 at 6:14 am
Dear John,
It’s nice to see that writers who make it big can still make it small.
Love the insiders ‘insight’ you give us on the website.
Keep it up and I’ll keep watching your films
Later,
G.
May 6th, 2006 at 9:42 am
Dear Mr. August, thank you a ton for your excellent and very helpful site. Pat
May 7th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Thanks, John. No prominent feature writer I know has done anything like you have with this site. Extremely useful.
It probably goes without saying but: Go was great. Also loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
A produced but minor-league (non-union, a few sales, film in Blockbuster, on cable, etc.) screenwriter.
July 14th, 2006 at 5:53 am
Thankyou for being so generous with your work and experience. I absolutly LOVED “Go” and “Big Fish”. Cheers.
July 15th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Hi, John. I’m Andy Lee from Trinity University. I attended your screenwriting seminar when you visited my school in last spring. I was one of two Korean students who attended your seminar. My point of the question is, I’m looking for intern job for the summer. I’m staying in Buena Park, California right now, and I’m very much interested in finding an intern involved in film production, and I was hoping you can help me out. I’m very much interested in film production, and I’d love to participate in the field. I apologize if I’m asking you while you’re very busy. I’ll be staying in California until August 15. Since I go to summer school for the weekdays, I could only work on Friday or Saturday. Please write me back to my email if there’s position available for me to take. Thank you. -Andy-
July 27th, 2006 at 8:52 pm
Dear John August, You must be healed by now. On the outside, at least. I hope you’re not too ugly. Your old friend, Lector. (Ref. to RED DRAGON)
Are you working on Sweeney Todd with Tim Burton at the moment?
Are you also going to pen Ripley’s Believe it or Not?
When are you going to upload the script for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? I read an update where you said this anonymous person gave you a very inaccurate and faux review of your screenplay. I hope that didn’t prompt you to decide not to upload it. Best wishes on your future work.
August 28th, 2006 at 6:26 am
i m new in screenplay,,,i m learninig…i mean to say u cant learn but u can polish..thats what i m doing….
September 25th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
[...] Ten years ago, I got my first paid screenwriting job, adapting Thomas Rockwell’s How to Eat Fried Worms into a script for Ron Howard and Universal. I went through four paid drafts over more than a year, and loved it. [...]
September 25th, 2006 at 8:48 pm
Indeed, a ton of useful information! Thank you for taking care of the minions. Much appreciated.
September 26th, 2006 at 6:26 pm
[...] Permalink | RSS Feed | TechnoLinks | TagIt! in: del.icio.us • Spurl • Furl • Category: MovieScripts [...]
October 23rd, 2006 at 11:29 am
Hi John,
Thank you so much for this incredibly insightful site.
Working on a spec at the moment and i’ve done mounds of research but just been banging my head against the wall.
Feel i’m back into the inspired brain.
Cheers
Parm
October 28th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
Hey John, first of all I would like to say I am very pleased to have found your website and enjoy all the pertinent information I have received. It seems you have a huge fan base…please ad me to that list ha ha ha. Ok…obviously I wouldn’t be writing you if I didn’t have an idea, however, I am haveing trouble in the downloads section accessing and viewing templates for examples of reality show based scripts that you wrote of in this website. my question to you is where else could I go for an example to see what a format looks like and how it should be written before submitting it? And if you have any credible leads you would suggest submitting to as well? Thank you for your time John, hope to hear from you soon.
Matt
December 10th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
[...] Pilot [...]
January 24th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I notice that NONE of our comments are ever answered! Care to comment, John?
February 14th, 2007 at 10:02 am
im looking for an actual sample of a t.v reality show proposal, so i can get an outline of what some look like, my other question is if a company likes your proposal and wants to use, what price should you charge them? thanks.
February 18th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
John,
I saw your workshop at Boulder High School during BIFF today. We also met about 3 years ago at Cheryl Whitney’s home. I wanted to thank you for your thoughts and time. You were gracious, approachable and full of wisdom regarding both your experiences and the craft of screenwriting.
I am in preproduction for a feature at the moment and there had been something nagging me about my current script revision. You crystalized it for me when you stated that most screenwriters don’t make things bad enough for their protagonist by the end of act II. That gave me enough to see the issue more clearly.
Thanks again.
Jim Brennan
February 22nd, 2007 at 7:23 am
Hi John, i’d love to see the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory script posted here if possible.
March 18th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Hello John. Great site. I want to make TV shows one day have recently began to download scripts and stuff to see how everything is being written. I finished a TV pilot script in 2 days after I read your DC scripts. I wish that show would have been a hit. It was a WEST WING for college students. Anyway good luck for future successes. Bye
April 20th, 2007 at 5:47 am
Please post a musical script!
April 24th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Hey John, Thanks for the posted material. I’m working on the final touches of my latest screenplay, and plan on starting my next in a few weeks; your outlines have been very informative on structure and basically the first steps to take.
Thanks again, and stay away from those blasted rasberries.
Felix
May 21st, 2007 at 10:34 pm
could you tell me which software is the best one for screenwriting, thanks a lot.(btw, i’m chinese)
June 15th, 2007 at 12:10 am
You would be so great person to make a web like that. Thanks you very much. You are so helpfull for people who like me is involved in the scripts´s world.
July 6th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Hi John,
Thanks for this cool site. I read your DC guidelines. Your way of explaining the A,B,C plot mechanics really hit home. Gold, sir, literal gold!
My question is from near the screenwriting trenches - I have a South African themed TV Sereies adapted from a collection of stories published in the US that I own the rights to. Series tracks the lives of ordinary SA’s who brought about change through daily struggle.
I am trying to set it up in SA - but I need to get a broadcast commitment first from a SA broadcaster.
I have a local LA Producer interested, but before anyone commits to anything I need something concrete from ten different people. Can you offer any advice on how to generate interest for my project. I am only three times removed from a YES - I just need someone in SA (a Broadcaster, or co-producer) to say yes, which will then bring the LA producer on board.
At the moment I am submitting queries, and promoting the project to anyone who will listen - do you have any advice?
Thanks again, you’re a huge help to us writers in or near the trenches.
Josh Batterson
July 13th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
Hi John, I LOVE your site and have visited frequently over the years. I now have my first movie credit, “Of Boys & Men” starring Angela Bassett, Robert Townsend, Faizon Love and Victoria Rowell. It just wrapped in Chicago this past March and I am excited about my future possibilties. I have been writing for about 14 years now and have accumulated a nice library of completed scripts and outlines. I’m told I should join the Writers Guild like yesterday but I don’t know of the value at this early point in my career. I kind of feel like I should wait until other deals happen. I have two other deals on the table, but you know how this business is. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Michelle Amor
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:35 am
Thanks for the posted material. I’m working on the final touches of my latest screenplay, and plan on starting my next in a few weeks; your outlines have been very informative on structure and basically the first steps to take.
Thanks, Ernest Chikuni
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:37 am
Thanks for the wonderful help you are offering for free. Thanks, Ernest Chikuni
August 6th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Dear John, Thank you for sharing your expertise. Your kindness is appreciated. Sincerely, Jennifer Beahan
August 29th, 2007 at 5:51 am
To great sage John August, My most sincere thanks to you for sharing your knowledge with the lowly, aspiring, and downtrodden - also known as writers. This site has been a source of help for every aspect of the craft. I only wish I had discovered it sooner. Thanks again.
Sincerely, John “Skooby” Hesterman
September 13th, 2007 at 6:54 am
[...] sure to check out his downloads page… you can get lost for hours there reading draft scripts and outlines and treatments. [...]
September 20th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Thank you so much for having these posted. As a film student, sometimes its difficult to find a clear example of outlines and treatments, and you’ve helped me tremendously.
September 27th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
..as a working screenwriter, i tell everyone wanting to break into this industry: download and read, download and read and repeat until a full lather appears.
hats off for sharing.
best regards.
c.
…CLANK– as ice cubes are dropped to their death, being drown in brady.
October 9th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
[...] O guionista John August disponibilizou o seu guião do seu filme mais recente, "The Nines", (que também realizou) para download. Pode encontrá-lo aqui. [...]
October 12th, 2007 at 2:15 am
[...] The Nines - November 2006 final draft script by John August - hosted by: JohnAugust.com - in pdf format [...]
October 18th, 2007 at 6:59 am
[...] - but I can imagine it finding more success on DVD. In the true spirit of concientious blogging, August offers his screenplay for download on his site, and I definitely recommend reading it if you didn’t see the movie. It’s a [...]
October 20th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Thank you John August for this wonderful way to help some of us newbies out here. The big fish is amonst a hanful of the favorites I can say, are the films that are the rare birds in the creative sense of authenciety.
We need to see more in todays world and due to the time put into such a film with so many facets, I too, as a writer can see that it is no picnic to fomat. The visuals are their in side my head but thanks to your generosity, this site really help me try to find a way to create my own style as far as my minds eye can see.
And, as others have commented, it doesnt go without a refference to your name if all goes well in the writers fame game. If it becomes the missing link in what Im trying to produce on paper to such a definate source of it due to your contribution, without even a second thought your name will mentioned and credited. I’m writing a novel in first form, along with a script, movie musical based on my own truths in discovering something grand in my life. I originally wanted it to be a stage play , so as you can see, this has been helpful to try and see wich one to use for my creative sparks to ignite the final succeeding ” seller”. Therefore , I thank you again and will use your name in the special thanks to ” section of my novel . Is that O.k with you Mr. August ? Please notify me if you perfer it be not included and before publishing [another year ] then I will glady oblige at that reqest.
A big fan A big fish Sincerly , A fellow artistian and author of many works Echo’ P.s- my guess is that you have my email , please contact me if you have any questions about my comment etc. smiles big
November 12th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Is there any chance to get to this 3 aired episodes of D.C. somewhere? I guess they are published on DVD? I’d love to see them. And of course: Thanks for this huge amount of resources you provide here! And good luck with the strike. Solidarity forever!
December 5th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Dear John August,
Hello my name is Jack Archer Lana, I am a film student. I plan to be a writer just like you someday in the motion picture industry. I have a quick question for you. I write alot, and for some odd reason I want to get my script done in one sitting. But often, I stop at say page 56, and then the next day another idea for a screenplay comes in. I’ve talk to Charles Pouge the writer of “The Fly” and “Dragonheart” and so far he has given me good advice on what to do, and how in the motion picture industry, being more focus on presenting your script and how will you construct it.
So my questions are, 1) How long does it take you to Finish your Scripts? 2) When showing it to a producer or to the studio exects, do you sums the whole movie in a few lines, or do you tell the entire story. and 3) What is harder, Starting out or staying within the buisness.
Thanks
Jack Archer Lana
December 17th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Dear John,
I want to thank you for such a wonderful read. The Nines was absolutely captivating. I’m shiny dime new to screenwriting and have not been enthralled by a script to such a degree, I lost track of time…I love that, since I read Unforgiven. I was enjoying a kind of A.M. Homes sort of warm intimate Los Angeles feeling reading along when things went in directions I could never have anticipated. You touched on, then made real in a couple of lines of dialogue or one sentence of action, many ideas that I suspect we all ponder on in our most lucid human moments. I think I’ll go make pancakes…
Best of the Season,
Chris Henry
December 18th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
[...] How to Eat Fried Worms [...]
December 18th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
[...] The Nines [...]
December 29th, 2007 at 2:21 am
John, I’m not going to try to be clever in my reply. There’s no need. I just wanted to say thank you - for truly doing something different…which is this web site!
January 16th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
John, Thank you very much for making your screenplays available. I was just watching “GO” for the first time via NetFlix and the disk jammed up like at chapter 23/24 “Girl in ditch our problem” so I was going nuts. Great movie, great script. Twenty years ago (1987) I was the midnight doorman at Doug Liman’s parent’s apt house in NYC (1060 Fifth Avenue) I remember talking to him late at night about movies and stuff when he came in, never knowing what he was going to get into. Thanks again for making the script available via this site, I will visit it again. Joe
February 6th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
What a helpful website?
I run a film production company and could not belive this website.
I can now proudly write pitches and outlines for my screen plays.
I have no problem if you can also publish my email because I believe as fillmakers we need to exchange ideas.
Well done guys.
Thank you,
Chidino Ndou from South Africa
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
You are such an inspiration to aspiring writers! It is more than an education to be able to read a script, then see the film, and truly understand so much more about the process. Thanks for taking the time to invest in others.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Hi John I’m a aspiring writer, who would love to have you critique a small script I’ve writtem, and thanks for sharing your wonderful wealth of knowledge.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Karma. That’s all I can add about the generosity of this site. I work in film development and I now have a place to direct all of the people asking me for advice on how to write treatments and pitches, etc. Thank you.
If I may — to all the people asking John for reality TV samples - John is a screenwriter. That means he writes ’scripted’ material, not reality tv.
He has been kind enough (no one else does this) to post his treatments, outlines, scripts for all of the world to see. Yet, there are still people asking even more of him! John is busy. He already donates plenty of his valuable time here. Yet, I see quite a few people asking for even more of his time. As much as I’m sure he’d love to, if John responded to each person’s individual request, we’d have to wait a long time to see another movie written by him.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Thank you so much for posting your work online, ESPECIALLY all the different show formats, you have created an awesome resource for me and other writers out there.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I gave the way breakfast. I do with underage lingerie models an invigorating walk to believe.
July 12th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
John, I have to say the writing of this must be pure coincidence. I was watching The Nines, saw it at the video store and thought the pretense sounded interesting, and while watching decided to look up the page count on a normal run-of-the-mill short film, and lo-and-behold I ended up here, at the site of its writer/director. Thanks for the info you provide for your readers and the fact you actually interact with them. As for the film, The Nines, a refreshing film. I laughed in all the right places and truly felt for the characters. I agree with your comments about dialogue and other aspects of writing, though I do it just for fun. Be well.
Thomas