John August

John

The life of the unknown screenwriter

Film Industry

Justin Marks offers a look at what it’s like to be a working screenwriter you’ve [never heard of](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/my-life-as-a-screenwriter-520979):

> I had the fantasies of what this life would be like — a life that, for most, never will be a reality. I’ve wanted to write movies since I was 12 years old. I wanted trips to backlots, premieres, moments of seeing my movie on the shelf at the video store. That’s what we sign up for.

> Then there’s the other 90 percent: waking up, walking the dogs, grinding away at my computer in the clothes I slept in. Occasional fits of creative euphoria interrupted by phone calls from agents, arguments on Twitter or the dogs barking at squirrels in the yard. But when it picks up — when there’s a movie being made or a star being attached or a deal being closed — man, that high feels like it’ll last forever.

For the record, I’d heard of Justin Marks. In fact, he wrote a piece for this blog urging writers to ignore my advice and [get a manager](http://johnaugust.com/2011/get-a-manager).

Highland sings

Apps, Fountain, Highland

Highland 1.0.2 is now available the Mac App Store. This release is mostly just the standard bug fixes and performance enhancements. Nothing wrong with that.

Nima added one sly trick you’re likely to love: shift-return makes the line uppercase. Boom. Try it! Your caps lock key will feel lonely.

We’ve also added support for the Lyric element. It’s not part of the official Fountain spec yet — the syntax might change — but I needed it so here it is. Lyrics work like dialogue, except each line is preceded by a tilde (~), and you can have multiple stacked lines of lyrics — even blank lines if you need them.

Here’s an example. This…

MARIONETTES
~Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! The amazing chocolatier!
~Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka! Everybody give a cheer!
~He's modest, clever and so smart
~He barely can restrain it...

…comes out as this…

wonka lyrics

In screenplay format, Lyrics show up in italics. In stage musical format, well…maybe that’s something for a later release.

One last thing: your terrific feedback and five-star ratings mean a lot. Thanks for being awesome and supportive.

Highland is $20 in the Mac App Store. Get it now, or check out the demo version.

Scriptnotes Off-Topic

Follow Up

On next week’s episode of the podcast, Craig and I will be answering listener questions about everything *except* screenwriting. So if you’re a fan who wants to hear Craig’s opinions on velcro shoes or to know my first literary crush (Pete Crenshaw from The Three Investigators), this is your week.

With the exception of the anything-goes topic, [standard rules apply](http://johnaugust.com/ask-a-question). We won’t use your real name unless you ask us to, so feel free to be blunt, dirty and embarrassing.

Sample questions we’ve already gotten:

* “What your thoughts are on the attractiveness and sex appeal of women with grey hair?”
* “If I someday have the opportunity to be uploaded into a robot body, should I do it?”
* “What profession other than writing would you like to attempt?”

Basically, Craig and I will answer almost anything, including giving advice on topics we know little about. So send in those questions if you got ’em.

Storytelling in the digital age

Los Angeles, News

I’m hosting a panel for the Academy next Wednesday, May 15th, to discuss how technology impacts cinema — both the kinds of stories we tell, and how we tell those stories.

We often think of technology in terms of cinematography and visual effects, but I wanted to look at its impact on writers and editors.

With that goal, we’ve assembled a great group:

– Writer **Mark Boal** (Academy Award nominee for “Zero Dark Thirty”)
– Editors **Maryann Brandon** and **Mary Jo Markey** (“Star Trek Into Darkness”)
– Editor **William Goldenberg** (Academy Award winner for “Argo,” nominee for “Zero Dark Thirty”)
– Writer **Damon Lindelof** (“Star Trek Into Darkness”)
– Editor **Dylan Tichenor** (Academy Award nominee for “Zero Dark Thirty”)

We’ll have clips and quips and anecdotes, along with a conversation about what’s coming next. No word yet on whether any of it will be available online down the road, so try to come if you can.

Tickets are [on sale now][1]. Just $5. And only $3 for students and Academy members.

[1]: http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/2013/05/turning-page.html “academy tickets”