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How-To

Writing Memorable Dialogue

Episode - 371

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October 9, 2018 Adaptation, Arlo Finch, Film Industry, Follow Up, Formatting, How-To, Indie, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA, Words on the page

John and Craig have a dialogue about dialogue. They discuss how thinking about memorizing lines can help write them, and how to service quieter characters in a scene.

We also answer listener questions about adapting plays for the screen, creating a different experience for your reader than your viewer, and whether to trust sketchily worded release forms.

Links:

  • The Arlo Finch series trailer is live!
  • Chunking
  • How Shrek 2 has been redubbed for the UK market by Leslie Felperin for The Independent
  • You Might Be the Killer, written by Brett Simmons and Thomas P. Vitale and directed by Simmons, born from this Twitter thread between Chuck Wendig and Sam Sykes.
  • Evercast allows Craig to be in the Chernobyl edit from home
  • T-shirts are available here! We’ve got new designs, including Colored Revisions, Karateka, and Highland2.
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 10-16-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

This Title is an Example of Exposition

July 3, 2018 Comics, Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Sundance, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig debate and defend one of the most-maligned elements of screenwriting: Exposition. How do you tell an audience what they need to know without being labeled a hack? We offer tips for getting viewers up to speed without them realizing they’re getting fed exposition.

We also follow up on screenplay competitions, the psychology of toxic fandom, fridging as a trope, and the market for lesbian love stories.

Links:

  • Michael Arndt’s thoughts on Endings (and Beginnings)
  • Midnight blue typewriter Scriptnotes t-shirts are back on Cotton Bureau for a limited time!
  • “Fridging” is the trope of violence against women motivating a male protagonist’s plot.
  • These seven lesbian movies are coming out in 2018.
  • This exposition scene in Aliens does it right.
  • American Animals, written and directed by Bart Layton
  • Isoland 2: Ashes of Time for iOS and Android
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Timothy Vajda (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 7-10-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Knowing vs. Discovering

March 13, 2018 Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, Producers, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, WGA, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig consider how much a writer should know before going into a scene, looking at the perks and pitfalls of planning and letting oneself discover.

We also discuss taking notes from producers and executives. When should you stand your ground? When should you accommodate? What if it’s an excellent drawing of an elephant that’s been eaten by a snake?

Links:

  • Siân Griffiths’ blog post, The Only Girl in the Known Universe, about Princess Leia
  • The Little Prince’s elephant inside a snake, not a hat.
  • Alto’s Odyssey
  • Everybody Wants to Be Famous by Superorganism
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Superorganism (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 3-21-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

We Had the Same Idea

December 26, 2017 Citizenship, Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, Producers, Random Advice, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Television, Transcribed

John and Craig offer advice to those who suspect their work has been stolen, providing a checklist to help determine if a claim has merit and suggestions for how to best proceed if it does.

We also answer listener questions about taxes on agent commission, being a conservative voice in a writers’ room, and using real celebrities as characters.

Links:

  • Firelight, the How Could This Be A Movie that is, indeed, a movie
  • Amazon’s deal for The Lord of the Rings TV rights
  • Amanda Hess’ Twitter response to Sarah Sahim’s accusation of plagiarism
  • Nokia Thermo
  • Google Maps’s Moat by Justin O’Beirne
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Matthew Chilleli and the Children’s Bell Choir of Akita (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 1-2-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here

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