For our live Three Page Challenge segment at the Austin Film Festival, we look at three entries submitted by attendees.
Download the PDFs here if you want to read along!
Tall Poppies by Becca Hurd
High North by Teddy Johnson
Ancient Grains by Michael Warnecke
John and Craig discuss short films: what makes a great short, when should you make one, and what should you realistically expect out of it? We also update our predictions on whether the career of “screenwriter” can survive potential global catastrophes.
We then answer listener questions on staff writer wages and using URLs in a script.
In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk intermissions and why more movies should have them.
Links:
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.
UPDATE 10-15-25: The transcript for this episode can be found here.
Robert Redford built a remarkable career as an actor and a director, but most industry folk would agree his greatest achievement was creating the Sundance Institute. That’s the organization he co-founded in 1981 which runs the annual Sundance Film Festival. It’s no hyperbole to say that Sundance transformed the American independent film landscape, bringing attention and prestige to films (and filmmakers) that might otherwise go unnoticed.
But while the festival is the public face of Sundance, I believe the less-seen work of the Sundance screenwriter and director labs is an equally important legacy. Under the direction of Michelle Satter and her team, the labs bring together seasoned advisors with emerging filmmakers to work on their next films. I’ve had the privilege of serving as a Sundance advisor since 2000.
Pre-pandemic, the labs happened on-site at Redford’s gorgeous Sundance Resort in Utah. If Redford wasn’t off shooting something, he’d come to morning meetings, listening and offering suggestions. That’s where I met him. Given our handful of interactions, I can’t say I have any particular insight about him, but I greatly admired how he was able to build an organization that operated so well without his direct supervision. He chose great people and let them do great work. It’s a lesson more founders could learn.
I was sad to hear of Redford’s passing today, but I have no worries about its impact on the remarkable institution he envisioned. That’s a legacy to admire — not just what you accomplish in your life, but the good work that can continue long after you’re gone. May he rest in peace.
John welcomes back Liz Hannah (The Post, The Girl from Plainville) to discuss how to construct and communicate setting in a script. They talk about the balance between establishing a sense of space while avoiding the beginner’s mistake of over-blocking.
We also follow up on accountability groups, last looks, and French composers. Then, we answer listener questions on revisions and getting your Hollywood Card revoked.
In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Liz consider how to explain screenwriting to your kids (and others).
LINKS:
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.
UPDATE 10-15-25: The transcript for this episode can be found here.