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The Scriptnotes App

December 12, 2013 Apps, News

scriptnotes app iconScriptnotes now has an app for [iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scriptnotes/id739117984?ls=1&mt=8) and [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.johnaugust.android.scriptnotes). It’s free for both platforms.

You don’t need to use the app. In fact, most listeners will probably be better off sticking with their current setup if it meets their needs. We’re [still on iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scriptnotes-podcast/id462495496?mt=2), just like we’ve always been.

Or if you’re not happy with your current podcast app, keep looking, because there are many good choices out there. (Personally, I’m a fan of [Instacast](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instacast-4-podcast-client/id577056377?mt=8) for the iPhone.) As a podcast app, Scriptnotes only does one thing, and it only does it acceptably well.

So if I’m not recommending the Scriptnotes app, why does it exist?

For the back catalog.

There are now 121 episodes of Scriptnotes, and listeners often want to go back and hear those old episodes. We sell a [USB drive](http://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-100-episode-usb-flash-drive) of the first 100, and offer a [subscription-based archive](http://scriptnotes.net) of all the episodes, but neither of those solutions is helpful when you just want to hear a given episode on your phone.

The Scriptnotes app hooks into the full archive, so if you’re a subscriber, you can listen to any episode whenever or wherever you want.

Since launch, we’ve actually gotten very few questions about the app, but here are some answers to theoretical questions someone might ask.

**What’s the deal with subscriptions?**

Scriptnotes has always been free and always will be. We make the most recent 20 episodes available through iTunes. Older episodes are available in the archives, either through the new app or at [Scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net) as part of a monthly subscription ($1.99/month).

Think of it as the Netflix pricing model. For that $1.99/month, you can download as many episodes as you want.

**Are you making money off this?**

As Craig loves to point out, Scriptnotes is a money-losing venture. Between editing, transcripts and hosting costs, there are more expenses than t-shirts and monthly subscriptions could cover.

But that’s okay. We’ve turned down advertising and other opportunities because neither of us want Scriptnotes to be a business. Craig and I do the show because we like it.

**Could someone subscribe, download all the episodes, then cancel?**

Absolutely. To me, the handy thing about the monthly subscription is being able to listen to any episode at any time, but it’s totally up to you.

**How do I cancel a subscription?**

In the [Libsyn account page](https://my.libsyn.com/manage), click “Change Subscription.” On the next page, you’ll see a button to cancel.

**What’s the deal with bonus material?**

To me, Scriptnotes is me and Craig together, talking about screenwriting stuff. Sometimes we have special guests, but it’s always the two of us.

Occasionally we have audio that is in the same vein as Scriptnotes but not really an episode. A good example is a [recent conversation](http://scriptnotes.net/bonus-big-fish-from-book-to-screen-to-musical) Daniel Wallace and I recorded at the Austin Film Festival. We put that up as bonus content for subscribers because while it’s interesting and on-topic, it’s not really a Scriptnotes episode.

Basically:

Me and Craig = Scriptnotes episode
Me or Craig = possible bonus content

Will there be a lot of bonus material? I doubt it. I wouldn’t subscribe just for the bonus material. But if you have ideas for something you think would be great for a bonus thing, certainly tell us.

**The app feels really iOS 6.**

scriptnotes app screenshot

That’s not a question, but yeah.

We’re releasing the Scriptnotes app under our Quote-Unquote Apps banner, ((We put the app out under our label so we could track download numbers. As of yesterday, we had 359 downloads for iOS.)) but it’s actually our host Libsyn’s app. They did all the coding — Ryan just sent our background artwork.

You may notice it looks almost exactly like Marc Maron’s [WTF app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wtf-with-marc-maron/id382646636?mt=8) or Jay Mohr’s [Mohr Stories](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mohr-stories-fakemustache.com/id393529844?mt=8) app. That’s because it’s exactly the same app, just with different background images.

It’s not just dated — some of the functionality is also a bit hidden. For example, you can download episodes for offline listening by tapping the star next to the title. If you’re getting ready for a plane trip, this is a handy way to bank a few episodes for listening.

I suspect the app will eventually get updated with new graphics and such, but I don’t know a timetable.

**How do I report a problem with the app?**

On the main screen, tap Contact, then Troubleshooting. From there, you can Send a Diagnostic Report that generates an email to the Libsyn team. You can also just email consumer@libsynsupport.com.

Shirts back in the Store

November 7, 2013 Follow Up, Geek Alert, News

Back in June, we sold the first-ever [Scriptnotes t-shirts](http://johnaugust.com/2013/t-shirts-and-transcripts). We took pre-orders, printed them, and sent them out all in a batch.

In that process, we learned a lot about the making and shipping of physical goods — how online shopping carts work, how to calculate sales tax, optimizing postage. We’re geeks. We like that stuff. Plus it’s been fun seeing Scriptnotes t-shirts out in the wild.

So we’re doing it again.

Through Friday, November 15th, we’ll be taking orders for a new batch of shirts. They’ll ship starting December 2nd, in time for the holidays.

Like last time, we’ll only print what people order, so if you want a shirt, you need to [order now](http://store.johnaugust.com).

The first batch of Scriptnotes shirts were available in umbrage orange and rational blue. The new Scriptnotes t-shirt is available in any color you want so long as it’s black. ((I always assumed this Henry Ford quote was apocryphal, but apparently it’s real. The original wording was, “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.”)) For this shirt, we offer both unisex and women’s cuts.

scriptnotes black

I’m really happy with how the logo turned out. It’s faint, and seems to be gently glowing from inside the shirt.

Scriptnotes is not our only labor of love, so we decided to make some more shirts while we were at it.

First up is Fountain. How do you show a revolutionary [plain text screenplay markup syntax](http://fountain.io) on a t-shirt? Ryan Nelson and I went through a bunch of variations with document icons and street maps, but none of them felt right.

Ultimately, it was the color that set the tone. Olive green felt appropriately basic. Paired with white type (Highway Gothic) and a Fountain flag, this shirt feels like what you’d wear at boot camp. We’re recruiting a Fountain army, and this is the uniform.

fountain shirt

Courier Prime is a [beautiful font](http://quoteunquoteapps.com/courierprime/) designed by Alan Dague-Greene. Since it’s a text face, you aren’t supposed to notice the individual glyphs — it’s for reading, not showing off — but I wanted to highlight just how smart the whole character set is. What makes Courier Prime special — apart from its bolder bolds and crisper serifs — are the true italics, modeled after the “informal” script of old typewriters. Here you get to see the full alphabet at once. ((If you’re ever in doubt which Courier you’re seeing, check the lowercase y. In Courier Prime, the tail of the y never flattens out to a line.))

courier-prime

Right after Courier Prime came out, we made a few shirts with a similar design, but printed them on a heather gray. If you’re not familiar t-shirt lingo (I wasn’t), “heather” means that the fabric has a speckled quality, woven of threads in a range of colors to give it depth. For Courier Prime, that made it far too hard to see the details.

This time, we’re printing white on solid midnight navy, so you can see everything.

Our fourth shirt is actually the very first shirt we printed: Classic Karateka.

karateka shirt

We made one hundred of these shirts to celebrate the launch of Jordan Mechner’s game on iOS. Only friends and team members got the first batch, but when we put up the few remaining shirts last month, they sold out in minutes. So we’re doing one last run.

Our final shirt isn’t about a product, but rather an idea. Longtime readers and listeners know I’m not just a fan of technology and gadgets, but the underlying science behind them. We live in a culture that has been completely transformed scientific innovation, yet at the same rejects scientific realities.

I vented some of my frustration through the frustrated science teacher (Mr. Rzykruski) in Frankenweenie. For this last shirt, I’m paraphrasing myself and his answer to the question of why no one likes scientists.

The adult shirts are silver (very light gray):

science adult

For the kids shirts, we went black:

All the t-shirts were designed in-house by Ryan Nelson, and printed locally in LA.

Once again, we’re only printing what people order, so if you want a shirt, [visit the store](http://store.johnaugust.com) before next Friday.

What’s Next

Episode - 111

Go to Archive

October 1, 2013 Broadway, Directors, Film Industry, Follow Up, Los Angeles, News, Projects, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig discuss what it feels like to finish a project — the combination of excitement and relief, joy and sadness — as Craig advises John which project he should write next now that Big Fish is set to open.

In film news, a new fund aims to back films directed by women, while Los Angeles appoints a new film czar with considerable studio experience.

All this, plus Craig recounts how he nearly saw John take a fist to the face.

Links:

* [Lobot](http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Lobot)
* LA Times on the [Gamechanger Film Fund](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-film-fund-gamechanger-female-directors-20130926,0,4152777,full.story)
* LA Times on [LA’s new Film Czar](http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-garcetti-appoints-sherak-film-czar-20130926,0,6798783.story)
* [Patti Lupone stops the show to yell at a photographer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WruzPfJ9Rys) on YouTube
* [Box](http://www.botndolly.com/box) by Bot & Dolly
* [Rear projection effect](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rear_projection_effect) on Wikipedia
* Big Fish production designer [Julian Crouch](http://juliancrouch.com/portfolio/Welcome.html)
* Big Fish’s [Ryan Andes](http://ryanandes.com/), and [on Twitter @AndesRyan](https://twitter.com/AndesRyan)
* [Blind soldier uses tongue device to ‘see’](http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/mar/15/blind-soldier-tongue-sight) at The Guardian
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Matthew Chilelli

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_111.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_111.mp3).

**UPDATE** 10-4-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-111-whats-next-transcript).

Two ENTJs walk into a bar (and fix it)

September 3, 2013 Film Industry, Follow Up, Los Angeles, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

John and Craig reveal their Myers-Briggs secrets as they discuss Kevin Spacey’s comments on the state of television, Eric Garcetti’s plans to address runaway production, and the WGA election.

There are [still a (very) few tickets left for Scriptnotes Live in NYC](https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Scriptnotes-Live-with-John-August/Overview?AID=OBW000996000&cm_mmc=Scriptnotes-Live-_-affiliate-_-web-_-OBW000996000&cm_mmca1=show_site&cm_mmca2=ADSTSR&cm_mmca3=130828) on September 23rd, with Craig, John and special guest Andrew Lippa.

Links:

* Listen to John and Andrew on [SiriusXM On Broadway](http://www.siriusxm.com/onbroadway) with Julie James
* [Marcel Proust Within a Budding Grove, Part two](http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/496922-what-best-remind-us-of-a-person-is-precisely-what)
* The (http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/22/kevin-spacey-tv-golden-age) and [transcript](http://www.theguardian.com/media/interactive/2013/aug/22/kevin-spacey-mactaggart-lecture-full-text) of Kevin Spacey’s speech at the 2013 Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival
* [WGAW Announces Candidates for 2013 Officers and Board of Directors Election](http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5259)
* [Myers-Briggs personality types](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator) on Wikipedia
* [L.A. Mayor Declares State of ‘Emergency’ As Movie, TV Production Flees Hollywood](http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/l-a-mayor-declares-state-of-emergency-as-movie-tv-production-flees-hollywood-1200589182/), from Variety
* [One Cool Things](http://johnaugust.com/onecoolthings) from Scriptnotes
* The New Yorker on [Slow Ass Jolene](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/08/slowed-down-dolly-parton.html)
* Kottke on [How to make your own slow jams](http://kottke.org/13/08/how-to-make-your-own-slow-jams)
* Outro by Scriptnotes listener Latif Ullah

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_106.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_106.mp3).

**UPDATE** 9-6-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-106-two-entjs-walk-into-a-bar-and-fix-it-transcript).

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