John August

Transcribed

Critics, Characters and Business Affairs

Episode - 166

Go to Archive

Film Industry, Follow Up, Geek Alert, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig were delighted to join the Slate Culture Gabfest on stage to talk about the gulf between critics and creators. We have the audio from that, and additional thoughts on the issue.

Then, how many characters does your movie need? We talk about how to figure out the Goldilocks spot where you have enough characters to make your world feel real, but not so many that they’re tripping over each other.

Finally, business affairs, and how understaffed legal departments create problems for writers and studios.

Links:

* [A few tickets remain](https://www.wgfoundation.org/screenwriting-events/writers-writing-simon-kinberg/) for tonight’s Writers on Writing event with John interviewing Simon Kinberg
* [The Belasco Theater](http://thebelascotheater.com/) is gorgeous
* John and Craig [on the Slate Culture Gabfest](http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/culturegabfest/2014/10/slate_s_culture_gabfest_is_live_from_l_a_the_critics_talk_to_jenny_slate.html)
* [Star Wars Minus Williams – The Throne Room](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj-GZJhfBmI) by Auralnauts
* [Çingleton](http://cingleton.com/)
* [Indie Game: The Movie](http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/)
* Jalopnik [on the Tesla Model S P85D](http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/will-the-tesla-model-s-p85d-be-the-best-overall-car-you-1644727868)
* Get premium Scriptnotes access at [scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net/) and hear our 1,000th subscriber special
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Jonas Bech ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_166.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_166.mp3).

**UPDATE 10-20-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-166-critics-characters-and-business-affairs-transcript).

Toxic Perfection Syndrome

Film Industry, Follow Up, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

Craig and John discuss that delusional period in which you’re convinced your script is the best thing ever written — and the inevitable heartbreak when someone tells you it isn’t. (TPS is close cousins to the Oscar Speech in the Shower.)

Also this week: SF terms and tropes, Adam Sandler’s Netflix deal, and what the WGA should focus on.

Links:

* Get your [flu shot](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm)!
* [Get tickets now](http://www.slate.com/live/la-culturefest.html) for tomorrow’s live Slate Culture Gabfest with guests John and Craig
* John and others [on their favorite Simpsons episodes and moments](http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/09/29/the_simpsons_daniel_radcliffe_amy_schumer_fred_armisen_and_other_celebrities.html?wpsrc=fol_tw) from Slate
* John’s schedule at [the 2014 Austin Film Festival](http://austinfilmfestival2014.sched.org/speaker/john_august.1sssegfs?iframe=no&w=i:0;&sidebar=yes&bg=no#.VDMKbCldVjc)
* Business Insider on [the Adam Sandler/Netflix deal](http://www.businessinsider.com/why-netflix-did-adam-sandler-deal-2014-10)
* [Turkey City Lexicon](http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/)
* [Drone delivery has begun](http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/dhl-drone-start-making-deliveries-german-island/)
* [Blade Buddy](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NIPQ0VW/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) on Amazon
* Get premium Scriptnotes access at [scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net/) and hear our 1,000th subscriber special
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Betty Spinks ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_165.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_165.mp3).

**UPDATE 10-11-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-165-toxic-perfection-syndrome-transcript).

Ghost

Genres, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed

Craig loves the 1990 blockbuster Ghost. John? Ditto. Written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker, Ghost set the template for the modern romantic drama. It was Twilight before Twilight, Titanic before Titanic. It won hearts, weekends and Oscars, including best screenplay.

We tackle Ghost scene-by-scene, imagining all the terrible notes that must have come up in development, and how fixing some of the film’s shortcomings would have created new problems. Ghost isn’t perfect, but it’s remarkably good — and worth taking a closer look.

Links:

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 9-25-14: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Luck, sequels and bus money

Adaptation, Film Industry, Follow Up, Fountain, QandA, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

This week, Craig and John tackle listener questions.

Why do some giant books get crammed into a single movie, while others get split into multiple films? How do you write a movie if you can’t even get your computer fixed? What should a screenwriter do if, after nine years of trying, he still can’t catch a break?

We don’t always have simple answers, but at least we have t-shirts. The new batch is available for pre-order starting today, so don’t wait.

If you’re in Los Angeles, the only chance to see us live this fall is at the Slate Culture Gabfest on October 8th. Check the link for tickets below.

Links:

* New shirts are [available for pre-order now through September 30th in the John August Store](http://store.johnaugust.com/)
* [Applause](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applause_(musical)), the All About Eve musical, on Wikipedia
* [Get tickets now](http://www.slate.com/live/la-culturefest.html) for October 8th’s live Slate Culture Gabfest with guests John and Craig
* [Fountain](http://fountain.io/) is a plain text markup language for screenwriting
* [WriterDuet](https://www.writerduet.com/)
* WGA [Low Budget Agreement](http://www.wga.org/uploadedFiles/writers_resources/LBAhandout.pdf)
* [Every Insanely Mystifying Paradox in Physics: A Complete List](http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/physics-paradoxes.html)
* [Gillette Fusion ProGlide with FlexBall](http://gillette.com/en-us/products/razor-blades/fusion-proglide-flexball-razors/fusion-proglide-manual-razor-with-flexball)
* Styptic pencils on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E5QJC04/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) and [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antihemorrhagic)
* Leave us a comment [on iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scriptnotes-podcast/id462495496?mt=2)
* Get premium Scriptnotes access at [scriptnotes.net](http://scriptnotes.net/) and hear our 1,000th subscriber special
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Rajesh Naroth ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_162.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_162.mp3).

**UPDATE 9-19-14:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2014/scriptnotes-ep-162-luck-sequels-and-bus-money-transcript).