John August

Transcribed

Satanic Movies

Episode - 666

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Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig take a deep dive with the Devil, exploring the unholy trinity of satanic films: Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen. They look at how these three horror classics work, where our modern conception of Satan comes from, and the future of the Devil on screen.

We also answer listener questions on character arcs in horror, what separates horror movies from thrillers, and why the spooky stuff rarely gets awards attention.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig offer their nominations for the antichrist of our times.

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 11-27-24: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

What Can You Even Do?

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig explore character agency in everything from scenes to entire series. They look at what agency looks like on the page, which characters should have agency, and what to do when you feel your characters sleepwalking through the plot.

We also strategize ways to move forward after the recent US election, and answer listener questions on writing sign language, screenwriting software for the blind, and how writing credits work when your TV series gets turned into a movie.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig escape to a world where where the story is always on rails — Disneyland!

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 11-22-24: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Hollywood Got Old

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig look at how writers (and other humans) handle the anxiety of uncertainty, from election nights to green lights. We’ll talk through strategies for navigating situations where your circle of concern doesn’t match your circle of control.

Then we travel back to the 1980s and 90s, when many studios were run by ambitious strivers in their late 20s and early 30s. As the decades have passed, the players in these positions have held onto their posts, leaving the next generation stuck mid-ladder. We discuss what impact the aging of Hollywood has had on its output, and where the new guard might find an opening.

We also ask, is development wage theft? And answer listener questions on reusing material written for a different project, and the cost-plus model of production.

And in our bonus topic for premium members, what aspects of pandemic life have we incorporated into our daily routines?

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 11-21-24: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Live in Austin 2024

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig make their triumphant return to the Austin Film Festival for a wild night full of Emmy winning writers. They welcome Shōgun co-creators Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks to look at their process for structuring a series-long adaptation, keeping translations eloquent and accurate, and writing together as a married couple.

We then welcome Susan Soon He Stanton (Succession, Dead Ringers) and Megan Amram (The Good Place, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin) to discuss staffing on shows and crafting jokes. We also invite two audience members to play a new game: IMDB Sweeney Todd.

In our bonus segment for premium members, the panel answers audience questions on adaptations, a crossover with Succession and The Good Place, entering Hollywood from outside the U.S., and navigating Hollywood’s current contraction.

Links:

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 11-21-24: The transcript for this episode can be found here.