John August

Transcribed

One-step deals, and how to read a script

Episode - 66

Go to Archive

Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Software, Transcribed, WGA

Craig and John take a break from writing scripts to talk about how screenwriters should read scripts. Paper or iPad? Single or double-sided? And how do you keep track of your notes for future conversations?

Then it’s a session of roleplaying and maximum umbrage as we look at the logic and fallacies behind one-step deals for screenwriters.

Cleansing our palette, we look at Skyfall. Spoilers, folks. Spoilers!

Craig closes the podcast with a remembrance of his friend, screenwriter Don Rhymer, who died last week after a long and wittily-observed battle with cancer.

LINKS:

* [Fade In](http://www.fadeinpro.com/) screenwriting software
* [Fountain](http://fountain.io/), a plain text markup language for screenwriting
* Brett Terpstra’s [Systematic podcast, Episode 20](http://5by5.tv/systematic/20) with David Wain
* adult swim’s [Childrens Hospital](http://video.adultswim.com/childrens-hospital/)
* [FDX Reader](http://quoteunquoteapps.com/fdxreader) for iOS
* [Final Draft Reader](http://www.finaldraft.com/products/mobile/reader/) for iOS
* [GoodReader](http://www.goodiware.com/goodreader.html) for iOS
* [PDF Expert](http://readdle.com/products/pdfexpert_ipad/) for iOS
* [Myers-Briggs Type Indicator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator) on Wikipedia
* The Myers & Briggs Foundation’s page on [where to take the MBTI](http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/take-the-mbti-instrument/)
* The WGA [Showrunner Training Program](http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=1190)
* LA Times on [Don Rhymer’s passing](http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/30/local/la-me-passings-20121130#mod-a-body-after-first-para)
* Don’s cancer blog, [Let’s Radiate Don](http://radiatedon.com/)
* Todd Downing’s [breakdown](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25S-hXFqLB4) of the Skyfall theme song
* INTRO: [Strawberry Shortcake Intro (Italian)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_QEIF28nVI)
* OUTRO: For Your Eyes Only/Skyfall, arranged and performed by John August

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_66.m4a).

**UPDATE** 12-7-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-66-one-step-deals-and-how-to-read-a-script-transcript).

The Next 117 Pages

Adaptation, Follow Up, Formatting, QandA, Scriptnotes, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed, Words on the page

John and Craig talk about everything that comes after the oft-discussed First Three Pages, speculating on the kinds of issues they’d spot if they were looking at full scripts.

They also answer listener questions on topics ranging from proper spacing protocol to novelists rewriting their screenplay adaptations.

LINKS:

* [“The exception that proves the rule”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exception_that_proves_the_rule) on Wikipedia
* Stuart’s post, [Learning from the Three Page Challenge](http://johnaugust.com/2012/learning-from-the-three-page-challenge)
* [Brining](http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/70/Brining) on Cooking for Engineers
* [Cook’s Illustrated](http://www.cooksillustrated.com/)
* [Ticket to Ride](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ticket-to-ride/id432504470?mt=8) for iOS
* [German-style board games](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-style_board_game) on Wikipedia
* INTRO: [Folger’s “Peter Comes Home for Christmas”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4kNl7cQdcU)
* OUTRO: [Train Song](https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/train-song/id303463575?i=303463582) by Feist and Ben Gibbard on iTunes

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_65.m4a).

**UPDATE** 11-29-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-65-the-next-117-pages-transcript).

Dramedy, deadlines and dating your writing partner

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Screenwriters Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein sit down with John and Craig to talk about writing movies, writing television and writing together.

We met at the Austin Film Festival, which is where we recorded this episode. Both John and Craig assumed Abby and Marc were a couple — but it’s a lot more complicated than that, and any screenwriting teams who have considered sharing more than an ampersand will want to listen to the details.

LINKS:

* [Abby Kohn](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0463359/) on IMDb
* [Marc Silverstein](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799050/) on IMDb
* The [Austin Film Festival](http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/)
* [The Lift](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDt-EoryNRE) by Robert Zemeckis
* USC [First Look](http://cinema.usc.edu/festivals/firstlook/index.cfm)
* INTRO: [Never Been Kissed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d97O5zOBwcw) trailer
* OUTRO: [Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)](https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/greatest-hits/id212579326) by Sly and the Family Stone

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_64.m4a).

**UPDATE** 11-24-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-64-dramedy-deadlines-and-dating-your-writing-partner-transcript).

The Mystery of the Js

Follow Up, Scriptnotes, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed

Craig and John dive back into the Three Page Challenge entries, along with an overview of the 500+ contenders that have been submitted.

In response to listener curiosity, John and Craig also talk about their recording set-ups, and then follow-up on Star Wars, Karateka and Derek Haas’s busy schedule.

All this and more on the 63rd installment of Scriptnotes.

* [Audio Technica AT2020 USB microphone](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BSWBJQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008BSWBJQ&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* [Sony MDR7506 headphontes](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AJIF4E/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000AJIF4E&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* [Heil Sound PL-2T boom](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SZVZ74/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000SZVZ74&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* Dan Benjamin’s [guide to podcasting gear](http://hivelogic.com/articles/podcasting-equipment-software-guide-2011)
* [Michael Arndt writing new Star Wars](http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/11/09/report-screenwriter-michael-arndt-in-line-to-write-star-wars-episode-vii/) from EW
* [Karateka](http://karateka.com)
* [The Right Hand](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316198463/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0316198463&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20), a novel by Derek Haas
* Three pages by [Mark Cowling](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/markcowling.pdf)
* Three pages by [Kelli Bowlden](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/kellibowlden.pdf)
* Three pages by [Nick Scott](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/nickscott.pdf)
* Three pages by [Steve Marcarelli & Billy Lalor](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/marcarellilalor.pdf)
* [Reach Gum Care Soft Woven Mint Floss](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003O34OL6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003O34OL6&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20), the best floss in the world
* INTRO: [Buck Rogers in the 25th Century](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO8kFHCXiEg)
* OUTRO: [Total Recall](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lemj0NHE3k0) by Flosstradamus ([Flosstradamus on iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/flosstradamus/id274043171))

(Note: Moreso than most weeks, we have a lot of links to stuff on Amazon. If you buy through them, you’ll help pay for some of our bandwidth costs.)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_63.m4a).

**UPDATE** 11-16-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-63-the-mystery-of-the-js-transcript).