John August

Transcribed

Another Time and Place

Episode - 85

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Scriptnotes, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig discuss the odd dislocation writers experience when writing movies in coffeeshops and windowless offices. We’re literally “someplace else” with our characters, but learning how to work in less-than-ideal circumstances is part of the screenwriter’s trade.

Then it’s another round of Three Page Challenges, wherein we wrestle with the question of why “two months earlier” keeps cropping up. Whatever the reason: stop it.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 4-21-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

First sale and funny on the page

News, QandA, Random Advice, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Words on the page

Craig and John look at two recent court decisions that could have a big impact on how movies get sold and resold — and how writers get paid. First-Sale Doctrine is one of those intractable issues that involves freedom and control, bits and atoms, creators and consumers.

From there, we take a look at whether comedy is necessarily funny on the page, and why jokes can work or fail based on tiny details. Then we tackle productivity and happiness, concepts that may not be as directly related as you believe.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 4-15-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

A city born of fire

Broadway, Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Television, Transcribed, Writing Process

Writer Derek Haas (Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma) joins John and Craig to discuss gay slurs, refrigerator logic and his TV show, Chicago Fire.

In addition to writing for big and small screens, the extraordinarily prolific Haas writes books, including The Right Hand and The Silver Bear. He also created the short story site Popcorn Fiction.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 4-4-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

God doesn’t need addresses

Scriptnotes, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed

Craig is sick and John is in the middle of tech rehearsals, but nothing will stop them from discussing another batch of Three Page Challenges.

This week we look at four entries, including one that Craig likes so much he can’t wait to read the whole script. It’s an episode chock full of sex, prayers, early-morning beers and Aztecs.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 3-29-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.