John August

Transcribed

Veronica Mars Attacks

Episode - 81

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Film Industry, Follow Up, Highland, News, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed

Craig and John discuss the big Veronica Mars/Kickstarter news in one of the more contentious podcasts to date. If you like umbrage, this is the show for you.

Next up, Highland has finally shipped. The plaintext screenplay editor (and PDF melter) raises questions about the assumption of security-through-laboriousness and the monoculture around Final Draft.

Finally, we discuss three of the points in Emma Coats’s Pixar Story Rules that are easy to forget but too important to ignore.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 3-24-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Rhythm and Blues

Big Fish, Film Industry, QandA, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig talk homesickness and daddy issues before diving into a discussion on what Rhythm and Hues’s bankruptcy means for the film industry — and similar scenarios screenwriters might face down the road.

Opening the listener mailbag, we answer questions about shop-around agreements, naming minor characters, filmmaker bios, and “being brilliant.”

There’s a special Scriptnotes discount code (SCRIPT) for the first few performances of Big Fish in Chicago. In the podcast, I say that you use the code at checkout, but that’s wrong: use it in the very first screen at Ticketmaster to unlock the balcony seats at a special $26 rate. (Regularly $70+.)

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 3-15-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Rigorous, structured daydreaming

How-To, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed, Writing Process

Craig and John take a look at an old post that found new life this week when it got picked up on Twitter and Reddit. We go beyond the bullet points to look at the process of writing a scene, from asking the basic questions to getting the words on the page.

  1. What needs to happen in this scene?
  2. What’s the worst that would happen if this scene were omitted?
  3. Who needs to be in the scene?
  4. Where could the scene take place?
  5. What’s the most surprising thing that could happen in the scene?
  6. Is this a long scene or a short scene?
  7. Brainstorm three different ways it could begin.
  8. Play it on the screen in your head.
  9. Write a scribble version.
  10. Write the full scene.
  11. Repeat 200 times.

Through this lens, we look at three new entries in the Three Page Challenge.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 3-8-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

The Germans have a word for it

Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John take a look at the class-action suit over Hollywood’s unpaid interns, then discuss envy and jealousy and other unproductive emotions.

Hollywood interns aren’t essential, but internship has a long tradition in the industry. This lawsuit could change things dramatically — but will it change it for better or worse?

Envy is rampant among aspiring writers, but it never really goes away. It’s not altogether a bad thing — seeing what’s possible can give you a kickstart. But when it consumes too many brain cycles, it’s worth addressing.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 2-28-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.