John August

Transcribed

We’d Like to Make an Offer

Episode - 77

Go to Archive

Film Industry, Follow Up, Pitches, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig discuss spec scripts, pitches and how it feels when your movie gets brutal reviews.

First up, an article by Margaret Heidenry in Vanity Fair tracks the history of spec script sales, going all the way back to Preston Sturges. We talk about the 90s bubble, and what’s changed.

Next, we discuss what a screenwriter needs to do in that last few hours before a pitch — including the drive over.

Finally, Craig talks about what it feels like when the movie you wrote does huge business, but you as the writer get singled out for harsh criticism.

In our One Cool Things, John admires Dungeon World, a newish RPG that radically simplifies the D&D mechanic, while Craig foresees the next big weight-loss drug.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 2-22-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

How screenwriters find their voice

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

Aline Brosh McKenna joins John and Craig for a conversation about what writers mean by a “voice,” and how it develops.

For some screenwriters, their voice develops long before their craft, leading people to label them as “promising” even though the scripts themselves are a mess. Other writers get all the technical stuff right from the start, but have a hard time finding something distinctive about how they write.

From there, we segue into a look at three new Three Page Challenges, easily our most contentious session yet, with wildly split opinions.

All this and Craig’s confession in the new episode of Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 2-17-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Villains

Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed

John and Craig give heroes the week off and talk bad guys. Not every movie needs a villain, but if you have one, he better be good.

Also this week, follow-up on Courier Prime, John’s TV pilot, and most importantly Craig’s movie Identity Thief, which hits theaters this weekend.

In our One Cool Things, John talks up Gillian Flynn’s terrific but tough-to-adapt Gone Girl, while Craig wants fewer dead athletes.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 2-9-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Three-Hole Punchdrunk

Follow Up, Meta, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John discuss a new report that tallies spec script sales for 2012 — with the reminder that selling a spec isn’t necessarily the most important thing for new writers.

After some follow-up on last week’s Raiders episode, we crunch the numbers on our listener survey and discuss the genesis of Courier Prime, the typeface all the best scripts will be sporting in 2013.

Finally, we tackle reader questions on topics ranging from Facebook connections to “just checking in.”

All this and many suggestions for hole-punching in this week’s Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

You can download the episode here: AAC.

UPDATE 2-1-13: The transcript of this episode can be found here.