John August

Transcribed

Five figure advice

Episode - 9

Go to Archive

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John tackle a listener question about the early stages of a screenwriting career: deciding which meetings to take, which projects to pursue, and how not to go broke in the process.

Once you’ve been hired for your first paid screenwriting job, the temptation is to pop the champagne corks and ditch that studio apartment in Koreatown. While every success is worth celebrating, the transition from “aspiring screenwriter” to “working screenwriter” can be unexpectedly brutal.

Checks come late, notes come often and opportunities can lead you astray.

Back when you were an aspiring screenwriter, anything seemed possible, because it was all make-believe anyway. Why *not* write a 14th-century comedy about strudel-makers?

Now screenwriting is your job, and that means making choices about what kind of career you want, what you’ll write, and how you’ll keep a roof over your head.

LINKS:

* [Austin Film Festival](http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/)
* [Nashville Screenwriters Conference](http://www.nashscreen.com/)
* Intro: [The Six Million Dollar Man TV intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofoK_QQxGc)
* Outro: [Yellow Rose of Texas, performed by Wayne Shrubsall](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlPJO6RrSE&feature=related)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_09.m4a).

UPDATE 10-27-11: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2011/scriptnotes-ep-9-five-figure-advice-transcript).

The Good Boy Syndrome, and whether film school is worth it

Education, Psych 101, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig discuss why screenwriters want to please people — and how it often hurts them and the movies they write — before a lengthy discussion of the pros and cons of going to film school.

We frame our film school discussion around John’s generic list of why people choose to go to college or graduate school:

1. The information
2. Certificate/degree
3. Access to special equipment
4. Structure
5. Professors/instructors/experts
6. Peers
7. Alumni
8. Enjoyment

That last point led to our alternate title for this podcast: *Film school: An expensive way to get laid.*

Craig got a new microphone, which seems like cause for celebration, but it picked up a tremendous amount of room noise. We’ll be working on that for next time.

Thank you to all the listeners who lavished [stars and praise](http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scriptnotes-podcast/id462495496) upon us in iTunes. Being classic Good Boys, that kind of validation is like mana to us.

LINKS:

* [Cruft](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruft) definition
* The [human back is a compromise](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/07/1/l_071_02.html)
* The [fourth trimester](http://www.parentmap.com/article/babys-fourth-trimester-helping-your-baby-make-a-peaceful-transition-from-womb-to-world)
* [Out of This World/Another World](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/another-world-20th-anniversary/id460076328?mt=8) for iOS
* [Life and Death](http://www.d4.dion.ne.jp/~motohiko/puppylove.htm#LIFE%20and%20DEATH), the Mac operating game
* Intro: [Atom, Filmation intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZXHVqrBpHw)
* Outro: [Swiss Top Secret Drum Corps](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJVdnMAGIt8) at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2009

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_08.m4a).

UPDATE 10-25-11: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2011/scriptnotes-ep-8-the-good-boy-syndrome-and-whether-film-school-is-worth-it-transcript).

Firing a manager, and trying new software

Scriptnotes, Software, Transcribed

John and Craig answer a listener’s question about whether (and how) to ditch an ineffective manager, then discuss daily work habits, hardware and software.

Other topics include Lion’s reversed scrolling, stalking strangers on Google, and why there will likely never be a Final Draft Pro.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, you might consider giving us a [hefty number of stars](http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scriptnotes-podcast/id462495496) over on iTunes. I suspect most subscribers are coming to us through johnaugust.com, but a few more reader testimonials on iTunes might convince a few more potential listeners to tune in.

If you have a question you’d like me and Craig to tackle, [drop us an email](http://johnaugust.com/ask-a-question).

Links:

* [Final Draft](http://www.finaldraft.com/)
* [Movie Magic Screenwriter](http://www.screenplay.com/p-29-movie-magic-screenwriter-6.aspx)
* [Scrivener](http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php)
* [Fade In](http://www.fadeinpro.com/)
* Intro: [Dark Castle intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCkbp4wurW0)
* Outro: [Veronica Maggio – Mitt Hjärta Blöder](http://itunes.apple.com/se/album/satan-i-gatan-bonus-version/id432085361)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_07.m4a).

UPDATE 10-19-11: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2011/scriptnotes-ep-7-firing-a-manager-and-trying-new-software-transcript).

How kids become screenwriters

Scriptnotes, Television, Transcribed

John and Craig look at the new fall shows and how little kids become screenwriters, with discussion of D&D, Malcolm Gladwell and daisy-wheel printers.

For this installment, I wanted to focus on how people become screenwriters. Not “how to” — there are countless terrible books on that. Rather, what is it that calls people to such an atypical career, one that you can’t necessarily practice as a child or learn all at once in college?

Links:

* ABC’s [Once Upon a Time](http://abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time)
* NBC’s [Grimm](http://www.nbc.com/grimm/)
* CW’s [Ringer](http://www.cwtv.com/shows/ringer) and its non-credible [boat scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAmIOPW_1Ow)
* Fox’s [New Girl](http://www.fox.com/new-girl/)
* [Dungeons and Dragons, 4th Edition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editions_of_Dungeons_%26_Dragons#Dungeons_.26_Dragons_4th_edition)
* John Rogers’s great [D&D comics](https://shop.idwpublishing.com/dungeons-and-dragons-1-5-subscription.html)
* The [Marvel Super Heroes RPG](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Super_Heroes_(role-playing_game))
* [Daisy wheel printers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_wheel_printer)
* Intro: [NBC Fall Promo, 1980](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-00NHiBMXL0)
* Outro: [Russian Unicorn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjaZNYSt7o0) by BLS

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_06.m4a).

UPDATE 10-11-11: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2011/scriptnotes-ep-6-how-kids-become-screenwriters-transcript).