John August

Go

Go scripts added

Go, Projects

go_logoAlthough it’s available elsewhere on the net, I’ve decided to make the screenplay for Go available on the site. There are two variations to choose from. The first is the original spec script I wrote in 1997. The second is the final shooting draft, which incorporates the changes that happened during production.

As a bonus feature — because all things these days require bonus features — you can also find a longer audition scene I wrote when we were casting the Mannie character. It was never going to be included in the film, but helped us decide on Nathan Bexton for the role. For the record, the references to “Charlie’s Angels” are just coincidence (or perhaps, fate). I wasn’t involved with the Charlie’s Angels movie at all when I wrote this.

GO at Arclight tickets available

Go, News

Tickets for the special screening of GO at Arclight in Hollywood on November 25th are now available for sale. The movie starts at 7:00 p.m., followed by a Q&A with John, hosted by MENACE II SOCIETY screenwriter Tyger Williams.

A couple of nice coincidences: the Arclight is just down the street from the supermarket that served as the inspiration for the movie, and GO’s premiere was held in Arclight’s Cineramadome.

Special GO screening Nov. 25th at the ArcLight

Go, News

story to glory logoOn Tuesday, November 25th, GO is being screened as part of the “Story to Glory” series at the ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, followed by a Q&A with me. Will I say something profound and brilliant? No. But I’ll hopefully be coherent.

I haven’t seen GO on a big screen since 1999, so I’ll probably just watch it beforehand so I remember the plot. Plus, the ArcLight is by far my favorite movie theater in Los Angeles, since they let you reserve your individual seat. Along with my TiVo and my Prius, the ArcLight is one of my favorite modern conveniences.

The ArcLight theaters are big, so I’m not expecting it to sell out. But as soon as there is ticket information, I’ll put it up.

This film series began in September 2002, and is held every second Tuesday, screening a different movie and interviewing its screenwriter afterwards. It’s run by the Scriptwriters Network.

How long to write a script

Go, QandA

How long did it take to write GO? How long does it take to
write a finished script? Do you work at an office day in, day out, or is it
different?

–Floris

GO took about two years to write, but it was an unusual case in that I wrote
it as a short film, then let it sit around for a long time before I did the
full version. My active work time on the script was probably about four months,
which is not a bad estimate for most of the things I’ve worked on.

Some things have had to go faster out of necessity. I wrote the first draft
of CHARLIE’S ANGELS in three weeks, because that was all the time I had available
between commitments. (I later went back and did another two months of work
on it, right before production.)

Currently, I work out of an office in my home. I have an assistant who works
from 9 to 6, which is what I consider my "working" hours, but truthfully
my life is more like college. Sometimes you can screw around during the day,
and sometimes you have to pull all-nighters to get work done.