• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

John August

  • Blog
  • Arlo Finch
  • About
  • Library
  • Scriptnotes
  • Store

Film Industry

Double Ampersand

Episode - 380

Play

December 25, 2018 Adaptation, Books, Directors, Film Industry, Genres, Producers, QandA, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, WGA, Writing Process

John sits down with Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens to discuss their new film Mortal Engines, and their approach to writing as a team, worldbuilding, and rewriting through production, because one does not simply walk into Mordor.

We also answer audience questions about the difference between ideas for television and movies, and working through dialogue out loud.

Links:

  • Thanks to Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens!
  • Mortal Engines is in theaters now.
  • Mortal Engines is based on the book series by Philip Reeve.
  • T-shirts are available here! We’ve got new designs, including Colored Revisions, Karateka, and Highland2.
  • John August on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Matt Davis (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 1-2-19: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Holiday Live Show 2018

December 18, 2018 Film Industry, Follow Up, QandA, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, WGA, Writing Process

John and Craig welcome Pamela Ribon (Ralph Breaks the Internet, Smurfs: The Lost Village), Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Into the Spiderverse, The Lego Movie), Zoanne Clack (Grey’s Anatomy) and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Family Guy, The Orville) to discuss writing animated features, breaking into television, and how to disappoint your parents.

We also rescue another genre, the big-screen holiday comedy, by playing a game about movies of Christmas past. Then we answer audience questions about useful notes and being the only woman in the room.

Thank you to the Writers Guild Foundation and the LA Film School for hosting us!

Links:

  • Thank you, Writers Guild Foundation for making this event happen!
  • And thank you to our incredible guests: Pamela Ribon, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Zoanne Clack and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong!
  • Featured movies in the Santa Claus Is Bumming Me Down game are Four Christmases, Jingle All The Way, Deck the Halls, Fred Claus, Jack Frost, Surviving Christmas and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.
  • T-shirts are available here! We’ve got new designs, including Colored Revisions, Karateka, and Highland2.
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • Pamela Ribon on Twitter
  • Phil Lord on Twitter
  • Chris Miller on Twitter
  • Zoanne Clack on Twitter
  • Cherry Chevapravatdumrong on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Fred Tepper (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

The Worst of the Worst

December 11, 2018 Film Industry, Follow Up, QandA, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, WGA, Words on the page

John and Craig examine why and how writers need to make bad things happen to their characters, and the ways in which hero suffering differs between features and television.

We also answer listener questions about WGA jurisdiction, becoming a signatory, timing a script for television, and why all scripts aren’t available online.

Links:

  • Tickets are on sale for the Holiday Live Show!
  • The Team America: World Police puke scene, with some bad language
  • The opening of Finding Nemo
  • Aslan’s sacrifice in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
  • Can We Stop Suicides? by Moises Velasquez-Manoff for the New York Times
  • The environment in Red Dead Redemption 2
  • T-shirts are available here! We’ve got new designs, including Colored Revisions, Karateka, and Highland2.
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Michael O’Konis (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

Commencement

November 20, 2018 Arlo Finch, Directors, Film Industry, Follow Up, Producers, QandA, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

John and Craig discuss commencement, the official moment to start writing. It can be easy to get pressured into free producer rewrites, starting to write before a deal is done and other pitfalls of blurry boundaries, so the WGA is introducing the Start Button, designed to help writers define their timeline and let the Guild be the bad guy.

We also answer listener questions about procedural television, binge-watching, and crossing the line in dark comedy.

Links:

  • Signed Arlo Finch bookplates are available with a copy of your receipt.
  • Tickets for the Scriptnotes Holiday Live Show are on sale now.
  • Scriptnotes, Ep 296: Television with Damon Lindelof
  • Start Button for WGA members
  • Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana box set or just the book
  • This Chemical Is So Hot It Destroys Nerve Endings — In a Good Way by Matt Simon for Wired
  • T-shirts are available here! We’ve got new designs, including Colored Revisions, Karateka, and Highland2.
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Andrew Burns (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 11-28-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Each week, screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters, everything from the craft to the business to the best ways to actually get yourself writing.

Where to find it

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Spotify
  • The Scriptnotes Archives
  • Scriptnotes App for iOS
  • Scriptnotes App for Android
  • RSS

Looking for old episodes?


The most recent 20 episodes are available for free on this site and Apple Podcasts. The entire back catalog and occasional special bonus content is available to premium subscribers on the web and through the Scriptnotes App for iOS and Android. Sign up at scriptnotes.net.

Scriptnotes Premium

$1.99/mo for access to the entire back catalog.

The Scriptnotes App

Free on iOS and Android.

© 2019 John August — All Rights Reserved.