John August

QandA

Let’s talk about coverage

Episode - 120

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Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, WGA

Craig and John talk readers and coverage, centering their discussion on profound_whatever’s infographic charting 300 submissions and the lessons screenwriters can take from it.

After that, we talk about the recent DGA deal with the AMPTP, and the degree to which it might predict the upcoming WGA negotiations.

Finally, we discuss getting high and are generally buzz-kills. Sorry.

LINKS:

* profound_whatever’s [post on r/screenwriting](http://www.reddit.com/r/Screenwriting/comments/1r5y6l/ive_covered_300_spec_scripts_for_5_different/) and its [accompanying infographic](http://i.imgur.com/T22gGBO.png)
* Deus ex machina [on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_ex_machina)
* [Directors Guild of America Board OKs New Contract, Triggering Member Vote](http://variety.com/2013/film/news/directors-guild-of-america-board-oks-new-contract-triggering-member-vote-1200874949/) from Variety
* [WGA Announces Contract Negotiating Committee](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wga-announces-contract-negotiating-committee-655750) from The Hollywood Reporter
* [Writers in Treatment](http://www.writersintreatment.org/)
* [Screenflow](http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/) for Mac, and John’s video and post on [why he likes writing in Fountain](http://johnaugust.com/2013/why-i-like-writing-in-fountain)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Matthew Chilelli

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_120.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_120.mp3).

**UPDATE** 12-5-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-120-lets-talk-about-coverage-transcript).

Positive Moviegoing

Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, Writing Process

Aline Brosh McKenna joins John and Craig to discuss watching movies with an open mind and why it’s important to befriend other writers.

Also this week: what to do when your outline collapses and a look at going broke in your 50s.

The Scriptnotes Live Holiday Show on December 19th is technically sold out, but there’s a chance seats will open up, so keep an eye on Twitter.

LINKS:

* [Aline Brosh McKenna](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112459/) on IMDb, and her [first](http://johnaugust.com/2012/the-black-list-and-a-stack-of-scenes), [second](http://johnaugust.com/2013/how-screenwriters-find-their-voice), [third](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-100th-episode), and [third-and-a-half](http://johnaugust.com/2013/101-qa-from-the-live-show) appearances on Scriptnotes
* The [Scriptnotes Holiday Show](https://www.wgfoundation.org/screenwriting-events/scriptnotes-holiday/) is sold out, but follow [@johnaugust](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) and [@clmazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) to be the first to know if more tickets are released
* [John Gatins](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0309691/) on IMDb
* [What It’s Like to Fail](http://priceonomics.com/what-its-like-to-fail/) on priceonomics
* [Scroobius Pip](http://scroobiuspip.co.uk/) and [You Will See Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OS4W3OCESY)
* [Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0393064425/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by Keith Houston
* [Irony punctuation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation) on Wikipedia
* The [TreadDesk](http://asoft11239.accrisoft.com/treaddesk/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Kris Gotthelf

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_119.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_119.mp3).

**UPDATE** 12-1-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-119-positive-moviegoing-transcript).

Time Travel with Richard Kelly

Directors, Education, Scriptnotes, Sundance, Transcribed

John and Craig wind back the clock with writer-director Richard Kelly to look at the origins of Donnie Darko, and how a recent film-school grad gets a movie made.

Along the way, we talk about Sundance and slow success, scope creep and transmedia.

The Scriptnotes Live Holiday Show will be Thursday, December 19th, 2013. Tickets go on sale November 20th at 10am. Links below.

LINKS:

* [Tickets are on sale tomorrow morning](https://www.wgfoundation.org/writing-seminars/) for the December 19th Scriptnotes Live Holiday Show
* Richard Kelly [on IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446819/), [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kelly_(director)) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JRichardKelly)
* [Donnie Darko](http://archive.hi-res.net/donniedarko/), and [on Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZBFRTY/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* [The Donnie Darko Book](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0571221246/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* [Scope creep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_creep) on Wikipedia
* [Coin](https://onlycoin.com/) for all your cards
* [The Science and Entertainment Exchange](http://www.scienceandentertainmentexchange.org)
* [Hotel Tonight](http://www.hoteltonight.com/)
* [Big Fish](http://www.bigfishthemusical.com/) is on Broadway through December 29th
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Scriptnotes listener Matthew Chilelli

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_118.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_118.mp3).

**UPDATE** 11-24-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-118-time-travel-with-richard-kelly-transcript).

Making The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders

Directors, Television

Saturday Night Live’s Alex Buono details how they shot one of my favorite bits this year, the Wes Anderson-ian parody trailer for “The Midnight Coterie of Sinister Intruders.” Good ideas [only get you so far](http://www.alex-buono.com/how-we-did-it-snl-the-midnight-coterie-of-sinister-intruders/):

> Wes Anderson is one of the most idiosyncratic filmmakers of our time; his style is so unique that you might think it would be easy to satirize. But here’s the problem: turns out everyone has a different opinion about what MOST distinguishes Wes Anderson’s style. Is it the limited color palette? Flat space camera moves? Symmetrical compositions? Snap-zooms? Twee, hand-crafted art direction? Slow-motion walking shots? Clearly it’s all of those things and more, but within the limited context of a trailer, which are the most important signatures to include? And within a subculture as film-literate as the writers and producers of SNL, we were surrounded by astute Wes Anderson connoisseurs. Suddenly this spot had morphed from something I was dying to shoot into something I was terrified to shoot!

It’s a great example of how an idea that starts with the writing (in this case by John Solomon, Rob Klein, Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider) has to be matched by execution at every step. I always urge screenwriters to read American Cinematographer for how-they-did-it details. Buono’s recap provides a nice snapshot of how challenging it really is, particularly when you’re facing a hard deadline.

> If I haven’t adequately expressed how long and complicated this shoot had become, let me headline it: I was on stage at 10am Friday morning with Rhys (director) and Justus McLarty (producer) along with Andrea (art director) to walk through/tweak the sets as they were being painted. The animation unit started their day at 3pm and (somehow) had a finished shot by 3am. Meanwhile our night exterior crew arrived at 2pm, our stage crew arrived at 5pm and we all finally wrapped at 7am. Saturday morning. As in: the day of the show.

The final result is worth it: